CoTec, a Canadian resource extraction and processing company, recently announced a long-term agreement with Salter Cyclones to help recover valuable metals from both primary mining and tailings material.
Salter Cyclones has been using its multi-gravity separator technology to recover valuable metal minerals like tin, chromium, copper, and zinc for many years, but its use with bulk commodities like iron and manganese has been limited until now, a press release shared by Canadian Mining Journal explained.
This collaboration will help the companies recover high-grade iron and manganese concentrates from ultra-fine tailings without the use of chemicals, while also reducing waste materials from mining operations.
According to Salter Cyclones, its multi-gravity separators operate similarly to shaking tables, except the company's design wraps that horizontal surface into a conical drum, which is rapidly rotated.
The enhanced gravitational field helps to recover fine particles smaller than 100 micrometers that would otherwise have been left in the tailings waste.
Similar initiatives have been launched to support a circular economy and reduce mining waste, with one company employing microbes to help recover usable materials from that hazardous mixture.
Even coal ash, which is piled up across the U.S., contains valuable rare earth elements that can be reclaimed and used to build a greener future.
Iron makes up 5% of the Earth's crust and is one of the top four most abundant metals and elements on the planet. It's a key component in steel, which is used for construction and infrastructure projects, including bridges and building frameworks.
While over 90% of the world's manganese supply is consumed by the steel industry, where it enhances strength, works as a deoxidizer, and removes impurities, it's also a crucial component in lithium-ion batteries.
By extracting these valuable metals from waste, the companies are both reducing the need for new mining projects while supporting the growing low-carbon economy.
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"Our MGS technology is highly effective at processing ultra-fine tailings material to achieve saleable grade concentrates without the need for chemicals," said Ian Daniels, managing director of Salter Cyclones, in the press release.
"Our initial due diligence of the MGS has produced exciting results from our Lac Jeannine Project in Québec, Canada achieving concentrate grades of critical mineral status from ultra-fine iron tailings," CoTec's CEO Julian Treger added.
"We plan to build on these results in the coming months supporting CoTec's strategy to become a leading supplier of high-grade, low-carbon, iron concentrate through the processing of tailings material."
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