about criticel project

About CriticEL Project

Nowadays regions of the developed countries (Europe, United States and Japan) suffer from the repeating effects of several crises. Reasons for these crisis phenomena are the disruption of the current balance of raw material sources disposal and the higher cost and insecurity of import which has had easy access so far. The existence of suitable quantity and quality of raw material is essential for the European and Hungarian economy; therefore, EU has required the assessment, exploration and evaluation of strategic importance mineral resources in its member states. Priority should be ensured to the trainings for raw material extraction and processing technologies. Raw Materials Group – which was organised under the European Commission – published a report that defined 14 types of raw material ranked according to the expected industrial demand and the possible source of supply, from which Europe may significantly rely on import to the current extraction rates in 2030 and the concentration of whose primary sources involves risk and uncertainties for the EU. The developed countries of the EU have taken significant steps to ensure the supply of raw materials. Germany, for example, had established the independent Mineral Resources Agency in 2010 and negotiated with Mongolia about the common development of mineral resources. These materials are essential for the production of modern cars, TFT monitors, smart phones, hybrid cars, catalysts, solar cells, wind turbines, batteries and the strong, but lightweight components. In the following decades the sharpest market demand will be expected from these raw materials in Europe, therefore, research on these elements has to be renewed. Hungary as most countries of Europe is a net importer of raw materials, it has a significant dependence from the distant sources. Despite of this fact the country is significantly behind with the research of energy and other mineral sources and with the development of exploitation and technologies of production. From 2011 political resolutions have been published according to which the national mineral resources have important roles in the planning of national economy’s strategic directions.

The aim of the CriticEL TÁMOP project (that is ‘Basic research on exploitation of national economic development potential of critical raw materials in international cooperation) of the University of Miskolc within the framework of New Széchenyi Plan is to contribute the economic and social modernization of Hungary with economic recovery, the incentive of high-tech and green-tech industry which can result job creation. In the interest of this project the University of Miskolc launches basic research programs in the chosen strategic areas. The expected scientific results will give information of the following topics:

• The exploration of availability of critical primary and secondary raw materials and the database of them;

• Development of commodity research methods that can be used for detection of the critical strategic raw materials in near-surface waste stockpiles or in slag heaps.

• Survey of domestic recovery and exploitation possibilities, analysis of application of different technologies;

• Examination of application of raw material preparation technologies from primary and secondary sources, results of applied research and technological development;

• Economic aspects of technologies application;

• Results of logistical analysis of distributed raw material’s collection, possibilities of optimisation;

• Recycling-friendly product design and manufacturing technology analysis, principles and recommendations;

• Results for investment decision-making;

• Results for national strategic decision-making of critical raw material projects.

The University of Miskolc is committed to build strategic partnership in the chosen research areas by the work of created basic research programs with the key players of Europe and the region; to create the retention conditions of young researchers in the region by providing high-quality research environment and to create innovative research groups as well. In point of the main sessions of the project, the literature will be processed and the domestic situation will be surveyed and defined in the following areas:

Rare Earth Elements connected to the Úrkút manganese ores

Norbert Zajzon

Contact e-mail: askzn@uni-miskolc.hu

Moderate, positive REE anomaly is known to be connected to the “oxidic” and “carbonatic”manganese ores in Úrkút, Hungary. Couple of previous studies revealed some tendencies about the REE, but their mineralogy, accumulation, connection to the Mn-ores and their genetics are not fully understood. Our R&D project tries to clarify those questions, to support a possible utilization of the available REE as a valuable side product of the manganese mining both from the host-rock and also from the 2.5 million tonnes of material in the sludge reservoir. The work is executed in cooperation with the Mangán Bányászati és Feldolgozó Ltd.

Rare Earth Elements in the Hungarian Bauxites

Janos Foldessy

Contact e-mail: foldfj@uni-miskolc.hu

The bauxites – as residual enrichments – may accumulate a number of strategic elements. Gallium, closely linked to aluminium, is being commercially recovered from the Hungarian ores. Hungary was an important exporter of this element onto the world market. Rare earths may also play important role locally.  The potential REE content of the alumina processing wastes, i. e. red mud, should also be highlighted, since some 55 million tonnes of this residue has been disposed alongside the alumina plants. The research aims at defining promising geological environments of optimum enrichments of these elements. The works are planned in cooperation with the MAL Zrt.

Strategic elements in the Recsk Deeps mineralization

Janos Foldessy

Contact e-mail: foldfj@uni-miskolc.hu

The Recsk Deeps mineralization is one of the major ore deposits complexes of Europe, combining Cu-Au porphyry, Mo-porphyry, Cu-skarn, Zn-skarn, Zn-Pb-metasomatic ore deposits in the deep seated diorite intrusive complex. Indium and germanium is expected to be enriched in the sphalerites, REE elements in the epidote skarns, PGE in the Mo-porphyry and in the epithermal HS type Cu-Au mineralization. The research is planned by re-sampling the stored drillcores and mine samples, and inserting the results into the modified geological model of the complex. The research is jointly carried out with Mecsekerc Zrt as co-operating partner.

