the platinum value chain

The platinum value chainThe platinum value chain

Northam mine

Participants to dateParticipants to date

UCT (Dave Reid et al.)UCT (Dave Reid et al.)

GFZ (Bob Trumbill)GFZ (Bob Trumbill)

UFS (Marian Tredoux, Chris Gauert, Thelma Lekgetho et al.)UFS (Marian Tredoux, Chris Gauert, Thelma Lekgetho et al.)

BGR (Thomas Oberthüer)BGR (Thomas Oberthüer)

Mintek (Desh Chetty et al.)Mintek (Desh Chetty et al.)

U. Bonn (Chris Ballhaus, Hassan Helmy)U. Bonn (Chris Ballhaus, Hassan Helmy)

Between the mining for

these ultra-trace elements

and getting them out of a

bottle, a lot of processes

need to be understood and

managed.

PGE geochemistry

are the fundementals OK?

Ore formaltion

Ore extraction Environmental impact

Processes to be consideredProcesses to be considered

Beneficiation ditto

Purification ditto

Use ditto

Disposal/reuse ditto

Aspects to be investigatedAspects to be investigated

�� PGE in the mantle (where from, and how?)PGE in the mantle (where from, and how?)

�� PGE during generation of magmaPGE during generation of magma

�� PGE during fractional crystallization and PGE during fractional crystallization and

magmatic ore forming processesmagmatic ore forming processes

Hydrothermal influence on PGE oresHydrothermal influence on PGE ores�� Hydrothermal influence on PGE oresHydrothermal influence on PGE ores

�� PGE in the weathering cyclePGE in the weathering cycle

�� Beneficiation of PGE ores Beneficiation of PGE ores –– metallurgy metallurgy

superimposed on geochemistrysuperimposed on geochemistry

�� Industrial uses of the PGEIndustrial uses of the PGE

�� Modern environmental impacts of the PGEModern environmental impacts of the PGE

PGE in the rock cyclePGE in the rock cycle

�� Information from meteoritesInformation from meteorites

�� Best chondrite values (for normalization)Best chondrite values (for normalization)

�� SideroSidero--, chalco, chalco-- ? Even litho? Even litho-- ??

�� CoreCore--mantlemantle--crust exchangecrust exchange

�� Bon Accord, BarbertonBon Accord, Barberton

�� Josephine Creek, USAJosephine Creek, USA

XX--ray tomographyray tomography

Magnification

x100

PGE during magmatic PGE during magmatic processesprocesses

�� What are the PGE phases in a mafic What are the PGE phases in a mafic magma?magma?

�� ions? complexes? (metallic) clusters?ions? complexes? (metallic) clusters?

�� PGE partition coefficients?PGE partition coefficients?�� PGE partition coefficients?PGE partition coefficients?

�� silicate/sulphide, slicate/metal, sulphide/metalsilicate/sulphide, slicate/metal, sulphide/metal

�� Magmatic PGE oresMagmatic PGE ores

�� Bushveld (MR, UG2, Platreef, IRAPs, MGs Bushveld (MR, UG2, Platreef, IRAPs, MGs

other)other)

�� placersplacers

HighHigh-- and lowand low--T fluid related T fluid related processesprocesses

�� Bushveld (significant ore formation Bushveld (significant ore formation model?)model?)model?)model?)

�� Naboomspruit/Mookopong/WaterbergNaboomspruit/Mookopong/Waterberg

�� Dissolution and reprecipitionDissolution and reprecipition

�� KTB studies: PGE at redoxclines (Wits?)KTB studies: PGE at redoxclines (Wits?)

BeneficiationBeneficiation

�� Mineralogical issuesMineralogical issues

�� what are the PGE phases and associations?what are the PGE phases and associations?

�� how accessible are they?how accessible are they?

�� The PGEThe PGE--BMS associationBMS association

�� main driver in conventional flotation monitoringmain driver in conventional flotation monitoring

�� Processing/beneficiation of nonProcessing/beneficiation of non--BIC type BIC type oresores

�� Optimal practice?Optimal practice?

Thelma Lekgetho at the MLAThelma Lekgetho at the MLAat Mintekat Mintek

High grade

cleaners

Low grade

cleaners

Primary mill Secondary millCrushed ore

Primary

roughers

Secondary

roughers

*

* * * * * * * * * *

*

High rate

thickening

Conventional

thickening Tailings damSmelter

Flotation processes are Flotation processes are optimized for BMS optimized for BMS recovery recovery –– is this is this

adequate for the PGE?adequate for the PGE?

PGM occurrence in PRF (147)

3%

7%

11%

17%

7%

55%

L

SL

SG

AG

SAG

G

Industrial applicationsIndustrial applications

�� Catalysts (auto, industrial)Catalysts (auto, industrial)

Industrial applicationsIndustrial applications

�� Catalysts (auto, industrial)Catalysts (auto, industrial)

�� Novel PGE alloys and their applications Novel PGE alloys and their applications �� Novel PGE alloys and their applications Novel PGE alloys and their applications (especially Ru, Ir and Os)(especially Ru, Ir and Os)

�� ReprocessingReprocessing

Environmental impactEnvironmental impact

�� Liberation from catalytic applications, Liberation from catalytic applications, especially autoespecially auto--catalystscatalysts

�� Other industrial contributions, especially Other industrial contributions, especially the release of Os (the release of Os (±±Ru) during matte Ru) during matte the release of Os (the release of Os (±±Ru) during matte Ru) during matte processingprocessing

�� LowLow--T PGE geochemistry/hydrochemistryT PGE geochemistry/hydrochemistry

�� HOW BIOAVAILABLE ARE THE PGE?HOW BIOAVAILABLE ARE THE PGE?

Thank you!Thank you!

Concentrators

wet

concentrate

Flash dries

dry

concentrate

Anglo platinum

converter (ACP)

ACP matte

Acid plant

furnace

offgas

converter

offgas

AD

Slag

Cleaning

furnace

Electric

furnaces

molten

furnace matteMatte

granulation

granulated

matte

Slow cooling

Crushing

BMR plant

granulated

ACP slag

PMR plant

B

C

Slag milling

& flotation

slag

E