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Research partnership to open doors for mining firms

By NICK STEWART A newly struck partnership between two of Canada’s pre-eminent research institutions located in Sudbury and Saskatoon may well open up entirely new knowledge of environmental workplace safety for the mining industry.

By NICK STEWART

A newly struck partnership between two of Canada’s pre-eminent research institutions located in Sudbury and Saskatoon may well open up entirely new knowledge of environmental workplace safety for the mining industry.

The Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation (MIRARCO) has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Canadian Light Source (CLS), the national synchotron research facility located at the University of Saskatchewan. This mandates the two non-profit organizations to collaborate on any number of research efforts stemming from mining firms, or even their own internal projects.

This synchotron, the only one in Canada, is one of the world’s most powerful microscopes and uses the emission of very powerful light, which can then be broken down by researchers into specific wavelengths such as infrared or X-rays depending on their particular need. 

This device has a multitude of uses, though its application in this new relationship will largely study the precise chemical composition of metal compounds found in mineral processing facilities. Indeed, one of the first experiments taking place between the two relates to the study of heavy metals found in air filtration in mineral processing facilities belonging to Vale Inco and Xstrata Nickel.

“We’re developing an understanding of the exact nickel forms in aerosols on these sites,” says Graeme Spiers, director for the Centre for Environmental Monitoring at MIRARCO.

Spiers says that nickel has several hundred compounds, many of which can be classified as carcinogens. This means that inaccurate chemistry can lead to incorrect identification of the materials found on work sites or in filtration systems. This in turn can have a financial impact by mandating incorrect or unnecessary changes to workplaces and regulations.  Conversely, it can also open up greater knowledge about the materials found in dust and other materials found in smelters, refineries, welding workshops, and other industrial environments.

This kind of highly precise information is not easily earned, however, and requires the kind of unique partnership established between MIRARCO and CLS, according to Jeff Cutler, associate director of research for industrial science with CLS.

“I can’t think of another relationship, globally, between a synchotron and a recognized mineral research institution such as MIRARCO,” Cutler says.

The recent memorandum of understanding will allow for a broad range of work to be shared between the two non-profit research organizations, with each partner providing something the other lacks, Spiers says.

The Canadian Light Source has what Spiers refers to as “the best damn scientists on the planet,” MIRARCO features years of expertise with base metal and precious metal chemistry, having worked with 30 different mining companies on numerous major projects. 

“It’s not just the tools on the floor, but the partnerships you build and the people you bring to the table,” Cutler says. 

Additionally, MIRARCO will be able to serve as an on-the-ground research link to the project, using their research expertise and experience to help optimize and streamline the process.  As an example, sample collection for one particular test might result in 500 samples, but MIRARCO could analyze and study them to narrow that number down to 20 samples, which would then be sent to the CLS labs in Saskatoon.

While the partnership will allow for a more complete development of research projects for mineral industry clients, entirely new self-directed projects may spin out of client-driven research initiatives. Spiers says MIRARCO may be able to leverage the data earned in external projects to build their own research projects and investigate those subjects even further. In return for laying the groundwork, industry will be provided with the results from the follow-up investigations.

With European countries beginning to take a more careful look at regulating mineral processing operations, it is expected that North America will soon follow suit. This makes it ever more important to begin ensuring that particulates found in these environments are properly classified, he says.

It may also help to determine the long-term impact of mining in various industrial environments such as Sudbury, and whether there are metals in the soil affecting natural decomposition of trees and other organic materials, Spiers says. 

www.mirarco.org
www.lightsource.ca