Sustainable Mineral Processing Practices and Fundamentals:

Sustainable Mineral Processing Practices and Fundamentals: or vice-versa ? Roberto C. Villas-Bôas CETEM

OSi  RSi  ASi

AVOIDING blá,blá,blá http://www.dundee.ac.uk/cepmlp/gateway/index.php?news=28248 Roberto C. Villas Bôas CETEM 

LOGICAL FORMALIZATIONS are needed regarding the concepts of Sustainable Development and even Sustainable Ore body and Sustainable Mine, as referred to the minerals extraction industries.  If this is done, several MISCONCEPTIONS will be prevented and EVERYONE will know what is been meant by such words.  Likewise, it seems that the old proposition of drawing a distinction between RENEWABLE & NON RENEWABLE resources does not quite fit anymore as such, within the current sustainable development framework, for the sake of resource exploration and development, through its more recent paths and practices.  Therefore, the suggestion of conceptualizing SUSTAINABLE & NON SUSTAINABLE resources for that matter, subject to societal agreements, as proposed.

Boreal Forest (Taiga): 17 million km2 world´s leading producer of NATURAL GOODS ! Boreal Canadá : maore than 100 (active) mines, with 45% of the mineral production, aroun 600 tribes. Roberto C. Villas-Bôas

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Amazon Roberto C. Villas-Bôas

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What,then,are the challenges ? http://www.dundee.ac.uk/cepmlp/gateway/index.php?news=28248 Roberto C. Villas Bôas CETEM

s   Sd  ( Sd i  Sd , s  Sdi )

RENEWABLE & NON RENEWABLE OR SUSTAINABLE & NON SUSTAINABLE Roberto C. Villas Bôas

Albanese, 2010

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Rio Tinto , CEO “I would like to close this section by dispelling the myth that resources are finite, a notion some policymakers sometimes like to promote. Resources will only become finite if limits are placed on exploration because a country has suddenly become less attractive for investment”

Resources Roberto C. Villas Bôas

       

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R  set of all resources R1  natural R2  environmental R3  energy R4  investment capital R5  people Rn  any other Ro  , when NO resources are available

What is DEVELOPMENT ? Roberto C. Villas Bôas

W:RD W  a transform, say WORK R  set of resources, as seen. D  set of development stages

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Hypothesis of Development Roberto C. Villas-Bôas

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CETEM

given a

set of hypothesis of development , n is the number of subsidiary hypothesis characterizing Si respect D

n





S i   S i1 ,, S i n 1

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VISIONS of SD Roberto C. Villas-Bôas

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Sd  D Sd1  Sd 2  Sd3  Sd 4  Sd5

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

Visions of SD in Mining mineral processing included Roberto C. Villas-Bôas

 

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Sd1  set of minimum(al) use of natural resources Sd2  set of optimum(al) use or maximum(al) of physical flow resources

Sd3 set of minimum(al) use of energetic resources  Sd4  set of minimum(al) use of environmental 

resources



Sd5

 set of maximum(al) AGREED STAGES of social satisfaction

Visions of SD in Mining mineral processing included Roberto C. Villas-Bôas

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 Sd = set of VISIONS or scenarios of SD

belonging to D and having AGREED parameters.

Sdi

s   Sd  ( Sd i  Sd , s  Sd i )

as

SD Roberto C. Villas-Bôas

CETEM

targets and objectives of a GIVEN AGREEMENT establishing a set of SD steps.  in mining , mp included : 

5

S 1

di

Indicators of SD Roberto C. Villas-Bôas

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To MEASURE an indicator is necessary



Let define as effort (E) a FUNCTION that attributes a POSITIVE NUMBER to all and any productive operation (), or process.

E:PN 

AGREEMENT (a measure of an) Roberto C. Villas-Bôas

CETEM

A (x, y, p)= E (x, y, p)– E (y, x, p) – T (p) Subjected to

5

S 1

di

A (x, y, p)= E (x, y, p)– E (y, x, p) – T (p)



x = society, community, country ...  y = mining industry, mining enterprise …  p = mine , plant …  T(p) = capital expenditure in p …

Degree of Agreement A (x, y, p) = 0  equal gains  A (x, y, p) < 0  x  X , loses  A (x, y, p) > 0  y  Y , gain less than x. 

