Warren Bruckard’s research while affiliated with Mineral Resources, The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and other places

What is this page?


This page lists works of an author who doesn't have a ResearchGate profile or hasn't added the works to their profile yet. It is automatically generated from public (personal) data to further our legitimate goal of comprehensive and accurate scientific recordkeeping. If you are this author and want this page removed, please let us know.

Publications (21)


Spent Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Using Flotation Technology: Effect of Material Heterogeneity on Separation Performance
  • Article
  • Full-text available

June 2024

·

74 Reads

Processes

·

·

·

[...]

·

Andrew Hoadley

In this study, two types of recycling scenarios are assessed for spent battery materials using froth flotation. The first is for a single cathode chemistry and would be considered as the most likely scenario for a large battery manufacturer, who takes back their own batteries for reprocessing. The second scenario is for mixed cathode chemistry, and this would be the most likely scenario for regional reprocessing. The mixed spent battery materials assessed in this work were sourced from such an industrial recycling operation in Australia. Good results were obtained for both recycling scenarios. The anode recovery and anode grade in the final concentrate for both materials evaluated were for the single spent battery material 80.1% and 90.3%, respectively, and for the mixed spent battery material, 77.4% and 82.0%, respectively. For the final tailings, the cathode grades for both materials tested were 93.9% and 87.1%, respectively, with the lower grade for the mixed spent battery attributed to the high content of impurities in the original material. These results highlight the importance of the preprocessing ahead of the flotation process. The results confirm froth flotation as a feasible technique that can be used to achieve the bulk of the separation.

Download


Unlocking the potential of sulphide tailings: A comprehensive characterization study for critical mineral recovery

April 2023

·

72 Reads

·

6 Citations

Chemosphere

Sulphide tailings are a major environmental concern due to acid mine drainage and heavy metal leaching, with costly treatments that lack economic benefits. Reprocessing these wastes for resource recovery can address pollution while creating economic opportunities. This study aimed to evaluate the potential for critical mineral recovery by characterizing sulphide tailings from a Zn-Cu-Pb mining site. Advanced analytical tools, such as electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-based energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), were utilized to determine the physical, geochemical, and mineralogical properties of the tailings. The results showed that the tailings were fine-grained (∼50 wt% below 63 μm) and composed of Si (∼17 wt%), Ba (∼13 wt%), and Al, Fe, and Mn (∼6 wt%). Of these, Mn, a critical mineral, was analyzed for recovery potential, and it was found to be largely contained in rhodochrosite (MnCO3) mineral. The metallurgical balance revealed that ∼93 wt% of Mn was distributed in -150 + 10 μm size fractions containing 75% of the total mass. Additionally, the mineral liberation analysis indicated that Mn-grains were primarily liberated below 106 μm size, suggesting the need for light grinding of above 106 μm size to liberate the locked Mn minerals. This study demonstrates the potential of sulphide tailings as a source for critical minerals, rather than being a burden, and highlights the benefits of reprocessing them for a resource recovery to address both environmental and economic concerns.



Estimated End-of-Life Lithium-Ion Battery Resources for Potential Recycling in Bangladesh

February 2023

·

30 Reads

·

1 Citation

This study analyzes open access data on the input and generation of end-of-life lithium-ion batteryLithium-ion battery waste supply for a potential commercial battery recyclingBattery recycling industry in BangladeshBangladesh.. Four main sources were identified in the battery waste pool: mobile phones, laptop and tablet PCs, small handheld devices, and hybrid electric vehicles. Their predicted generation rate and volume by type were forecasted to the year 2041 based on the available historic data and assumptions. Such batteries contain commercially recoverable quantity of base metals like Co, Ni, and Mn as well as other common metals like Li, Cu, Al, and Fe. These metals are in high demand for Bangladesh where urban mining and ‘informal recyclingRecycling’ currently present challenges to public health, ecological safety, and resource efficiency. A precise estimate of secondary resource inventory, cumulative growth, and economic forecasting of battery waste can pave the way for ‘formal recyclingRecycling’ which will attract national and international investments.