Valuation of the Fluorspar Reserve of the Pátka Deposit

József Molnár

Contact e-mail: bgtmj@uni-miskolc.hu

The Pátka-Szűzvár mineral body is the only fuorspar deposit in Hungary that was mined in the 1950s and 1960s years. The main target of the R&D project is characterizing the recent condition of the deposit and finding the ways of its economic utilization. Geochemical examination, valuation of the mineral reserve, revision of the former mining operations, analysing possible ways of the extraction and finding optimal mineral processing methods are the basic topics. Three institutions of Faculty of Earth Sciences and Engineering, such as Institute of Mineralogy and Geology, Institute of Mining and Geotechnical Engineering and Institute of Raw Material Preparation and Environmental Processing take part in the project.

Bükkszentkereszt-Bükkszentlászló, Hősök forrása, P-U-Be anomaly

Norberth Németh

Contact e-mail: foldnn@uni-miskolc.hu

Uranium resource exploration of the 1970s indicated phosphorite lenses with Mn, U and Be enrichment hosted by metarhyolite (Middle Triassic tuff or tuffite protolith with low grade metamorphism of prehnite-pumpellyite facies). The host rock is strongly deformed in the close vicinity of a major fault zone. Recent works are concentrated on the geochemical and mineralogical characterization of the rock alterations and on the better understanding of the structure by geophysical means (radiometric, resistivity and magnetic surveys), aiming to delineate the possible target bodies for Be prospecting.

Platinum Group Elements in Hungary

Eva Hartai

Contact e-mail: foldshe@uni-miskolc.hu

The economic importance of PGE has significantly risen in the latest decades. These elements have enrichments mostly in mafic and ultramafic magmatic rocks but they can also occur in porphyry copper-molybdenum and epithermal systems. In Hungary the following formations will be sampled and analysed for their PGE content:

1. Recsk Ore Complex (Lahóca epithermal HS unit and the molybdenum-rich zones of the deep-seated ore body;
2. Mafic and ultramafic magmatite outcrops in the Darnó and Szarvaskő area;
3. Mafic and ultramafic magmatites (most of them serpentinized) in stored drillcores from the South-Transdanubian and North-Hungarian region.

Critical elements (Ge and Be) in the coal deposits of Hungary

György Less

Contact e-mail: foldlgy@uni-miskolc.hu

Coal deposits host worldwide the largest resources of Ge and they are also important for exploiting Be. These elements are concentrated mainly around the peripheral parts of the coal fields and also of the coal measures. The research aims at defining promising geological environments of optimum enrichments of both Ge and Be first of all in the Mecsek coal field of Liassic age (in co-operation with Wildhorse Energy Hungary Ltd.) and also in the Borsod coal field of Miocene age.

Irota, black shale hosted sulphide-REE mineralization and graphite

Janos Foldessy

Contact e-mail: foldfj@uni-miskolc.hu

The Irota (Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen county, Hungary) area has been a historic exploration site for radioactive ores.  During the exploration its sulphide enrichment has also been revealed. Recent petrographical studies and EPMA analyses have been identified a REE mineralization in Paleozoic metamorphic schists. Our study program plans to define the lithological/structural control of this mineralization and its relationship to sulphide enrichments. The work is carried out in co-operation with the Rotaqua Ltd.

Tungsten in the Nagybörzsöny ore deposit

Sándor Szakáll

Contact e-mail: askszs@uni-miskolc.hu

The Nagybörzsöny locality is a new geochemical anomaly for tugsten, which is a critical element. The Nagybörzsöny polymetallic ore mineralization has multiphase paragenetic characteristics. The: high T phase has a mineralization as: arsenopyrite, sphalerite à ferberite / hübnerite à bismuth, gold à bismuthite, ikunolite à Pb-Bi-sulphosalts. The tungsten mineralization incorporates in this phase as ferberite / hübnerite. We plan to further investigate this mineralization and its perspectives for tungsten at Rózsa-hill, with natural outcrops, the Upper- and Lower-Rózsa-adits, and also with already existing drill cores.

Rare earth elements in phonolites and in the contact of alkali basalt – coal seams, Mecsek Mts.

Sándor Szakáll

Contact e-mail: askszs@uni-miskolc.hu

The phonolite of Mecsek Mts. contains the highest REE concentrations among which associated with Hungarian alkali magmatites. We plan to investigate the REE potential of this rock as well as its fresh, altered and contact parts. These alkali magmatites (mainly alkali basalts) also penetrate coal seams with Jurassic age in the area. These altered sediments, and their siderite concretions could have a good potential for REE according to their above mentioned position.

Sampling and assaying of secondary raw materials.

