Sustainability in the Mineral and Energy Sectors

Sustainable practices within the mining and energy sectors are assuming greater significance due to uncertainty and change within the global economy and safety, security, and health concerns. This book examines sustainability issues facing the mining and energy sectors by addressing six major themes: Mining and Mineral Processing; Metallurgy and Recycling; Environment; Energy; Socioeconomic and Regulatory; and Sustainable Materials and Fleets. Emphasizing an integrated transdisciplinary approach, it deliberates on optimizing mining productivity and energy efficiency and discusses integrated waste management practices. It discusses risk management, cost cutting, and integration of sustainable practices for long-term business value. It gives a comprehensive outlook for sustainable mineral futures from academic and industry perspectives covering mine to mill optimization, waste, risk and water management, improved efficiencies in mining tools and equipment, and performance indicators for sustainable developments. It covers how innovation and research underpin management of natural resources including sustainable carbon management.

?Focuses on mining and mineral processing, metallurgy and recycling, the environment, energy, socioeconomic and regulatory issues, and sustainable materials and fleets.

?Describes metallurgy and recycling and uses economic, environmental and social parameter analyses to identify areas for improvement in iron, steel, aluminium, lead, zinc, copper, and gold production.

?Discusses current research on mining, performance indicators for sustainable development, sustainability in mining equipment, risk and safety management, and renewable energy resources

?Covers alternative and conventional energy sources for the mineral sector as well water treatment and remediation and energy sustainability in mining.

?Provides an overview of sustainable carbon management.

?Offers an interdisciplinary approach with international focus.

Section I Mining and Mineral Processing. New Paradigms for Sustainable Mineral Processing. Assessment of Sustainability of Mineral Processing Industries. A Step Change in Mining Productivity: Time to Deliver the Promise. An Approach to Improve the Energy Efficiency of Mining Projects. Energy Use in Comminution in a Global Context. Mill–to-Melt-Energy Efficiency Opportunities. Section II Metallurgy/Recycling.Carbothermic Processing of Copper–Cobalt Mineral Sulphide Concentrates

and Slag Waste for the Extraction of Metallic Values. Processing of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Zero-Waste Materials Recovery. Selective Leaching: An Ecological Solution for Recovering Metals from Complex Minerals and Materials? Reductive Leaching of Metal Oxides in Hydrometallurgical Processing of Nickel Laterite Ores, Deep Sea Manganese Nodules, and Recycling of Spent Batteries/Catalysts. Sustainable Recycling Technology for Electronic Waste. Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from e-Wastes (Nd-Fe-B Spent Magnets) Using Magnesium Chloride Salts. Section III Environment. Building Suitable Restoration Approaches in the Brownfields. Mining and Environment. Sustainable Management of Mine Induced Water. Bioflocculants Relevant for Water Treatment and Remediation. Sustainability and Regional Development: When Brownfields Become Playing Fields. Sustainability of Mineral Processing and Metal Production for European Economies in Transition. Towards Sustainable Design of Landfill Clay Liners: A Case Study. Section IV Energy. Water and Energy Nexus: Impact of Energy Development on Water Resources. Alternative Energy Sources for Mineral Sector: An Overview. Nuclear Power: Current Status and Prospects. Carbon Capture and Storage. Photovoltaics: Current and Emerging Technologies and Materials for Solar Power Conversion. Improving Process Efficiency by Waste Heat Recuperation: An Application of the Limaçon Technology. Urban Waste (Municipal Solid Waste—MSW) to Energy. Electrochemical Energy Systems and Efficient Utilization of Abundant Natural Gas. Unconventional Gas.Section V Socio-Economic, Regulatory.A Research and Education Framework to Support the Development of a Sustainable and Socially Responsible Mining Industry in Africa. Electronic Waste Processing through Copper Recycling: An Economic Analysis. The Importance of Risk Management in the Extractive Sector for a Sustainable Economy. Integrating Sustainability for Long-Term Business Value. Challenging the Challenging Regulatory Environment in Papua New Guinea. Section VI Sustainable Materials, Fleets. Sustainability Allusion, Societal Marketing and the Environmental Footprint of Hybrid Autos. Developing Novel Polymer Composites with Typical Applications in Transport Systems Exposed to High Wear and Corrosion Such as Mining Conveyors. Superhydrophobicity: From the Origin of the Concept to the Fabrication Methodologies for Applications in Pipeline Coatings. Application of Waste Materials (Fly Ash) as Novel Energy Materials.

Dr. Sheila Devasahayam is a faculty member of the Federation University Australia. She has a strong research background in both metallurgy and materials science. Sheila earned a PhD in materials science from the University of Queensland, Australia, with post-doctoral experiences from the University of Wollongong, University of Sydney, and University of New South Wales. Sheila has expertise in many aspects of industry-based materials science ranging from coatings, surface modifications, plasma and radiation chemistry, nanocomposites, super absorbents, super hydrophobic materials, and energy materials. Sheila previously earned a PhD in extractive metallurgy from the National Metallurgical Laboratory, CSIR-Madras University, India. She is involved in many industrial projects in the mineral sector including acid mine drainage, hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, mineral processing, and coal processing with a focus on green chemistry and engineering. Sheila gained expertise in soil and water science and aquifer characterisation while working at the Centre for Water Resources, Anna University, India. She served in the Commonwealth Government, Australia as a scientific policy officer in the Department of Innovation. Sheila’s inter-disciplinary, industry-focussed expertise has enabled her to provide innovative sustainable solutions to many immediate industrial problems and motivated her to edit this important book of transdisciplinary nature transcending individual disciplines.

Kim Dowling is a senior academic in the Faculty of Science and Technology at Federation University Australia and also holds an adjunct position at the University of Tasmania, Australia. She has been an active researcher for over 30 years, and her current interest is in the identification, characterization, and remediation of contaminated sites, with an emphasis on historical mining environments. She earned her PhD from James Cook University by developing a new and innovative method for assessm