Agromining may provide new opportunities to extract remaining value from mined land
With a significant portion of large mineral deposits having been discovered worldwide, and, in many cases, reaching the end of viable economic recovery, phytomining is one option that could be chosen to extract the remaining value from this mined ground, Florida International University geosciences research professor Stephen Haggerty tells Mining Weekly.
Phytomining is the exploitation of ‘hyperaccumulator’ plants to obtain valuable elements from degraded or already mined land. These unusual plants can accumulate exceptionally high concentrations of certain elements in their living biomass.
Agromining refers to the full agronomic chain in using hyperaccumulator plants as ‘metal crops’ and is considered a variant of phytomining technology.
The process involves farming such crops on subeconomic deposits or industrial or mineral wastes to obtain valuable elements from their harvested biomass through the production of a ‘bio-ore’ (which is incinerated biomass rich in metals). This bio-ore can then be processed through hydrometallurgical or pyrometallurgical processes to obtain high value products.
In agromining, the plants are grown, harvested for biomass, dried, incinerated, or ‘ashed’, and processed to recover the target metals.
Australian Research Council postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Queensland, in Australia, and the Université de Lorraine, in France, Dr Antony van der Ent agrees, reiterating that the increasing demand for critical elements challenges conventional methods of resource extraction.
Van der Ent’s work focuses on biogeochemistry, with a specialisation in hyperaccumulator plants. He is part of a team developing agromining in the Asia-Pacific region.
Denne historien er fra November 24, 2017-utgaven av Mining Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 24, 2017-utgaven av Mining Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Supply Cliff?
Commodities supply shortfall looming following years of underinvestment
Strikes Threaten Coal Sector
If an agreement cannot be reached on the future structure and form of wage nego­tiations in the coal sector, unions have threatened to strike, says Solidarity mining industry deputy general secretary Connie Prinsloo.
Continued Focus On Downstream Development
Continued Focus On Downstream Development
Unrelenting Scourge
Mining fatalities in South Africa rise for first time in decade
Plea For Open Discussion
Diamonds body calls for ‘productive dialogue’ on Kimberley Process reform
Deep Potential
Stillwater deal seen positioning Sibanye as globally competitive mining champion.
Explosive Advantage
Explosives reloading system helping Gold One to reduce mining costs.
Critical Juncture
South Africa’s mining sector at a crossroads, collaborative effort required.
Consulting Engineering's Viability Proportional to Mining's Growth
The consulting engineer-ing industry’s sustain-ability and growth are largely dependent on and proportional to the mining industry’s sustainability and growth respectively, says industry body Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa).
Greater Emphasis On Ensuring Sustainability
Engineering expertise can be used to generate socio-economic gains for mining companies, particularly in jurisdictions that are dependent on the finite business of mineral extraction, states global engineering and infrastructure advisory firm Aurecon, an adviser to the African mining sector.