József Faitli

Contact e-mail: ejtfaitj@uni-miskolc.hu

The starting step to find prosperuous critical element sources is sampling. The primary aim of this module is the supply of appropriate and representative samples for analysis and technological experimental purposes. In addition to this practical task, this module also deals with sampling theories to develop sampling and sample preparation protocols to accomplish the specific requirements of the given topic. According to the Gantt chart of the project, samplings are planned on mining gangue materials (glass sand gangue, fluorite gangue and tailings, fly ashes, etc.) and on different waste materials (different batteries, solar cells, LCD – LED – Plasma displays, printed circuits, active and passive electrical components, etc…).

Mechanical separation technologies, the way it should be

József Bőhm

Contact e-mail: ejtbohm@uni-miskolc.hu

Raw material preparation regardless the raw material originates from primary or secondary sources requires mechanical processing before metallurgy takes over. Some of general mechanical - or classic mineral processing procedure - can be used for this purpose, although there are some areas in general, of which upgrade required. The main objective of our task is to expand gravity concentration and eddy current separation applicability range towards fine material beyond nowadays standards.

Reaction techniques

Ljudmilla Bokányi

Contact e-mail: ejtblj@uni-miskolc.hu

One aim of the module is to develop a flotation technology for the recovery of fluorite and other critical elements containing components from mining tailings and wastes. The revealing of the flotation interactions, identifying the key factors and testing the phenomenological flotation-kinetic model will be also in the spot-light of the research.

Another aim is the investigation of the applicability of the chemical and biological solubilisation and efficient and environmental friendly solution-treatment, in order to recover critical elements from different kind of electronic wastes, such as batteries, PCBs, LED screens, solar cells.

Activities:

• literature review in order to determine the available and promising solutions in the field of reaction technique
• application of zeta-potential measurements and other modern research methods,
• investigation of mechano-chemical pre-treatment in order to increase the rate of the mass transfer in the following steps,
• laboratory experiments in the field of flotation,
• systematic experiments on bio-solubilisation, chemical selective dissolution, selective precipitation,

technological issues.

Utilization of solid residues, encapsulation

Gábor Mucsi

contact e-mail: ejtmucsi@uni-miskolc.hu

The concentration of the critical elements appearing in the project in the raw material is very low (for example Ge in fly as is 20…100 ppm). Therefore, huge amount of solid residue will be generated due to the processing technology (mechanical, chemical, physico-chemical treatment). The general goal of the module is the utilization of the solid technological by-products in order to reduce their toxicity, immobilize their toxic components and manufacture a final product for the construction industry. The main aim of the project module is to achieve the scientific understanding of encapsulation capability of fly ash based geopolymer by controlling the reactivity by mechanical activation (grinding). One Hungarian fly ash will be chosen as geopolymer model material for systematic experimental series. The solid residues containing toxic components will be encapsulated in the geopolymer matrix. The characterization techniques which will be used to study the material characteristics are fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), x-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy and ICP-OES. Furthermore, the geopolymer properties, e.g. compressive strength, flexural strength, setting time, durability, and permeability will be evaluated. Finally, the leachability of toxic components will be determined using the USEPA 1311 (Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure) protocol.

Economic evaluation of critical elements

Helmuth Schupler

contact e-mail: kkkgaga@uni-miskolc.hu

In this module we deal with the mining, extraction, recycling of the critical elements mentioned in the feasibility study. We are going to make cost-benefit analysis about these themes based on historical data and several economic forecasts. In the result of these analysis we can determine which elements are economic reasonable to deal with.

Create national database of critical raw materials based on secondary sources

Zsolt István

contact e-mail: istvan.zsolt@bayzoltan.hu

Creating an electronic database structure for data collection, this has been reference to critical raw materials in the Hungarian secondary resources. Categorization of critical elements from secondary raw material sources in technical, economical and environmental aspects are:

• „A“ – those elements, which have to be dealt more deeply
• „B“ – which are potential
• “C” – which shouldn’t be dealt with

The quantitative and qualitative data system allows the determination of the future plans and aims.

Recycling-friendly product design and manufacturing technology

Zsolt István

contact e-mail: istvan.zsolt@bayzoltan.hu

The aim of the module: providing detailed analysis of the main production process of products/material types which are perspective critical elements of the secondary raw material sources. Another aim is to draft recommendation for manufacturers, based on recovery technology of the database which contains the recoverable critical elements, in order to achieve this technology in a more economically and environmentally friendly way.

Three selected processes are analysed, which were appeared/applied in the previous chapters. The environmental life cycle assessment carries out the new opportunities of the utilization, numerical results and gives evaluation from the environmental impacts of several processes.

Inverse logistics

Zsolt István

contact e-mail: istvan.zsolt@bayzoltan.hu

The aim is the determination of the geographical location of the perspective critical elements based on the database of “G” module. As a result, a resource map will be available, which will set the optimum centre from logistical point of view. (The sources will be weighted with quantitative data.) The task of the logistic module is not only the allocation of the optimal location of the inland process, but the determination of the more efficient collection method of the “cannot be economically processed volumes” in order to a cross-country process.