Research

The cement industry produces 8 % of the world’s carbon emissions, and the supply of sand is running out. We research how sand can be replaced and how millions of tons of industrial waste can be turned into raw materials.

Tailings

Tailings are produced when you extract a target mineral from ore, and then store the un-used ore and rock in large dams. There are, however, safer technologies to store the waste. At the moment over 71 % of excavated material ends up in a dump. In Finland the amount of mining waste is 76 % of the total amount of waste produced in the country.

Water

Water is critical in mining and in enrichment processes. Particularly in rainy regions, it is important to control the water balance to avoid breaking or overflowing dams. Different water treatment technologies offer new tools for this, tools which assure discharge is as clean as possible.

Carbon dioxide

Direct carbon emissions are fairly low in mining. However, within the industry efforts are underway to lower them even more via electrification of machinery. Mining supports effects vis-à-vis climate by producing metals for batteries, the key product for electrification.

We solve global problems

Xplorer sits at LUT University’s School of Engineering Science. Xplorer brings to the UNESCO network excellence in separation science, waste management and circular economy. Our research focus is in tailings and mining water. Our objective is to use tailings as raw material and to give-up tailings dams. Our vision is to treat mining-water in closed loops so nothing goes to waterways. There are solutions for sustainable mining. One need only actively look for them.

We did it! A New, Ecological Building Material is born.

Professor Häkkinen is responsible for research in the Xplorer network. He just finished the Urban Infra Revolution project, in which he developed a material to substitute concrete. Raw materials used to create it were construction waste, mining tailings and industrial ash. One was able to produce a new, 3D printable raw material, which was almost completely (99,6 %) made of industrial side streams and without bonding agents.

Different manufacturing recipes were tested during the project. At best carbon emissions were 98 % lower than producing concrete with traditional methods. Moreover, the new material was freely moldable. At the moment the new material is being tested outdoors in a 100-metre-long noise wall. A potential new ecological building material is born!

Video: FIMATEC

What interests us?

My dissertation work was about mine water treatment and reuse. The developed technique provides a solution for water reuse and recycling as well as meeting tight discharge limits. Simultaneous removal of sulfate, nitrate, cyanide, ammonia and toxic metals from mining waters is now possible using electrocoagulation with Al or Fe electrodes. Results obtained confirm the suitability of electrocoagulation to treat mining waters. We can now continue to develop the technique to make it suitable and commercially viable for industry.

Maria Mamelkina

My dissertation work focused on the physical limitations of the supply of critical materials from mining to production, and how the recycling stage - as the center of the circular economy - prevents such shortage of materials. Also, the environmental sustainability of recycling critical materials was assessed by considering energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions within the supply chain. Many things we do in everyday life rely on critical raw materials. Such materials are used in a broad range of applications such as foods, vehicles, batteries, electronics, phones, laptops and medicines.

Saeed Rahimpour Golroudbary

I work as a Junior Researcher in the group of Industrial Hydrometallurgy and my research is focused on the recovery of metals from secondary raw materials by reactive liquid-liquid extraction (aka. solvent extraction). For instance, the metals in waste lithium-ion batteries are liberated by acid leaching in the recycling process. Individual metals, such as cobalt, manganese and nickel can be separated from these leachates by solvent extraction. Solvent extraction is strongly associated with the mining industry and it helps enhance resource efficiency due to the applicability of hydrometallurgical methods for low-grade raw materials.

Niklas Jantunen

Responsible for research

The successful future of many industries relies on their successful transition into the circular economy. Xplorer actively contributes to this transition. We develop innovative solutions for a sustainable future, inspired together with our partners.

industry professor Jutta Nuortila-Jokinen