13.09.2023

Boliden and Volvo Autonomous Solutions (V.A.S.) establishes a long-term collaboration around autonomous transports

Boliden and Volvo Autonomous Solutions (V.A.S.) have entered into a long-term strategic collaboration regarding the implementation of autonomous transport solutions at Boliden’s mines. The first project is located at the Garpenberg mine and will be initiated already during 2023.  

12.09.2023

GeoCue and Microdrones partner with Vectors Inc. as authorized distributor for drone surveying equipment

GeoCue and Microdrones, leaders in drone LiDAR equipment and software, announces a new partnership with Vectors Inc., a prominent authorized Trimble dealership and geospatial supplier serving the Western United States. This exciting collaboration brings together industry leaders committed to delivering unparalleled technology and support to their clients while pushing the boundaries of geospatial innovation.  

11.09.2023

Revolutionizing lithium production on a string

Revolutionizing lithium production on a string (credits: Princeton / Photo by Bumper DeJesus)

A vital component of the batteries at the heart of electric vehicles and grid energy storage, lithium is key to a clean energy future. But producing the silvery-white metal comes with significant environmental costs. Among them is the vast amount of land and time needed to extract lithium from briny water, with large operations running into the dozens of square miles and often requiring over a year to begin production.

Now, researchers at Princeton have developed an extraction technique that slashes the amount of land and time needed for lithium production. The researchers say their system can improve production at existing lithium facilities and unlock sources previously seen as too small or diluted to be worthwhile.

The core of the technique, described Sept. 7 in Nature Water, is a set of porous fibers twisted into strings, which the researchers engineered to have a water-loving core and a water-repelling surface. When the ends are dipped in a salt-water solution, the water travels up the strings through capillary action — the same process trees use to draw water from roots to leaves. The water quickly evaporates from each string’s surface, leaving behind salt ions such as sodium and lithium. As water continues to evaporate, the salts become increasingly concentrated and eventually form sodium chloride and lithium chloride crystals on the strings, allowing for easy harvesting.

In addition to concentrating the salts, the technique causes lithium and sodium to crystallize at distinct locations along the string due to their different physical properties. Sodium, with low solubility, crystallizes on the lower part of the string, while the highly soluble lithium salts crystallize near the top. The natural separation allowed the team to collect lithium and sodium individually, a feat that typically requires the use of additional chemicals.

“We aimed to leverage the fundamental processes of evaporation and capillary action to concentrate, separate and harvest lithium,” said Z. Jason Ren, professor of civil and environmental engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton and the leader of the research team. “We do not need to apply additional chemicals, as is the case with many other extraction technologies, and the process saves a lot of water compared to traditional evaporation approaches.”

Limited supply of lithium is one obstacle to the transition to a low-carbon society, Ren added. “Our approach is cheap, easy to operate, and requires very little energy. It’s an environmentally friendly solution to a critical energy challenge.”

Source: Princeton University

#lithium #rare earths #Rare Metals #battery metals #energy storage #energy transition #research #salts #Mining #Energy #processing

                     

06.09.2023

Harmony - Loss-of-life incident at Kusasalethu mine

Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited regrets to announce that two employees tragically lost their lives at its Kusasalethu mine, following a fall of ground incident caused by a seismic event on Tuesday,  5 September 2023, in Carletonville, near Gauteng.  

06.09.2023

Liebherr-Australia delivered an R 9300 mining excavator to MACA at Karlawinda Gold Project

The first Liebherr R 9300 mining excavator to hit Australian soil was commissioned in late August at the Karlawinda Gold Project, located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. MACA – a global contractor that works within the mining, construction, and process engineering sectors – is excited to welcome this machine to its growing Liebherr excavator fleet.