Development of bioflocculants for mineral processing

Abstract

Mining and minerals processing are essential to modern society, and the demand for metals and minerals is increasing due to the rapid development of clean energy technologies, such as electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines, etc. The mining industry, however, is facing significant challenges in meeting sustainability and environmental goals. As more minerals are extracted, the use of water increases, leading to greater wastewater and tailings production. To tackle this issue, flocculants are commonly used across mining sites to dewater waste streams by binding and settling particles, to allow for improved solid-liquid separation. While conventional flocculants (synthetic polymers ofte..