News

In the framework of ETN SULTAN, SIM² KU Leuven researchers have assessed the chemical and mineralogical characterisation of sulphidic mine waste to understand the environmental & health risks of the metals within the mine waste.

SULTAN researcher Francisco Veiga Simão will talk about "Turning mining waste into ceramic resources" during the Young Ceramists Network (YCN) webinar on 15 December

A joint team of SIM² KU Leuven/SOLVOMET & ArcelorMittal researchers have just published a critical review paper on the hydrometallurgical recovery of metals from steel industry by-products in the Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy.

Towards an environmentally sustainable transformation of tailings and mine waste: circular economy and future vision

In March 2015 the Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy (JSM) launched its first issue. Now, just more than 5 years, JSM obtained its first Impact Factor. With a score of 2,109, the journal ranks second among TMS journals for 2019.

A research paper by EU MSCA-ETN SOCRATES researchers was applauded as a 2020 HOT Green Chemistry article. In this paper the authors developed novel methods for selective gold extraction from hydrometallurgical solutions.

“The Missing Link of the Circular Economy 2.0” video shows why the waste of the past cannot be consigned to oblivion. A comprehensive Circular Economy vision should, therefore, find answers for Europe’s 500,000+ landfills.

How feasible is the transition to a climate-neutral economy (European Green Deal) in terms of the availability of the required (critical) metals? During the March 12 Seminar in Brussels an expert panel tried to provide answers.

SULTAN project poster

Researchers from the SREMat Group (SIM² KU Leuven) have published a critical review paper on the potential transformation of bauxite residue (“red mud”) into valuable building materials, trying to “put things in perspective”.

“The Dark Side of the Circular Economy” is the title of the ELFM V Symposium Aftermovie (5-2-2020). Referring to the EC’s pending Circular Economy Action Plan the video highlights one major blind spot in this plan. How will we deal with the waste of the past?

"Inconvenient truths of the circular economy" is the title of an interview with prof. Markus Reuter for the Aurubis magazine in which the main challenges and opportunities of recycling and the circular economy are analyzed.

Methanesulfonic acid (MSA) has proven again to be a suitable lixiviant for the recovery of valuable metals. Within the SMART project, the SOLVOMET group has developed a solvometallurgical process for the selective recovery of lead and silver from industrial residues.

The Detritus Journal dedicated a special issue on resource recovery through Enhanced Landfill Mining (December 2019). It includes the results of the NEW-MINE project. These and other findings will be debated during the Fifth ELFM Symposium on February 6, 2020 in Leuven (Belgium).

Abandoned, historical mines can be found all over Europe. Waste present at these sites can cause major environmental problems, with the most commonly known example being acid mine drainage. But is there any business opportunity in re-mining these historical dump sites?

Public acceptance or the ‘Social License to Operate’ is widely acknowledged as the biggest financial risk for the mining sector. Six different perspectives and recommendations coming from six different sectors were debated during a satellite event of the EU Raw Materials Week (22 Nov. 2019).

The ETN NEW-MINE project organizes a dedicated training session on scientific paper writing skills. The training “So, you want to write a scientific paper” is free of charge and will take place on Wednesday February 5, 2020, from 9h00 to 12h30, in Park Inn Hotel in Leuven (Belgium).

“How to define the impact of new technologies?” was the title of a workshop on Sustainability Assessment (SA) organized on the 21st of November 2019 in Brussels by NEMO in collaboration with CHROMIC, METGROW+ and NEW-MINE

The ETN NEW-MINE project organizes a dedicated training session on proposal writing dedicated to the MSCA Individual Fellowships. The training is free of charge and will take place on Wednesday February 5, 2020, from 13h30 to 17h00, in Park Inn Hotel in Leuven (Belgium).

The EU H2020 projects CROCODILE and TARANTULA contributed to the 9th Trilateral EU-US-Japan Conference on Critical Materials