Exploration and characterization of metalliferous raw materials
Traditional techniques applied to raw material exploration are costly, time-consuming, and leave a significant environmental footprint. That is why, a particular focus of our research is to develop comprehensive and fast drill core mapping routines to extract the most information out of any sample taken. At the same time, we are investigating low environmental and societal impact exploration technologies to decrease the amount of drilling needed. Another cornerstone of our research is the development of models that take into consideration all relevant raw material characteristics in an effort to predict the outcomes of mining, mineral beneficiation and metallurgical extraction already at an early exploration stage. We do so by applying the concept of predictive geometallurgy.
Our extensive knowledge in exploration and characterization is also applied to increasingly complex waste streams. To this end, we develop new characterization techniques and multi-sensor systems in combination with data processing routines for a detailed, fast, and cost-efficient identification of materials and suitable recycling routes.
Research topics
Method and sensor development
Through method and sensor development, we enable rapid and accurate raw materials’ exploration and characterization. Our research covers the following topics:
- Mineral mapping
- Remote sensing with autonomous platforms
- Optimized materials characterization
- 3D Computer-Tomography
- Real-time resource characterization
Data integration
How to make use of the vast data collected during exploration and characterization is being investigated in the topics:
Applications and transfer
With all our workflows being open-source and our datasets published as open benchmark data, we encourage the dissemination and collaborative development in the wider research community. Through industry cooperation and case studies, we transfer our extensive knowledge, novel methods and tools into practice as for example in:
- the Silver City project in cooperation with Excellon Resources
- the Car2Car project in cooperation with partners from the automotive and recycling sector
Through our spin-off companies, we demonstrate a successful transfer of our extensive knowledge from science to industry:
