OptiMine Solutions’ Post

"The importance of physical separation goes far beyond mere extraction of minerals from ores, it resonates deeply with our economic prosperity. As part of minerals processing, physical separation directly impacts the economy by driving innovation, creating jobs, and fostering economic growth. Efficient separation processes translate to increased productivity, reduced operational costs, and enhanced competitiveness in the global market. Embracing advancements in physical separation technologies is key to unlocking new opportunities and overcoming challenges in mineral processing and beyond. Collaboration between industry stakeholders, academia, and policymakers is essential to drive innovation, streamline processes, and ensure the responsible stewardship of our natural resources” #MineralProcessing #PhysicalSeparation #EconomicDevelopment #Sustainability #Innovation #Scientists #Operators #Engineers

#RES_Focus Title：Forecasting revenue from primary and secondary sources of rare earth elements Authors：Ajay K. Gupta, Eric Williams, Gabrielle Gaustad Abstract: Expanding use of rare earth elements (REEs) necessitates characterizing deposits. Challenges include variable REE concentrations (e.g., coal ash ranges from 267 to 843 ppm) and price volatility. For a range of sources, we estimate distributions in the REE value per tonne of material, by collecting multiple data points for each type and using mean-reversion price forecasting. The study covers primary ores (e.g., bastnaesite), industrial wastes (e.g., red mud) and consumer wastes (e.g., NiMH batteries). Electronic wastes have highest value, driven by neodymium, industrial waste value is driven by scandium. Variability exists within resource types, e.g., the value of Australian monazite > Bayan Obo bastnaesite > Malaysian monazite. Using a power-law relationship, the total REE value of a sources correlates well with its ore grade. These results inform investment decisions to develop primary and secondary sources by clarifying potential variability and providing a useful rule of thumb to estimate revenues.   Source：Resources, Conservation and Recycling DOI：https://lnkd.in/eB7UNpmt #Rareearthoxideprices #Rareearthoregrades #Rareearthrevenue #Meanreversionforecasting #MonteCarloanalysis #elements

🌱Interview | Dr. Rajesh Chadha discusses #CriticalMinerals and its essential role in the manufacturing of green technology for India, in an exclusive conversation with Indiastat. Read to learn more👇 https://lnkd.in/dpJacaWE

🌊🔋 Getting freshwater and from the brine generating sustainable metals! Researchers are unlocking the potential of seawater and desalination brine to extract valuable metals like lithium and magnesium. This innovative method, championed by companies such as Magrathea Metals, promises significant environmental and economic benefits. Key Highlights: Innovative Extraction: Magrathea Metals uses a carbon-neutral process to extract magnesium. Economic Potential: Desalination brine contains materials worth an estimated $2.2 trillion. Environmental Impact: The process uses less land and produces less pollution compared to traditional mining methods. These efforts support the transition to a circular economy and reduce reliance on traditional, environmentally damaging mining techniques. The extracted metals are crucial for various industries, including renewable energy and electronics, highlighting the dual benefits of economic growth and environmental stewardship. Additionally, the integration of this technology in existing desalination plants can make these facilities more profitable and efficient, transforming waste into valuable resources. This approach exemplifies how innovation can drive sustainability, making it possible to meet increasing material demands without further depleting natural resources. Explore more about this transformative technology and its implications for the future of mining and sustainability: Yale E360. #Sustainability #Innovation #GreenTech #Mining #RenewableEnergy #CircularEconomy #Metals #Desalination @YaleE360 #magnesium https://lnkd.in/gyJpt3Ph

Evaluating Potential Revenue from Rare Earth Elements (REEs) 📢 New Paper on Potential Revenue from Rare Earth Elements (REEs) 📢 https://lnkd.in/exbcRzk4 Delves into the potential revenue of 11 different REE sources across various regions and technological configurations. Here are some key takeaways: 1️⃣ Value Comparison: REEs, mainly in the form of rare earth oxides (REOs), are generally the most valuable product except in NiMH batteries and sea nodules. Electronic waste shows the highest revenue potential, driven by neodymium oxide, while industrial waste lags behind, mainly influenced by scandium oxide. 2️⃣ Regional Impact: Primary and industrial waste ore grades vary significantly by region, influencing revenue potential. For example, monazite from Mount Weld, Australia, displays higher potential revenue compared to other regions. 3️⃣ Co-Production Benefits: Revenue from REE production is often enhanced by the co-production of other valuable metals. This comprehensive approach should guide the prioritization of deposits for development. 4️⃣ Simulation Results: Monte Carlo simulations reveal that industrial wastes generate the least revenue per tonne, while electronic wastes are the most lucrative. Among primary ores, Australian monazite and Chinese bastnaesite show the highest potential revenue. 5️⃣ Market Drivers: Scandium oxide and neodymium oxide are primary revenue drivers for industrial and electronic wastes, respectively, highlighting the market demand for these elements. 6️⃣ Correlation and Forecasting: A robust correlation between total rare earth oxide content and potential revenue provides a simplified forecasting method for assessing new deposits. Implications for Government and Industry: 1. Prioritizing high-value REE sources can enhance regional and national REE supplies. 2. Detailed feasibility studies are essential, as the study assumes 100% extraction yields and does not factor in processing costs. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the economic value of secondary REE sources and the necessity for accurate data in evaluating resources. The findings suggest that REEs could become a key economic driver for recycling projects, with significant implications for the future of sustainable resource management. For more detailed insights, including comprehensive data and analysis, check the supplementary information provided in the study. 🔗 #RareEarthElements #Sustainability #Mining #Recycling #ResourceManagement #Innovation #MaterialsScience #CircularEconomy #Policy #GreenTechnology Let's work together to harness the full potential of REEs and drive sustainable innovation forward! 🌍🚀

