Surface analysis for the concentration and extraction of metals using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

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Global climate consciousness is driving an increase in demand for materials critical to energy storage applications (such as lithium, magnesium, graphite) sourced from jurisdictions with strong environmental regulation and a desire to mitigate the environmental impact of existing mining operations across all commodity groups. In Canada, the barrier to production of battery critical minerals and the slow pace at which environmentally sustainable processes are commercially adopted is due to technical challenges encountered in the processing of primary ore from Canadian deposits. This proposal aims to enable ground breaking research in the area mineral concentration and metal extraction in an efficient, environmentally conscious, and economical manner through the enhancement of analytical capabilities of 2 world class laboratories in the Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining at Queen's University. The requested instrument is urgently needed by researchers in this area to advance the commercial production of lithium and other battery critical minerals from Canadian deposits and to improve the economic viability of cyanide free gold leaching to mitigate the environmental risk of gold mines in Canada and internationally. Mineral Processing: Technical challenges associated with concentration of lithium minerals from Canadian ores create a barrier to commercial production. Similarities in the physicochemical properties of many lithium minerals and their associated waste minerals make their separation process, though flotation, challenging and costly. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy can be used to analyze flotation reagents on the surface of ore and waste minerals after treatment under different conditions, allowing for the identification of optimal process conditions and the design of specialized chemicals to selectively adsorb on target minerals, with the potential to enable the economic production of lithium and magnesium from Canadian deposits. Hydrometallurgy and the Environment: Innovative hydrometallurgical processes for the extraction of metals and minerals from primary resources can be used to identify and promote the commercialization of alternative chemicals to replace cyanide in the gold extraction process. FTIR can be used to analyze leach solutions from two potential cyanide replacement systems (thiosulfate and thiocyanate), both of which are significantly less toxic than cyanide when used as a lixiviant in gold extraction. Through the identification of target species in the leach solutions under different process conditions, the efficiency of cyanide free gold leaching process can be improved to develop an economic process that can be adopted commercially. Both of these research programs will benefit the Canadian environment and economy through the production of raw materials that will enable widespread electrification of vehicles and through reduction of environmental risk associated with existing mining operations.