Minor Elements & Value Recovery from Low-Grade Ores

Impurities in raw materials used in the production of metals can be valuable, toxic and hazardous, or simply a nuisance. Understanding their thermodynamic behaviour across the various phases of a smelting or refining process is essential for developing strategies to manage them effectively.

Processing of low-grade ores or by-products from other processes presents exciting challenges to the industry. We apply fundamental knowledge and modelling capability to assess and compare process options before significant capital is committed.

Presentation

• Management of Minor Elements

• Low Grade Ores — Smelt, Leach or Concentrate?

Publications

• Yang, J., Zhang, G., Ostrovski, O., and Jahanshahi, S. (2019). Selective reduction of an Australian garnieritic laterite ore. Minerals Engineering, 131, 79–89.

• Cui, Y., Zhang, G., Jahanshahi, S., and Ostrovski, O. (2018). Carbonylation of nickel and selectively reduced laterite ore. Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 118(6).

• Maroufi, S., Ciezki, G., Jahanshahi, S., and Ostrovski, O. (2016). Carbothermal reduction of iron and silicon oxides in ironstone ore. Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy, 125(2), 86–94.

• Maroufi, S., Ciezki, G., Jahanshahi, S., and Ostrovski, O. (2016). Characterisation and reduction of ironstone ore by CO gas. Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy, 125(2), 95–102.

• Chen, C., Zhang, L., Wright, S., and Jahanshahi, S. (2006). Thermodynamic modelling of minor elements in copper smelting processes. In Kongoli, F. and Reddy, R.G. (eds.), Sohn International Symposium, Vol. 8, pp. 335–348.

• Norgate, T.E. and Jahanshahi, S. (2010). Low grade ores — smelt, leach or concentrate? Minerals Engineering, 23(2), 65–73.