Figure 1. Schematic diagram showing the proposed process for chrome spinel impurity removal from contaminated ilmenite concentrates through selective sulphidation. The process is in two parts: Part 1 shows the selective sulphidation of the chrome spinel grains; Part 2: involves the physical separation of the sulphidised chrome spinels from the reduced ilmenite.
Figure 2. Secondary electron (SE) and back-scattered electron (BSE) images showing clustered grains of reduced ilmenite and sulphidised chrome spinel grains: (a) an SE image showing the surface morphology of sulphidised chrome spine grains; (b) a BSE image showing a sectioned and polished cross-section of particles.
Figure 3. A schematic of the experimental plan to test the processes for the separation of sulphidised chrome spinels from RI (reduced ilmenite).
Figure 4. Laboratory-scale 3L stainless steel flotation cell used in this study.
Figure 5. Schematic of the froth flotation separation process approach used in the study.

+18

Exploratory Study of Separation of Sulphidised Chrome Spinels from Reduced Ilmenite

September 2022

·

179 Reads

·

1 Citation

Minerals

The removal of chromium-containing impurities, such as chrome spinel (ZCr2O4 where Z = Fe, Mg, Mn) from ilmenite (FeTiO3) concentrates through selective sulphidation, has been investigated by the authors. Laboratory experimental studies using sulphur added to ilmenite concentrates under Becher-type reduction conditions showed it is possible to selectively sulphidise chrome spinels from different ilmenite deposits. In this paper, processes to remove the sulphidised chrome spinels from the bulk ilmenite concentrates were investigated using flotation and magnetic separation techniques. Clustering or fusing of the reduced ilmenite (RI) and sulphidised chrome spinel grains was found to have a detrimental effect on flotation performance and made it difficult to have clear separation. A light wet grind was effective for breaking the clustering, but it caused the sul-phide rim to spall off from chrome spinel surfaces, which reduces flotation efficiency. The preliminary results obtained after a magnetic separation (0.7 A) of a demetallised sulphidised RI sample show that the sulphidised chrome spinels preferentially report to the magnetic fraction. Additional magnetic separation of the non-magnetic fraction at a lower current (0.3 A) improved the recovery of sulphidised chrome spinels. The demetallisation process followed by a magnetic separation provided insights into a potential route for the removal of chrome spinels from reduced ilmenite concentrates. These two steps simulate the aeration stage of the Becher process. Further studies are required to optimise the process parameters.


Flotation Behavior of the Most Common Electrode Materials in Lithium Ion Batteries

August 2022

·

67 Reads

·

30 Citations

Separation and Purification Technology

Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs) are complex devices composed by different valuable and toxic materials. After use they are commonly sent to landfill, which represents a serious environment problem and wasteful due to the loss of valuable materials. At the same time these devices are highly demanded for the electronic and the electric vehicle industry. Therefore, recycling arises as a big opportunity in terms recovery of these valuable and scarce raw materials produced in specific areas of the world. For this reason, several processing technologies have been proposed to recover and recycle these materials from spent batteries. Amongst these, froth flotation technology arises as a cost-effective technology for the recovery of anodic graphite from cathode materials in spent LIBs due to the high natural hydrophobicity of graphite. Experiments have been carried out in a 0.5 L laboratory flotation cell to demonstrate the potential of flotation as the separation process for the recycling of spent LiB materials. These experiments have focused on the separation of the binary mixtures of the three most important commercial cathode materials (LCO, NCA and NMC) and graphite and therefore simulates a completely liberated graphite/lithium metal oxide system, where the effect of organic binding materials is not present. A range of compositions, frothing agents and both collector and no collector kinetic flotation data has been obtained. The flotation results gave a graphite concentrate with recoveries between 96.64% and 99.63% and grades between 78.13% and 90.88 %. Regarding the lithium metal oxides, these resulted in low recoveries in the concentrate between 9.47% and 16.57% and grades between 9.59% and 16.09%. A low degree of entrainment of oxide particles was achieved ranging between 0.16 and 0.29, depending on processing conditions and particle size and the best results were achieved with mixtures using NCA cathode material. These experimental results are important because they demonstrate the potential of flotation separation, but also the importance of liberation of the materials, prior to flotation.


Retention of arsenic using alkali- and acid-bonded low temperature ceramics

July 2022

·

2 Reads

Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy

Immobilisation of AsIII and AsV using alkali- and acid-bonded low temperature ceramics (LTCs), respectively, has been investigated. Arsenic was loaded into these matrices as solubilised arsenic or as a solid via precipitation with a metal nitrate. Where appropriate, samples were heated to 1000°C to consolidate their microstructure and reduce their open porosity. Samples were assessed according to microstructural characterisation and standard leaching protocols. Alkali-bonded LTCs, even after the application of a thermal treatment, did not bind arsenic sufficiently to pass a TCLP protocol, whereas acid bonded LTCs showed better potential for immobilising As. At a loading of 5 wt% As2O5, a TCLP leach test on an acid bonded LTC resulted in As levels of 7 ppm, close to the regulatory limit of 5 ppm As.


