HIF scientist Dr. Raimon Tolosana-Delgado appointed honorary professor at TU Bergakademie Freiberg

Mining is a contro­versial topic: On the one hand, we need raw materials such as copper for the transition to climate-friendly ­techno­logies, but on the other hand, exploration and raw material extraction are primarily associated with environmental pollution and exploitation. A team of 18 European partners coordinated by the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF) at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has addressed this contro­versy in the VECTOR project, linking geosciences with data and social sciences. The results are efficient and low impact exploration methods and human-centered solutions that enable a responsible supply of critical raw materials in Europe.

Gallium is a strategically important element and the backbone of the semiconductor industry for mobile data transmission and optoelectronics applications. It is used in wafers (GaAs, GaN), electronic chips, and optical componen­ts such as LEDs and lasers. One kilogram of gallium currently costs around €1,000, and the price is rising. During industrial processing, a considerable amount of the raw material is already lost when etching or polishing processes remove material. The residues are sometimes highly diluted or the mixture is chemically complex, making reco­very by conventional chemical means difficult. This is where the research of the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF) of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) comes in. Using a biotechnological process, the wastewa­ter from Freiberger Compound Material­s is treated in a pilot scale facility and the gallium is reco­vered.

Hydrogen plays a central role in the energy transition. The gas is mainly produced with the help of electrolysers. This process requires critical raw materials such as platinum group metals, rare earths or nickel as catalysts. Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF), an institute of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), have now been able to reco­ver these functional materials using innovative flotation processes and liquid-liquid particle se­paration, thus returning them to the material cycle. The research is part of the H2Giga lead project of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), which is investigating the longevity and recyclability of hydrogen electrolysers.

Pre­parators grind and polish rock surfaces ­very carefully for microscopic examination of minerals and rocks. This pre­paration is key to the identification and characterization of mineral raw materials. The Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF), an institute of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), uses polishing machines from Struers GmbH for pre­paration. In order to polish an ideal surface, a sample hol­der was developed at the HIF. The two partner institutions currently present the holer for the first time at the leading European Geosciences Exhibition EGU in Vienna. Accordingly, HIF and Struers underline their five-year cooperation.

Flotation is one of the most important processes for se­parating minerals in the raw materials industry. Achieving the highest possible mineral enrichment requires the appropriate selection and dosage of reagents - a complex, time-consuming and cost-intensive procedure. Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF), which is part of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, have developed a workflow for the economic and ecological optimization and upscaling of flotation reagents. Initial tests on an industrial scale have shown a significant increase in the concentration of valuable minerals and confirmed the effectiveness of the developed approach.

In the European DeepBEAT project, scientists at the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF), an institute of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), are pursuing the approach of using geochemical analyses to detect deep-seated ore deposits in a non-invasive manner. The researchers are testing the methods in three areas in Germany, the Czech Republic and Finland. The integrative involvement of all participants is an essential part of the project in order to improve mutual understanding in exploration projects. The EU is funding the three-year project with five million euros.