Sustainable Ore bodies Roberto C. Villas Bôas

CETEM

OSi  RSi  ASi ASi (x, y, p) > 0

Where , Sc and R&D+I into SD ?

OSi  RSi  ASi

Where , Sc and R&D+I into SD ? SUSTAINABLE MINERAL PROCESSING PRACTICES AND FUNDAMENTALS: OR VICE-VERSA ?

Sustainable Mineral Processing Practices and Fundamentals: or vice-versa ?

SOME PRACTICES

DE RE METALLICA

SUSTAINABILITY

Georgius Agricola : De Re Metallica, 1556

MINING CLOSURE : Aboriginal Joint Venture for Aboriginal Firms Colomac MINE ,Canadá

HEAP LEACHING: Mulato MINE Sonora, México (14.000 t/day) “Managing mine drainage water quality is a critical concern for all mining operations because discharges must typically meet stringent water quality standards set by local, regional and national governments. “  “Acidic drainage remains the most significant issue due to high concentrations of metals, and costs of treatment to achieve acceptable levels. “ 

WATER MINE : 7.500 m 3 / hoUr ! Mina de Vazante, Votorantim metais

Lack , scarcity : WATER CHUQUICAMARA,CHILE

UraniUm WATER MINE INB Caetité, Bahia

URANIUM INACTIVE Uranium mine – INB CALDAS, MINAS GERAIS

PHOSPHOGYPSUM : MOSAIC, FLORIDA,USA : PHOSPHOGYPSUM HEAPS ( heavy metals & Radionuclídes)

PHOSPHOGYPSUM : aerial view – CATALÃO MINE, GOIAS, BRASIL, & phosphogypsum waste

CNRL

Exxon

Syncrude (Aurora)

Shell

Syncrude (Mildred Lake)

Suncor

5 km

Elijärvi chromite - Open Pit in February

Outokumpu Oyj , Floresta Boreal

“Indeed it is claimed that when an underground mine is established anywhere in the world, 70–90% of the required technology comes from either Finland or Sweden.”

MinING : BOREAL FOREST ! a Solution , Not a problem !

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FINLAND VISION 2050

“Finland is a global leader in the sustainable utilization of mineral resources and the minerals sector is one of the key foundations of the Finnish national economy.”

RENEWABLE & NON RENEWABLE OR SUSTAINABLE & NON SUSTAINABLE ! 





“I would like to close this section by dispelling the myth that resources are finite, a notion some policymakers sometimes like to promote. Resources will only become finite if limits are placed on exploration because a country has suddenly become less attractive for investment” TOM ALBANESE , RioTinto CEO(2010)

Sustainable Mineral Processing Practices and Fundamentals: or vice-versa ?

FUNDAMENTALS

Roberto C. Villas-Bôas CETEM

SD in the MINERAL INDUSTRY is:

MINIMIZING

MAXIMIZING



MASSES





ENERGY



ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

SATISFAÇÃO SOCIAL !

“social satisfaction is the degree of societal acceptance of a given policy, or political agenda”

A (x, y, p) > 0 AS SEEN, SUSTAINABLE PRJECT !

Where , Sc and R&D+I into SD ?

OSi  RSi  ASi AS (x, y, p) > 0 The roles of x , y and p i

ARGONNE

INTERPHASE PHENOMENA UNDERSTANDING:

1.- molecular structure of mineral surfaces and other phases 2.- ordering of fluids adjacent to these phases 3.- electrical double-layer structure and distribution 4.- dynamical processes LEADING TO:

1.- specific reaction mechanisms at mineral/fluid interfphase; 2.- kinetics and reaction mechanisms at the atomic scale in key mineral/fluid systems; 3.- understanding of mineral/water/gas reactivity .

IS THERE (STILL) A PLACE FOR THE HALLIMOND TUBE ? ADVANTAGE : ease to operate and small amount of “ore” ! DISADVANTAGES: physical process of flotation (?):  particle size  bubble size  agitation processes  froth structure synergy between (different) mineral particles

IS THERE (STILL) A PLACE FOR THE HALLIMOND TUBE ? advanced synchrotron-based interfacial x-ray tools for insitu studies of solid-liquid high (