Rejection of antimony and bismuth in sulphide flotation – a literature review

July 2022

·

30 Reads

·

2 Citations

Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy

Rejection of deleterious impurity minerals containing antimony and bismuth from sulphide deposits by flotation has been reviewed. The key antimony minerals of commercial interest to remove are stibnite, tetrahedrite, and jamesonite, while the main bismuth mineral is bismuthinite. The most promising methods for separating antimony and bismuth minerals from sulphide ores are based on pH and/or pulp potential adjustments or the use of starvation levels of collector. Stibnite has been floated with xanthate, dithiophosphates and thionocarbamates in acidic conditions, but floatability decreased with increasing pH. Antimony minerals are activated with lead and copper salts and depressed with an oxidant (e.g. H2O2 or Na2Cr2O7). Bismuth minerals can float strongly between pH 3 and 7 with a xanthate collector but floatability decreased sharply at pH values above pH 7. Molybdenite is separated from bismuth minerals by depressing them with reducing agents such as sodium sulphide, while cyanide depresses chalcopyrite.


Alkaline sulphide leaching of tennantite in copper flotation concentrates to selectively dissolve arsenic

July 2022

·

32 Reads

·

6 Citations

Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy

High-arsenic copper flotation concentrates, in which the major arsenic-bearing mineral was tennantite, were leached with an alkaline sulphide system. At a pulp density of 5 wt% solids with 100–150 g/L Na2S and 50 g/L NaOH, over 91 wt% As was dissolved within 2 h at 100°C. From concentrates containing 3.4–4.9 wt% As, leach residues containing <0.5 wt% As were obtained making them suitable as a smelter feed without a penalty for arsenic. Copper dissolution ranged from 16 to 22 wt% Cu, with significant amounts of calcium, iron and sulphur also dissolved. In a leach at 34.0 wt% solids, excellent arsenic extraction was obtained (97.9 wt% As), but the levels of copper, calcium, and iron dissolution were 0.5, 1.1, and 0.2 wt%, respectively, meaning excellent selectivity for arsenic was achieved. X-ray diffraction and electron probe microanalyses indicated the mechanism for arsenic dissolution from tennantite, and bornite abundance in the residue.


Citations (14)


... As a collector for the studied froth system, kerosene was chosen. Considering the prevalent usage of oil-based dearomatized hydrocarbon collectors in primary graphite production [Wakamatsu and Numata, 1991], and their incorporation into several highly cited articles pertaining to black mass flotation [He et al., 2017;Liu et al., 2020;Yu et al., 2018;Zhang et al., 2019)], oily collectors (particularly kerosene) have consistently retained a status as the preferred hydrophobization agent in numerous contemporary studies on black mass flotation [Folayan et al., 2023;Verdugo et al., 2023;Zhong et al., 2023;Qiu et al., 2022;Zhang et al., 2022]. Following a series of preliminary tests (see the Supplementary Data) aimed at delineating froth stability across varying collector concentrations, kerosene was employed at dosage levels of 500 g/t and 5000 g/t. ...

Reference:

The unexpected stability of froth structures formed with battery materials allow their characterization with x-ray computed tomography
Effect of lithium ion on the separation of electrode materials in spent lithium ion batteries using froth flotation
  • Citing Article
  • April 2023

Separation and Purification Technology

... In [25][26][27][28], the authors investigated an ilmenite concentrate with a high chromium content from the Murray Basin deposit. As a result, the authors found that slightly diluted ilmenite concentrates contained fine-grained associations of ilmenite and pseudorutile. ...

Exploratory Study of Separation of Sulphidised Chrome Spinels from Reduced Ilmenite

Minerals

... In the era of industrial growth and development, enterprises involved in the processing of copper-arsenic raw materials are striving to modernize and optimize their technological processes. They make significant efforts to introduce more sophisticated and effective methods such as acid leaching [3][4][5][6], ammonia leaching [7], alkaline methods [8][9][10], bioleaching [11], and alternative methods [12][13][14][15]. However, all these innovations carry certain difficulties with them. ...

