Magnetics Business & Technology - July/August 2023 - 18

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Clariant Labs Target Processing Chemicals for Decarbonization Minerals and Mine Tailings
ing the minerals required for future-oriented technologies behind
low-carbon energy & transport such as wind turbines and electric
vehicles, " green " buildings, smartphones and other electronics,
and to support recycling. While empowering such important
developments, mining operations address their most significant
challenges as they advance in their own drive towards sustainability.
As part of this, increased emphasis has been placed on
tailings management as the industry searches for alternatives to
existing dams and aims to explore this as-yet untapped source of
valuable minerals.
" Clariant is at the forefront of offering sustainable solutions for
mining, and the CCTT will provide robust technical capabilities to
demonstrate how our innovations can improve tailings management
and waste reduction " , comments Wagner Silva, global head
of technology for Clariant Mining Solutions.
Scientists in Dubai lab search for better chemicals to process decarbonization
minerals including rare earths for magnets
At new laboratories in the United Arab Emirates and in Brazil,
global specialty chemicals company Clariant aims to develop
improved solutions for processing decarbonization minerals and
mines tailings. Rare earths for magnets and magnetic separations
are important aspects of the new competence centers. Among the
company's core chemical products are catalysts and adsorbents
used in fuel cells and hydrogen production.
In the UAE, Clariant Mining Solutions opened a dedicated global
Competence Center for Decarbonization Minerals at the Dubai
Science Park in October. The laboratory is designed to meet the
increasing global demand for solutions to process decarbonization
minerals more efficiently.
The decarbonization of the production and transportation of
goods and services is a growing megatrend. Mining is one of the
key foundational industries enabling decarbonization by delivering
the minerals required for these technologies, such as nickel,
cobalt, and lithium for batteries for electric vehicles, rare earths
for magnets in wind turbines and electric vehicles, and alumina
for lighter-weight vehicles and solar panels. Research activities
at the center will include improving metallurgical performance by
maximizing recovery and grade, optimizing cost-performance, and
creating more sustainable solutions for the processing of decarbonization
minerals.
" Our new Competence Center is another important milestone in
our purpose-led strategy to become a sustainability leader in mining
chemicals, " comments George Nunes, global head of Clariant
Mining Solutions.
In Brazil, Clariant is now operating a new technical facility exclusively
dedicated to developing solutions for tailings management
by the mining industry. Located in Belo Horizonte in the state of
Minas Gerais, the Competence Center for Tailings Treatment was
opened in late 2021 in the heart of the country's mining hub.
Mining is a key enabler for sustainability megatrends, deliver18
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Magnetic separations are a key technology platform at new mine tailings
R&D center in Brazil
The new lab is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and is
home to a dedicated team of research and development experts.
It is a core pillar of Clariant's Tailings Management Program,
which comprises four complementary technology platforms: flotation,
magnetic separation, dewatering and rheology modification.
Flotation chemicals for slimes, for instance, help mines recover
valuable minerals that are currently going to waste, and flotation
chemicals for secondary mining enable operators to reprocess
old tailings. In addition, filter aids help operators dewater tailings
better, leading to drier stacks and faster throughput.
Clariant is based in Muttenz, Switzerland. Among its core products
are catalysts and adsorbents used in fuel cells and hydrogen
production. Its HyProGen 200 series of reformer catalysts, for
example, are tailored for fuel cell annplications, Its HyProGen 100
series catalysts can be used for hot desulfurization in fuel cell installations
and for ambient desulfurization in natural gas fuel cells.
For more info, see www.clariant.com.
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Magnetics Business & Technology - July/August 2023

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