Department of Processing
Flotation Cell in the Freiberg Laboratory, Photo: HZDR/Frank Schinski While the global metal content in deposits decreases, more and more ores are characterized by valuable minerals that are finely distributed and bound in rather small particles (< 100 µm). For the raw materials industry, however, processing several billion tons of ore per year is becoming a major technical challenge. Therefore, the Department of Processing is concerned with enhancing classical flotation techniques and at the same time develops holistic processing concepts in order to exploit the increasingly complex mineral resources such as complex ore deposits or tailings. The department also utilizes innovative biological technologies by closely working together with the Biotechnology Department, which develops new methods for extracting and processing metals from primary and secondary resources using microorganisms as well as their metabolic products. |