Alkaline sulphide leaching of tennantite in copper flotation concentrates to selectively dissolve arsenic
  • Citing Article
  • July 2022

Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy

... Sb is usually considered a penalty element in refractory gold ore and copper concentrates. The presence of Sb decreases the gold extraction rate (Celep, Alp, and Deveci 2011a) and increases the cost of copper smelting and refining operations (Lane et al. 2016;Smith, Bruckard, and Sparrow 2022). The separation or recovery of Sb from the tetrahedrite and refractory gold ore is also beneficial to downstream copper smelting and gold recovery (Bhappu 1990;Filippou, St-Germain, and Grammatikopoulos 2007), respectively. ...

Rejection of antimony and bismuth in sulphide flotation – a literature review
  • Citing Article
  • July 2022

Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy

... Additionally, despite not being categorized as critical raw materials, Al and Fe significantly influence the recycling process. However, it is worth highlighting that the majority of these metals exist in complex oxidized forms, such as lithium-cobalt oxide (LCO) (LiCoO 2 ), lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides (NMC), as NMC-111 (LiNi 0. 33 [10,11]. To secure the cohesion of the active material with the current collector, a binder is frequently employed. ...

Flotation Behavior of the Most Common Electrode Materials in Lithium Ion Batteries
  • Citing Article
  • August 2022

Separation and Purification Technology

... Several studies have implemented GIS methods to monitor, evaluate, or predict environmental or physical risks associated with TSF. For instance, [19], [20] applied GIS to identify historical and spatial patterns of incidents at such mining facilities and their relationship with climate variables, such as rainfall. In this regard, [20] used satellite images and GIS techniques to assess the risk level of TSF based on factors such as proximity to urban areas and the type of ore extracted. ...

Development of a geospatial database of tailing storage facilities in Australia using satellite images
  • Citing Article
  • May 2022

Chemosphere

... In terms of recycling, Article 27 of the CRMA is dedicated to the recovery of CRMs from EW, requiring member states to adopt measures by November 2027 to promote CRM recovery from EW [7]. In this context, various authors worldwide are investigating, for example, the potential of using mining tailings as an alternative source for CRM supply (e.g., [8][9][10][11][12][13]). In Italy, due to its long history of mining, mining tailing storage sites are widespread [14], and some authors have begun investigating the extraction potential of this waste [15][16][17][18][19]. ...

Recovery of strategically important critical minerals from mine tailings
  • Citing Article
  • March 2022

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

... Ilmenite may incorporate Mg, Al, Cr and Mn within its structure through substitution with Fe 2+ . The Cr content in ilmenite is critical, as variations of up to ~1-2 % may be deemed unsuitable for processing (e.g., Australian mineral sands - Pownceby et al., 2020). Additionally, the alteration of ilmenite results in the formation new solid-solution phases such as pseudorutile and leucoxene. ...

Technological developments in processing Australian mineral sand deposits

Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

... The Stage 2 process involves the separation of the sulphidised chrome spinels from the reduced ilmenite. In the previous study by Rhamdhani et al. [6], the applicability of Stage 1 selective sulphidation roasting conditions using a static bed laboratory-scale furnace was evaluated for different weathered ilmenite concentrates sourced from different deposit types from the Murray Basin, Australia [7][8][9][10], and Bangka Island, Indonesia. The process was found to be applicable for coarse-and fine-grained chromium oxide-contaminated ilmenites from the Murray Basin, as indicated by the formation of CrS sulphide rims on the chrome spinel grains. ...

Selective sulphidation of impurities in weathered ilmenite. Part 1 – Applicability to different ilmenite deposits and simulated Becher kiln conditions
  • Citing Article
  • June 2018

Minerals Engineering

... If the key players, that is, regional blocs, governments, multinational companies, and regulators (on environmental and public health grounds and accountability), are to be seen as credible and in line with the key targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, then a fully-fledged framework of lifecycle sustainability assessments for REEs also needs to be developed and implemented. There is a range of studies on lifecycle assessments (LCAs) for (specific) REEs (and from specific sources and locations) available (see e.g., [92] for a recent systematic overview, and see [93,94]), but these are more narrowly focused on an at times limited set of environmental aspects (and typically also exclude human-health risks connected with toxicity), with differing underlying inventories and thus similar yet different outcomes (even when there are the same process chains). What they do not deliver is a more rounded sustainability assessment, which includes other corporate social responsibility (CSR) or now environmental, social, and governance (ESG) dimensions (which include labor conditions and work safety, for instance), or an economic one with a trend and regulatory context analysis with a view to over-or under-supply and the investment interfaces. ...

Life Cycle Assessment of Rare Earth Production from Monazite: TMS/Rewas
  • Citing Chapter
  • February 2016