Abstract
In recent years, several studies have reported a widespread concern about high levels of heavy metals from mining operations around mines, particularly in mine waste disposal sites. High concentrations of heavy metals and metalloids including As, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, U, and Zn existed in mine tailings, which has significant potential ecological and human health risk associated with metal and metalloid exposure from contaminated soils around tailings dumps.
Integrity Mining and Industrial has a wide variety of bio-based polymers and surfactants designed for replacing traditional synthetic polymers in the mining industry. For the water treatment and coagulation markets, we have developed a method to functionalize our bio-based polysaccharides of various molecular weights. With our readily adaptable line of biopolymers ranging from a molecular weight of 2000-250,000 Daltons, we believe we have developed a new range of products that can rival synthetic players in the market, thus improving the renewable carbon index and sustainability of the reagents used on site. Developing quantifiable environmental social and governance (ESG) criteria is a challenge facing mining companies today and an opportunity to differentiate themselves. With a large focus recently on GHG emissions and clean energy, there is a push for companies to demonstrate “environmentally friendliness” and “sustainable supply”.
Due to the broad nature of coagulation, we have accomplished three different functionalization reactions to work in various coagulation applications: carboxylation, sulfonation and quaternary amination. Carboxylation and sulfonation provide anionic charge for fluids with a high concentration of cationic contaminants. Quaternary amination provides a cationic charge for fluids with a high concentration of anionic contaminants. Increasing molecular weight of the base polysaccharide has also shown to increase coagulation potential and settling rate.
Depending on various factors such as pH, heavy metal contaminants, and what metal is being sought, the charge and MW of the coagulant must be chosen accordingly. IMI is currently working on evaluating several mine waters to demonstrate the efficacy of our products compared to industry standard coagulants