In-situ mining without drilling - a paradigm shift in metal extraction

概述：采矿业占世界能源消耗的10%。仅美国采矿业每年就消耗1246万亿Btu。这其中很大一部分与钻探、粉碎和矿石移动的物流有关。传统的矿石加工一般采用湿法冶金(高成本、低产量、合理的选择性)或火法(低成本、高产量、低选择性)。这两种方法都需要大量的能源投入，并产生大量的废物，如炉渣或废水。该项目将寻求提出一种采矿模式的转变，寻求无需钻探就能就地开采金属。这将使用一种新型的溶剂工艺和一种新的岩石破碎方法，目的是更具选择性，使用更少的能源，更环保。可以使用电催化和电解法从复杂的基质中溶解金属和金属化合物。离子介质还可以提高金属提取和回收的选择性和效率。主要问题是粘性介质中的质量传输和反应速率。该项目旨在利用聚焦超声波就地溶解矿物。超声波曾被用于辅助钻井(UAD)，但从未与反应性浸出剂一起使用。省去了大量的钻探、搬运和处理煤矸石材料的需要，可以减少80%的能源消耗，并减少尾矿坝和矿渣堆等环境问题。该项目将解决在重要的热液矿床类型中常见的各种矿石矿物，如浅成热液金矿和斑岩铜(包括与我们的合作伙伴Argo在菲律宾的世界级Lepanto矿床)。这些矿物及其蕴含的化学元素对矿物加工业务既带来了挑战，也带来了机遇。该项目将探索离子液体中常见硫酸盐矿物的电化学，以评估新的无害环境的加工方法的潜力。它将适合学生，无论是拥有矿物加工/应用地质学/地球化学/矿物学学位，热衷于发展化学和工程技能，或拥有化学学位，热衷于将自己的技能应用于矿物加工行业。离子液体改变金属的反应性-图像显示氯化铜在8种不同的离子液体中溶解。颜色范围从红色(左)到绿色(中)到深蓝色(右)

Overview: The mining industry accounts for 10 percent of world energy consumption. The US mining industry alone consumes 1246 Trillion Btu/Year. Much of this is concerned with drilling, crushing and the logistics of ore movement. Traditional ore processing is generally carried out using either hydrometallurgy (high cost, low volume, reasonable selectivity) or pyrometallurgy (lower cost, high volume, low selectivity). Both methods require a large energy input and produce large volumes of waste e.g. slags or waste water. This project will seek to propose a paradigm shift in mining seeking to extract metals in situ without drilling. This will use a new type of solvent process and a novel method of fracturing rock with the aim of being more selective, using less energy, and being more environmentally compatible.Electrocatalytic and electrolytic methods can be used to solubilize metals and metallic compounds from complex matrices. Ionic media can also increase the selectivity and efficiency of metal extraction and winning. The main issue is mass transport and rates of reaction in viscous media. This project aims to use focused ultrasound to dissolve minerals in-situ. Ultrasound has been used for assisted drilling (UAD) but never with a reactive lixiviant. Negating much of the need for drilling and moving and treating gangue material could reduce energy consumption by 80% and reduce environmental issues such as tailings dams and slag heaps. The project will address a diverse group of ore minerals commonly encountered in important hydrothermal deposit types such as epithermal gold and porphyry copper (including the world-class Lepanto deposit, in the Philippines, with our partner ARGO). These minerals, and the chemical elements they host, pose both challenges and opportunities for mineral processing operations. This project will explore the electrochemistry of common sulfosalt minerals in ionic liquids to assess the potential for new environmentally-benign approaches to processing. It will suit a student, either with a degree in mineral processing/applied geology/geochemistry/mineralogy who is keen to develop skills in chemistry and engineering, or with a degree in chemistry who is keen to apply their skills in the mineral processing industry. Ionic liquids change metal reactivity - image shows copper chloride dissolved in 8 different ionic liquids.Alt text: Solutions of copper in 8 ionic liquids. Colours range from red (left) to greens (centre) to deep blue (right)