Process development and optimization

The beneficiation, extraction, and refining of metals accounts for a significant portion of primary energy consumption in metal producing countries and impacts environment and society. The need to handle finer particle systems will further increase energy demand affecting both the cost and the carbon footprint of the various downstream processes involved. The transdisciplinary optimization and development of energy-efficient processes and systems for the recovery of minerals and metalliferous resources is therefore at the heart of our research. We develop technologies in:

Mechanical processing

From particle and surface characterization, sample preparation to pilot-scale facilities, our state-of-the-art laboratory infrastructure, especially in cooperation with our closest research partner, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, offers the entire range of methods and equipment for mineral processing and recycling. One of our scientific expertise is on froth flotation and similar heterocoagulation processes, which is used for separating fine particles based on their surface properties.

Research examples:

Biohydrometallurgy

Biohydrometallurgy is a promising approach to extract minerals and metals. With our knowledge and extenisive laboratory infrastructure (3D tour), we expand the biotechnological extraction of high-tech metals from ores or mining residues to waste streams. Our scientific expertise ranges from the extraction of metals (bioleaching), the selective binding and recovery of metal ions from aqueous solutions (biosorption) and the selective particle separation with biological reagents (bioflotation). Our biohydrometallurgical research is being integrated within the diverse processing and metallurgical research applications.

Research examples:

Process metallurgy

We design, develop, and link metallurgical process chains and systems. With our modern laboratories and piloting facilities, we dedicate our research to key technologies and methods in hydro- and pyrometallurgy for metals refining and recycling. Particular focus is on methods such as liquid-liquid-extraction, chemical leaching, electrowinning and membrane separation techniques but also on reductive smelting and high temperature redox chemistry (e.g. for Zn, Cu, Ge and Si contents).

We have also specialized in the recovery of rare earth elements (REE) from different secondary resources such as e-waste and magnets. The efficiency of REE recovery can be drastically enhanced with a selective decontamination of iron from the material flow. For that, we developed a novel in-house technology called the IronEx process.