Anna Kaksonen | CSIRO
Themes:
- Tailings repurposing that results in a step change in existing tailings volumes
- Step changes in the characterization, extraction and processing of material in the production of tailings volume
Project title: Recovering metal values from tailings through integrated bioprocess technology
Research team:
Offering to sponsors:
The project uses bioleaching to recover value and extend mine life.
Summary:
Key problems to be solved:
- Declining ore grades
- Loss of metal value in tailings from traditional processing
- Increasing volumes of tailings generated
- Harmful environmental impacts from tailings-derived acid mine drainage.
The project will develop integrated bioprocesses for:
- extracting value from tailings through bioleaching
- recovery of metals from leach liquors and mine drainage through bioprecipitation
- reducing the metal and sulfur content of tailings to mitigate harmful environmental impacts.
Key project activities will include:
- Selecting, sourcing and characterising tailings for metal values that could be extracted, mineralogy and liberation of metals
- Identifying suitable microbes for biomining depending on tailings characteristics
- Bioleaching metals from tailings
- Characterising leach residues
- Recovering metals from leach liquors / min drainage through bioprecipitation
- Characterising recovered products
- Conducting techno-economic analysis.
Benefits to industry:
Economic
- Extension of mine life through the value recovery of tailings
- Benefits to processing and chemical mining supply companies through an increased demand for equipment and chemicals in bioleaching processes
Environmental
- Decreased environmental footprint
Social
- New jobs in the biotechnical mining tailings processing
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