1269
Full-Value Copper Mining: A Gateway to
Critical Mineral Resources
Dawn Wellman, Saskia Duyvesteyn, Kaci Jenkins, Cory Smith, Lukas Fahle, and Carlos Eyzaguirre
Rio Tinto
ABSTRACT: Innovation and a new look at traditional mine resources are opening advancements necessary
to secure the critical mineral domestic supply chain. What was once viewed as waste or by-product streams
are now becoming key national resources. Through partnerships and technological advancement, Rio Tinto is
turning the copper value chain into a gateway to critical minerals and unlocking new socially-responsible and
economically-viable gateways to critical minerals such as tellurium, rhenium, bismuth, indium, germanium,
gallium, and others. Herein we present an overview of work in the development of these value streams, from
technological innovation to implementation.
CRITICAL MINERALS AND FULL VALUE
MINING
Many critical minerals are only produced as secondary
products. Once primary minerals such as copper, lead, and
zinc are concentrated and smelted, it becomes feasible to
separate and extract trace secondary minerals such as anti-
mony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, selenium, tellurium,
and others. For example, approximately 90% of the world’s
tellurium resource is contained in copper ore and no viable
primary mines exist for tellurium. To meet the growing
demand (~5.5% increase per annum) for tellurium, devel-
opment of co-product recovery methods is essential.
Full-value mining design (Figure 1) is transform-
ing what was once viewed as waste or by-product streams
into key national resources. Innovation across the copper
value chain (Figure 2) is enabling Rio Tinto to unlock new
resources of key critical minerals, as well as enhance pro-
duction of strategically important minerals. Additionally,
by partnering with government, universities, and industry,
we are creating an ecosystem to reduce production risk and
unlock new, socially responsible, and economically-viable
gateways to critical minerals.
UNDERSTANDING OCCURRENCE AND
DEPORTMENT OF CRITICAL MINERALS
Key to production of critical mineral resources is under-
standing end-to-end occurrence and deportment. Until
recently, in the processing and recovery of primary base
metals such as aluminum, copper, and zinc, critical min-
eral resources were historically considered gangue—deport-
ing to various waste streams throughout the value chain.
Additionally, critical minerals are generally of such exceed-
ingly low concentration and spatiotemporal variability in
ore body resources that they are generally viewed from a
technoeconomic perspective as untenable to recover. As
noted above, many critical minerals are only recoverable
as co-products via the production of primary metals. The
need for the United States and others to increase produc-
tion of critical minerals necessitates a new paradigm that
re-envisions how mineral resources are valued and charac-
terized to promote recovery of critical co-products.
Full-Value Copper Mining: A Gateway to
Critical Mineral Resources
Dawn Wellman, Saskia Duyvesteyn, Kaci Jenkins, Cory Smith, Lukas Fahle, and Carlos Eyzaguirre
Rio Tinto
ABSTRACT: Innovation and a new look at traditional mine resources are opening advancements necessary
to secure the critical mineral domestic supply chain. What was once viewed as waste or by-product streams
are now becoming key national resources. Through partnerships and technological advancement, Rio Tinto is
turning the copper value chain into a gateway to critical minerals and unlocking new socially-responsible and
economically-viable gateways to critical minerals such as tellurium, rhenium, bismuth, indium, germanium,
gallium, and others. Herein we present an overview of work in the development of these value streams, from
technological innovation to implementation.
CRITICAL MINERALS AND FULL VALUE
MINING
Many critical minerals are only produced as secondary
products. Once primary minerals such as copper, lead, and
zinc are concentrated and smelted, it becomes feasible to
separate and extract trace secondary minerals such as anti-
mony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, selenium, tellurium,
and others. For example, approximately 90% of the world’s
tellurium resource is contained in copper ore and no viable
primary mines exist for tellurium. To meet the growing
demand (~5.5% increase per annum) for tellurium, devel-
opment of co-product recovery methods is essential.
Full-value mining design (Figure 1) is transform-
ing what was once viewed as waste or by-product streams
into key national resources. Innovation across the copper
value chain (Figure 2) is enabling Rio Tinto to unlock new
resources of key critical minerals, as well as enhance pro-
duction of strategically important minerals. Additionally,
by partnering with government, universities, and industry,
we are creating an ecosystem to reduce production risk and
unlock new, socially responsible, and economically-viable
gateways to critical minerals.
UNDERSTANDING OCCURRENCE AND
DEPORTMENT OF CRITICAL MINERALS
Key to production of critical mineral resources is under-
standing end-to-end occurrence and deportment. Until
recently, in the processing and recovery of primary base
metals such as aluminum, copper, and zinc, critical min-
eral resources were historically considered gangue—deport-
ing to various waste streams throughout the value chain.
Additionally, critical minerals are generally of such exceed-
ingly low concentration and spatiotemporal variability in
ore body resources that they are generally viewed from a
technoeconomic perspective as untenable to recover. As
noted above, many critical minerals are only recoverable
as co-products via the production of primary metals. The
need for the United States and others to increase produc-
tion of critical minerals necessitates a new paradigm that
re-envisions how mineral resources are valued and charac-
terized to promote recovery of critical co-products.