My Research Page: Hydro-Biohydro-metallurgy and Waste Recycling
1. Bio-hydrometallurgical Research at CSIR-NML encompasses the strategy for developing an energy efficient and environmentally friendly technological option for extraction of metals from low grade and complex mineral and waste resources/upgradation of poor quality minerals and ores/bioremediation/bioreclamation of metals from waste streams. This potential of microbes could only be realized globally and efforts are being made to use them for enhanced recovery of mineral resources from natural deposits. he process is at present commercially used for recovery of copper and uranium from low-grade ores in several nations. Laboratory experiments could show that recovery of other metals such as Ni, Zn, Co, Sn, Cd, Mb, Pb, Sb, As,Se, REEs, REMs, etc from their low-grade ores as well as WEEEs is also possible through bioleaching ex or in-situ.
2. Waste Recycling and Replenishment at CSIR-NML encompasses the strategy for developing an energy efficient and environmentally friendly technological option for extraction of base, precious, strategic and rare earth elements metals from secondary resources, mine rejects, process wastes. Our research in this area is focused on finding more robust flowsheets for metal extractions from batteries, process wastes, sludges, slags, red mud, WEEEs, etc.
Key Areas
Hydrometallurgy, Biohydrometallurgy, Rare earth Extraction, WEEE Recycling, Sustainable Waste Management
Major Completed Achievements
2. Waste Recycling and Replenishment at CSIR-NML encompasses the strategy for developing an energy efficient and environmentally friendly technological option for extraction of base, precious, strategic and rare earth elements metals from secondary resources, mine rejects, process wastes. Our research in this area is focused on finding more robust flowsheets for metal extractions from batteries, process wastes, sludges, slags, red mud, WEEEs, etc.
Key Areas
Hydrometallurgy, Biohydrometallurgy, Rare earth Extraction, WEEE Recycling, Sustainable Waste Management
Major Completed Achievements
- Isolation, characterization and purification of microbial isolates from various sources (22 Industrially important isolates)
- Developed the process for bioleaching of low grade silica-rich and apatite-rich ore of uranium, and tested industrial scale of realization (lab scale to 2ton column scale)
- Developed the know-how for bioleaching of low grade chalcopyrite ore (high recovery with consortia leaching)
- Developed the know-how for Biosorption/bioremediation of tannery effluents (for trivalent chromium source)
- Designed the air-lift bioreactor for large scale bioleaching of sea nodules (using extremophiles)
- Developed microbial based composite for metal remediation from aqueous wastes (product)
- Developed know-how for synthesis of Zn based nanomaterials from zinc tailings (30-60nm ZnO powders, >99% purity)
- Developed know-how for microbial upgradation of iron ore slimes (from 43% Fe to 58% Fe)
- Developed process for bio-desulphurization of high sulfur coal (total sulfur reduction from 3.5% to <0.5%)
- Developed process for extraction of REEs from red mud (95% REOs) hydrometallurgically
- Developed process for extraction of REEs from blast furnace slag (93% REOs) hydrometallurgically
- Postulated process for biochemical dephosphorisation of LD slag (reducing from 1.3 to <0.05% P)
- First Flowsheet globally on bio-recycling of spent electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries
- Developed process for Ammonium Metavanadate (>98%) and Vanadium Pentaoxide (>99%) synthesis from secondary resources (sludge, catalysts, etc.)
- Developed process to extract and separate Lanthanum, Cerium, Neodymium salts from GGBFS
- Developed process to extract Lithium, Nickel, Cobalt and Manganese from any chemistry lithium based batteries
- Developed process for Selective Extraction of Lithium from battery and other resources
- Developed process for recovery of >99% Al, Si, Ag from Scrap PV Cells
- Developed Non-HF Process for Extraction of Nb, Ta from columbite ores and tin slag
