COMAN process: Obtaining Critical Raw Materials From Mine Waste Materials

The European Union has a need to produce critical raw materials (CRM) and special metals. The battery sector, in particular, is a key area for the EU due to the increased use of batteries across different industries. In this context the METALLICO project presents a new opportunity for the European Union to obtain primary and secondary sources of battery metals (Li, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni) with 5 innovative processes. One of them is the COMAN process.

The COMAN process is one of the five processes that are part of the METALLICO project, the objective of which is to obtain concentrates of Co, Ni, Mn and Cu through a flotation process followed by a bioleaching process.

This process is a result of collaboration between several partners: Polytechnic University of Cataluña (UPC), Tharsis Mining (THARSIS) and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). Each of these partners plays an important role in this process.

UPC has studied the optimal flotation conditions to obtain the concentrates with the highest concentration possible. Once the conditions have been established THARSIS carries out the upscaling, as well as the startup and commissioning of the pilot plant in order to obtain a higher quantity of concentrated material under the same conditions (concentration and purity) as the concentrated material obtained by UPC.

THARSIS will send the material obtained in the pilot plant to VTT to continue with the process of bioleaching, extracting the metals of interest. In this bioleaching process lies the main innovation of the COMAN process, because it allows to reduce the use of conventional solvents, acids and organic ones.

This process and the others that take place in the METALLICO project present a new opportunity for the EU.  Battery metals are predominantly in other countries, representing a high risk for the EU in terms of supply shortage. METALLICO provides a new chance for obtaining battery metals.