News

On March 10, 2022, the joint NEMO/CROCODILE/TARANTULA expert panel discussed the “Global perspectives on the reprocessing of mine tailings”. The objective was to find common ground and to enable the elaboration of specific EU policy recommendations.

Within the context of EU NEMO, SIM² KU Leuven/SOLVOMET researchers developed a non-aqueous solvent extraction process for the separation of heavy rare earths (HREEs). The work was published in Separation & Purification Technology.

Can mining waste become a raw material for (circular) construction materials? In this new video, the EU MSCA-ETN SULTAN team highlights the project results in terms of remining present day and historical sulphidic tailings.

Within the EU MSCA-ETN SOCRATES project, Jennifer Astoveza investigated the possibility to add iron-rich slag as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in distinct calcium aluminate containing cement systems.

Within the EU ETN SULTAN and PEACOC projects, SOLVOMET/SIM2 KU Leuven and VITO researchers developed a process to recover copper, zinc and lead from chloride leachates of PV residues. The work was published in RSC Advances.

SOLVOMET/SIM² researchers have published a critical review paper in Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research on the different systems and mechanisms of non-aqueous solvent extraction, providing a framework for future processes.

SULTAN, the EU Training Network for the remediation and reprocessing of sulphidic mining waste sites, has launched its long-awaited Thematic Section in the Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy, comprising 10 research papers.

Within the EU H2020 ETN SULTAN project, Wienerberger, VITO & SIM2 KU Leuven researchers succeeded in blending up to 20 wt% of mining waste into ceramics. The work was published in the Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy.

SOLVOMET/SIM² KU Leuven developed a solvometallurgical process to regenerate and reuse the anionic collector SDS and to strip copper from foam phases produced after the ion flotation of Cu-Zn dilute ammoniacal leachates.

The 2-day symposium “(Re)Mining extractive waste, a new business?” gathers leading experts in the field of (re)mining of mining-related waste, with a focus on the tailings that arise during the mining and processing of sulphidic ores.

SOLVOMET/SIM² KU Leuven researchers developed a predictive molecular thermodynamic model, enabling a more efficient design of future (battery-grade) cobalt solvent extraction flowsheets. The work was published in ACS Omega.

On April 27 more than 220 people participated in the event “Can the recycling of mining waste become a new business?” Three experts from EC DG ENV, Boliden & Cronimet shared their views. Here are the main lessons learned...

SOLVOMET/SIM2 KU Leuven & VITO researchers developed a process to recover copper from dilute ammoniacal leachates of microwave-roasted Cu-Zn-Pb sulphidic tailings. The work was published in Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy.

Within the ETN SULTAN project, Wienerberger & SIM² KU Leuven researchers studied the potential blending of sulfidic mining waste in new ceramic roof tiles and blocks. The work was published in Journal of Geochemical Exploration.

SULTAN researcher Chiamaka Belsonia Opara has been awarded the "Lightning Talk Committee Award" at the 8th International Conference on Microbial Communication for Young Scientists - MiCom 2021

Registrations are open for the Lunch Event "Recycling mining waste, a new business? (27 April 2021, 12.30-13.30 pm CET). Three experts will share their views on the recycling of mining waste, covering a variety of case studies.

Within the framework of the MSCA-ETN SULTAN project SIM² KU Leuven researchers have characterised the historic Zn-Pb mine waste from the tailings pond located at Plombières, East Belgium. The work was published in Minerals.

SOLVOMET/SIM2 KU Leuven researchers developed a process to remove trace concentrations of Cd, Zn and Mn from simulated diluted mine waters via foam separation. The work was published in the Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy.

Within EU NEMO a bioheapleaching pilot started its operations at the Sotkamo mine in Finland. Its aim is to improve the secondary bioheapleaching process at the mine, boosting the recovery of metals and the removal of sulphides.

SIM²/SOLVOMET researcher Panagiotis Xanthopoulos (ETN SULTAN) has been awarded the Best Oral Presentation Award at the 2020 International AMD online conference “Mine-impacted Water: From Waste to Resource” (SAIMM).