AKW Equipment + Process Design – “r³ – strategic metals, joint Project”
In the year 2012, under the founding of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the joint project “r³ – strategic metals, joint project: SMSB recovery of strategic metals and other minerals from Saxonian mining tips, TP4: Treatment processes” was launched.
The project partners were: TU Bergakademie Freiberg, G.E.O.S. Freiberg GmbH, SAXONIA Standortentwicklungs- und -verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH and AKW Equipment + Process Design.
Helmholtz-Institut Freiberg for Resource Technology was responsible for the project coordination.
The aim of the project was to determine the type, content, distribution and availability of strategically interesting elements of the old mining tips in Freiberg, Germany.
Hereto, samples were taken from two different old deposits (Tiefenbach pit, Altenburg and Davidschacht, Freiberg) for analysis and characterizing with – partly innovatively new – measurement methods to obtain a 3D overall picture of the pits.
On the basis of these investigations, hydrocyclone pilot tests with several hundred kilograms were carried out in the technical laboratory at AKW Equipment + Process Design. Subsequently, the project partners performed flotation resp. chemical and biological leaching trials with the concentrates obtained at AKW Equipment + Process Design.
The results of this study will be included in the future resource planning of Germany and can be used for the possible renovation of these or other pits.
The joint report of the project partners will be published soon.
AKW Equipment + Process Design was glad to contribute with its technology to this comprehensive and strategic work aimed at mapping Germany strategic mineral resources.
