This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project addresses the unmet analytical needs for monitoring cyanide leaching of gold, a process widely used in the mining industry to refine gold ores. The goal is to establish the feasibility of sensors that permit the selective measurement of free and complexed cyanide in the cyanide leach reactor, detoxification reactor, and in the tailings facilities. The sensors are ideally suited for these measurements since they are expected to be unaffected by turbidity, to have a cyanide selectivity that can be tuned with specific receptors, and to require no off-stream sample handling. The project will take advantage of highly selective and fouling-resistant fluorous perfluoropolymer membranes.
The broader/commercial impact of this project, if successful, is significant, as it is expected to reduce the enviromental harm resulting from the mining industry's mineral recovery. Specifically, the research aims to significantly reduce the amount of toxic cyanide use. More effective control of cyanide usage is expected to minimize accidental cyanide discharges significantly and thereby, reduce resulting negative impact on the environment.
This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project addresses unmet analysis needs of cyanide leaching of gold, a process widely used in the mining industry to refine gold ores. The goal of this Phase I is the preparation of sensors that permit the selective measurement of free and complexed cyanide chemicals in the cyanide leach reactor. Our proposed sensors are expected to be ideally suited for these measurements since they are not affected by turbidity, have a cyanide selectivity that can be tuned with specific receptors, and require no off-stream sample handling. The project will take advantage of the highly selective and fouling-resistant fluorous perfluoropolymer membranes introduced by the academic partner Phil Buhlmann. The broader impacts of this research are significant as it will enable the mining industry to be more sustainable in its approach to mineral recovery. Specifically, our research aims to significantly reduce the amount of toxic cyanide use and its inevitable environmental impact. By closely controlling the cyanide usage, we hope to virtually eliminate accidental cyanide discharges and reduce the impact of any accidental spill. In addition to these benefits, the multidisciplinary aspects of this project will train students in synthetic and analytical techniques, involving concepts from chemistry, materials science, and engineering. A graduate student will have the opportunity to mentor an undergraduate students involved in this project through directed research studies and through the NSF-REU programs at the UMN.
