Title : Biobased specialty chemicals for the mineral slurries
Abstract:
Minerals play a fundamental role in modern society, providing essential raw materials for infrastructure, technology, and everyday products. From the metals in our smartphones to the minerals used in renewable energy systems, nearly every aspect of modern life depends on these resources. However, this necessity comes with a dilemma—while the minerals support economic development and technological progress, this also needs to be balanced with society’s increased environmental concern and new legislations that turn these concerns into actions. Balancing the need for these resources with sustainable practices is crucial to minimizing harm while ensuring a steady supply of critical materials for the future. The chemicals used in the processing of minerals are one aspect of this industry that makes this dilemma evident. This work focusses on the replacement of fossil-based specialty chemicals commonly used by bio-based specialty chemicals. Our most recent efforts tackle the development of alternative chemicals for the replacement of polyacrylates, which are widely used fossil-based dispersants. More than a dozen samples have been tested, these bio-based alternatives were derived from a variety of sources, such as, CMC-Based (Carboxymethyl Cellulose) dispersants. Standard industry trials were conducted, which include dispersant demand curves and slurry stability tests. Most of the samples failed the initial trials, but the alternatives that showed promising results were submitted to another set of standard trials from the Pulp and Paper industry, our intended final customer for these bio-based mineral slurry alternatives. The results of the two set of trials showed that there are viable bio-based dispersants alternatives to fossil-based polyacrylates. Further work will continue to have these minerals slurries as a standard commercial product.
