602
Green Mining of Mining Water
Irina Chernyshova
Department of Geoscience and Petroleum, NTNU–Norwegian University of Science and Technology,
Trondheim, Norway
Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University, New York, USA
Malin Suup, Caroline Kihlblom
Boliden Mineral AB, Boliden, Sweden
Hanumantha Rao Kota
Department of Geoscience and Petroleum, NTNU–Norwegian University of Science and Technology,
Trondheim, Norway
Sathish Ponnurangam
Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
ABSTRACT: Mining wastewater and process water has long been considered as a readily accessible reserve of
valuable elements. Their recovery along with the removal of toxic or interfering elements can be sustainable
only by using an economical and eco-friendly method that can continuously and rapidly process large volumes
of water without producing secondary waste such as sludge and spent sorbents. This task presents a great
challenge due to the low (100 ppm) and ultra-low (10 ppm) concentrations of valuable and toxic elements,
very low (ppb) regulatory limits for hazardous elements, high levels of dissolved solids, and the presence of
ligating organics such as collectors or natural organic matter (NOM). This work demonstrates the potential
of surface e-precipitation (SEP) in addressing this challenge. SEP is an electrochemical technique which is
largely unknown in separation and water treatment. SEP uniquely combines the kinetic advantage of chemical
precipitation with the advantages of conventional surface-based separation techniques such as electrodeposition/
electrowinning (e-deposition), electrosorption, and adsorption. Without employing any reagent, in a simple
batch-type laboratory setup with a carbon electrode, SEP alone or in combination with e-deposition can
concentrate groups of dilute and ultradilute valuable elements such as Zn, Al, Cu, Co, Ni, and rare earth
elements (REE) vs Mn, Fe, and an excess of Ca and Mg from acid mine drainage (AMD) or acid rock drainage
(ARD) water at a higher rate and lower energy consumption than e-deposition and faster than adsorption and
chemical precipitation. Overall, these results demonstrate that SEP is a promising novel approach to valorizing
and decontaminating AMD/ARD, process water, and metal-loaded wastewater.
Green Mining of Mining Water
Irina Chernyshova
Department of Geoscience and Petroleum, NTNU–Norwegian University of Science and Technology,
Trondheim, Norway
Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University, New York, USA
Malin Suup, Caroline Kihlblom
Boliden Mineral AB, Boliden, Sweden
Hanumantha Rao Kota
Department of Geoscience and Petroleum, NTNU–Norwegian University of Science and Technology,
Trondheim, Norway
Sathish Ponnurangam
Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
ABSTRACT: Mining wastewater and process water has long been considered as a readily accessible reserve of
valuable elements. Their recovery along with the removal of toxic or interfering elements can be sustainable
only by using an economical and eco-friendly method that can continuously and rapidly process large volumes
of water without producing secondary waste such as sludge and spent sorbents. This task presents a great
challenge due to the low (100 ppm) and ultra-low (10 ppm) concentrations of valuable and toxic elements,
very low (ppb) regulatory limits for hazardous elements, high levels of dissolved solids, and the presence of
ligating organics such as collectors or natural organic matter (NOM). This work demonstrates the potential
of surface e-precipitation (SEP) in addressing this challenge. SEP is an electrochemical technique which is
largely unknown in separation and water treatment. SEP uniquely combines the kinetic advantage of chemical
precipitation with the advantages of conventional surface-based separation techniques such as electrodeposition/
electrowinning (e-deposition), electrosorption, and adsorption. Without employing any reagent, in a simple
batch-type laboratory setup with a carbon electrode, SEP alone or in combination with e-deposition can
concentrate groups of dilute and ultradilute valuable elements such as Zn, Al, Cu, Co, Ni, and rare earth
elements (REE) vs Mn, Fe, and an excess of Ca and Mg from acid mine drainage (AMD) or acid rock drainage
(ARD) water at a higher rate and lower energy consumption than e-deposition and faster than adsorption and
chemical precipitation. Overall, these results demonstrate that SEP is a promising novel approach to valorizing
and decontaminating AMD/ARD, process water, and metal-loaded wastewater.