Edith Cowan University and the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA) have started a direct lithium extraction project that aims to revolutionize the future of critical minerals sustainability. The research utilizes membrane technology to meet the future demand for lithium in a less harmful way. As dependence on lithium to power electric vehicles, store wind and power solar grows, alternative means to extract lithium from the earth are needed. Demand currently sits at around 700,000 tonnes per annum globally. By 2035 that is expected to rise to 4,000,000 tonnes. While in abundance, extracting lithium has environmental challenges. "The problem is for every one tonne of lithium chemical we produce it directly results in 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide," Associate Professor Amir Razmjou said. Associate Professor Razmjou and his ECU team of chemical engineers are using membranes, which act as filters that allow the transportation of lithium at low energy. Read more here: https://ow.ly/41yg50So0mg Paulo de Souza  #UniversitiesMatter #research #lithium

Currently, lithium extraction is exclusively from hard-rock ores and continental brines, with continental brine resources being more abundant than hard-rock ores. The technology currently used to extract lithium from continental brine deposits relies on open air evaporation to concentrate the brine. Large volumes of water, 100–800 m3 per tonne of lithium carbonate, depending on the deposit, are lost through evaporation, raising concerns about the overall sustainability of the process. Furthermore, continental brine concentration is intrinsically slow, taking 10–24 months, which means that this process is not responsive to short-term changes in demand. Sodium is abundant and doesn't face these issues. 👉 Read more about lithium extraction here: https://www.rfr.bz/llnbsd4

🌊 Exciting News from the NYUAD Water Research Center! 🌊 We’re thrilled to announce our latest publication: "Polybenzimidazole-Modified Cation-Exchange Membrane with High Monovalent Ion Selectivity for Electrodialysis Separation of Alkaline/Alkaline Earth Metals." This groundbreaking research explores innovative membrane technology, crucial for sustainable mining and recycling of alkaline metals. By enhancing selectivity for monovalent ions, our team has developed a hybrid cation-exchange membrane that significantly improves the separation efficiency of essential minerals. 🔬 Key Highlights: - High selectivity for Na/Mg, Li/Mg, and Na/Ca ions - Current efficiency over 80% - Innovative use of polybenzimidazole (PBI) to optimize membrane structure Check out the full article to dive into the details of our findings and implications for sustainable resource management! 📄 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dPVuZPRZ #NYUAD #WaterResearch #SustainableMining #IonSeparation #MembraneTechnology #ResearchInnovation

“Australian researchers develop tech to recover #lithium from #saltwater ” “Researchers from Monash and the University of Queensland have developed a #nanofiltration technology to extract lithium from low-grade #saltwaterbrines with high #magnesium content. “Our technology achieves 90 percent lithium recovery, nearly double the performance of traditional methods, while dramatically reducing the time required for extraction from years to mere weeks,” researcher Dr Zhikao Li said.” OCTOBER 25, 2024 - BELLA PEACOCK “Lithium extraction in Chile, which sits in the lithium triangle. Image: Lithium Chile” “Australian researchers have developed an innovative technology enabling direct lithium extraction from difficult-to-process sources like saltwater, which they say represents a substantial portion of the world’s lithium potential.” “Until now, up to 75% of the world’s lithium-rich saltwater sources have remained untapped because of technical limitations, but given predictions that global lithium supply could fall short of demand as early as 2025, the researchers believe they have a game-changing solution.” “Their technology is a type of nanofiltration system that uses #ethylenediaminetetraaceticacid , or #EDTA , as a #chelatingagent to selectively separate lithium from other minerals, especially magnesium, which is often present in brines and difficult to remove.” “Studies for the technology were undertaken on brines from China’s Longmu Co Lake and Dongtai Lake, with the results published in the Nature Sustainability journal this week” https://lnkd.in/e-kXzfsX Source- original post Read all my posts #MariusPreston

I invite everyone for submissions in the Research Topic "Advancing #SustainableMining for #CriticalMinerals" in #Frontiers in Sustainable Resources. Denise Espinosa Nelson Stefanelli André C. S. Batalhão Authors are invited to submit contributions on, but not limited to, the following topics: • Production of critical raw materials by urban mining. • Greener technologies for critical minerals obtaining. • Hydro, pyro and biohydrometallurgy to obtain metals from low-grade ores and residues. • Recovery of metals from tailings, residues, slags and wastes of mineral processing. • Exploration of low-grade mineral resources. This Special Issue aims to gather high-quality research that explores the latest advancements in sustainable mining for critical minerals production, with an emphasis on promoting sustainable development and a circular economy within the context of a green energy transition. Novel extraction methods, but not restricted to, are: • Use of organic acids for extraction of metals – leaching and separation steps using organic acids as citric, DL-malic and oxalic from electronic wastes and mining sources (primary and secondary) to obtain metals as Li, Co, Nb, Ta, Mn, Ag, Au, and Cu. • Development of new polymeric membranes for separation and purification of critical raw materials – design of membrane materials for separation of metals and organic compounds by nanofiltration, ultrafiltration and electrodialysis. Application of commercial membranes is also considered. • Separation, purification, and capture of CO2 from industrial processes, including recycling, are also considered – design of new materials, application studies and scale-ups. Link: https://shorturl.at/giY39