Ligno-CORE – Organosolv lignin particles for a biobased COpper REcovery

The mining industry has benefitted from a significant growth in mineral demand, particularly driven by the clean energy transition.

This surge has prompted investments in new green technologies aimed at fostering a sustainable transition within the mining and processing sectors.

To ensure a long-term sustainability of this transition, mining operations must reduce the environmental impact, societal risks, and resource consumption.

In 2022, 80% of global copper production was recovered by mineral froth flotation, which uses harmful chemicals known as xanthates. Switching to bio-based and biodegradable flotation reagents would lessen the environmental burden of copper production. Lignin-based reagents can momentarily replace up to 75% of xanthates, while improving mineral recovery and selectivity.

Crucially, lignin is a renewable resource and abundant by-product of the forest-based industry.

The LIGNO-CORE project aims to characterise the interaction between lignin and xanthates and between lignin and minerals, enabling the prediction, production, and customisation of lignin reagents to achieve a 100% bio-based flotation process, i.e., a process free of the problematic xanthate ingredient.

The environmental impact of the novel lignin-based reagents will be assessed through biodegradability and ecotoxicity studies, as well as process-water monitoring.

Large-scale use of lignin-based flotation reagents is expected to improve the sustainability and environmental impact of mining.