SULTAN

Project description:

The European Training Network for the remediation and reprocessing of sulfidic mining waste sites provides a concerted effort to:

 

➔    building up a highly skilled workforce in the minerals- and metals-processing sector
➔    mitigating environmental risks inherent in sulfidic tailings
➔    recovering both valuable and critical raw materials from three Europe’s sulfidic tailings

SULTAN offers the first-ever training programme on the (near) zero-waste reprocessing of tailings that combines and strengthens Europe’s skills and knowledge base through an intersectoral and interdisciplinary cluster of excellence. This is corroborated by the fact that SULTAN Beneficiaries and Partner Organizations are leading members of the prestigious EIT Raw Materials consortium, which targets radical innovation and guided entrepreneurship in order to secure a sustainable supply of raw materials for the EU’s economy.

Here you can find a video of the project description.

Following a diversified and sustainable supply-chain approach, SULTAN not only develops cutting-edge methodologies to study the resource potential of the Europe’s most important tailing families (Cu-Zn, Zn-Pb and Cu-Zn-Pb) (WP1), but also explores eco-friendly mining chemicals that can be integrated into newly developed critical-metal extraction/recovery set-ups (WP2). SULTAN simultaneously targets clean(ed) tailing residues that can be valorized in diverse, high-added value applications, incl. inorganic polymers, green cements and ceramics (WP3). To be able to corroborate the environmental and economic benefits of future tailings-reprocessing flow sheets based on the know-how developed in WP1–3, WP4 develops a novel environmental assessment methodology that is custom designed for tailings.

SULTAN is divided into 7 work packages (WPs):

WP1: Geological mapping and geometallurgy
WP2: Sustainable mining chemicals and metal extraction/recovery
WP3: Mineral-residue valorization
WP4: Environmental assessment
WP5: Training
WP6: Communication, dissemination and exploitation
WP7: Management

15 early stage researchers (ESRs) are splitted into 4 research WPs (WP1-WP4). IFAD is involved in WP2 and hosts two ESRs, M.Sc. Ana Luiza Carvalho e M.Sc. Tamara Schueler. Beside them, there are five other ESRs, working at the University of Oulu, KU Leuven, VITO, and HZDR involved in WP2.
WP2: Sustainable mining chemicals and metal extraction/recovery

The seven ESRs in WP2 develop integrated approaches to sustainable mining chemicals production and to metal extraction/recovery. ESR4 and ESR5 target the synthesis of new chemicals for froth and ion flotation techniques. ESR6 aims to the recovery of sulfidic minerals from tailings by froth flotation. ESR7, ESR8, and ESR9 are focused on the metal extraction processes through microwave leaching, saltwater leaching and bioleaching strategies, and ESR10 develops an innovative process for the recovery of metal ions by ion flotation.

M.Sc. Ana Luiza Carvalho (ESR6) develops froth-flotation techniques that are tailored for mining residues. Ana Luiza Carvalho investigates the basics of selective flocculation for sulfidic ores to allow for an improved flotation process.

M.Sc. Tamara Schueler (ESR8) is working in the field of Bio-Hydrometallurgy. Her project aims to develop a new approach to leaching sulfidic tailings using alternative sources of salt water in a single step and combining processes with bioleaching.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 under Grant Agreement # 812580
           

Project Partners:

  • KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN
  • TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT CLAUSTHAL
  • OULUN YLIOPISTO
  • FCIENCIAS.ID
  • EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH
  • HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM DRESDEN-ROSSENDORF EV
  • WIENERBERGER NV
  • VLAAMSE INSTELLING VOOR TECHNOLOGISCH ONDERZOEK N.V.
  • TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET BERGAKADEMIE FREIBERG
  • OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OY
  • SAXONIA Standortentwicklungs- und -verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH
  • SOMINCOR - SOCIEDADE MINEIRA DE NEVES-CORVO SA
  • FUNDACION TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATION SHELL GLOBAL SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL BV
  • GEOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS

Funding:

This project has received funding from the European Union's EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 under Grant Agreement # 812580