Sustainable processing of Canadian sulphides

加拿大是世界上最重要的矿业国家之一，生产60多种矿物和金属。长期以来，采矿和矿物加工一直是中国的主要财富来源之一。2014年，该部门雇用了约375,000人，为加拿大国内生产总值(GDP)贡献了570亿美元。这种矿物财富的主要来源之一是贱金属硫化物，这仍然需要进行大量工作，以改进有价值矿物的可持续提取和分离。 这项研究建议旨在产生与硫化物矿物加工有关的新知识，包括所使用的试剂、环境考虑因素和所采用的分离工艺。尽管该提案以硫化物矿藏为中心，由工业赞助商运营，但结果将适用于几个矿藏，而不仅仅是那些正在调查的矿藏。这项建议的总体目标是：1)培训对加拿大经济至关重要的矿物加工领域的HQP；2)进行矿物加工的基础和多学科研究；3)满足赞助商的中短期研究需求；4)为赞助商人员提供继续教育机会。这项研究涵盖环境方面、浮选、物理分离和矿物学研究，所有这些都联系在一起，以促进加拿大硫化物矿床的可持续加工。 这个CRD项目将为加拿大经济提供21名HQP，他们将受到高度培训，并准备加入矿产行业。HQP将获得的技能将使他们在广泛的职业生涯中具有竞争力，包括政府(例如公共政策和环境)、行业或作为自己公司的企业家。整个采矿业将从这些发展中受益，以改善安全和减少采矿对环境的有害影响。

Canada is one of the most important mining nations in the world, producing more than 60 minerals and metals. Mining and mineral processing has long been one of the country's key wealth generators. In 2014, the sector employed approximately 375,000 people and contributed $57 billion to Canada's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). One of the major sources of this mineral wealth is in base metal sulphides, which still require significant work to improve the sustainable extraction and separation of valuable minerals. This research proposal aims at generating new knowledge related to sulphide mineral processing, including the reagents used, environmental considerations, and the separation processes employed. Although the proposal is centred on sulphide deposits and operated by the industrial sponsors, the results will be applicable across several mineral deposits, not just those under investigation. The overall goals of this proposal are: 1) to train HQPs in mineral processing, an area vital to Canada's economy; 2) to conduct fundamental and multi-disciplinary research in mineral processing; 3) to meet the short to medium term research needs of the sponsors; and 4) to provide continuing education opportunities for sponsor personnel. The research covers environmental aspects, flotation, physical separations and mineralogy studies, which all link together to promote sustainable processing of Canada's sulphide deposits. This CRD project will provide the Canadian economy with 21 HQP that will be highly trained and ready to join the minerals industry. The skills HQP will acquire will make them competitive for a wide range of careers, including government (e.g. public policy and environment), industry or as entrepreneurs in their own companies. The mining industry as a whole will benefit from these developments to improve safety and to reduce the harmful impacts of mining on the environment.