Resumen de Processing solutions in 2017
Industrial Minerals
Trying market conditions have continued to affect mining companies since the beginning of the economic downturn, causing many to turn to processing solutions to cut costs, increase efficiency and, in some cases, improve grade quality. A United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report, "Recycling Rates of Metals", published in 2011, found that recycling rates for minerals at the end of their usable lives - including rare earth elements, lithium, boron and zirconium - are less than 1% of their volume in waste streams. According to the study, the Asia-Pacific region accounted for the highest revenue of over $50bn, followed by Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. According to Ruben Gonzales, Latin America area manager at Italian fuel burners producer Frac Srl, European companies' sales efforts are especially targeting middle and far eastern destinations, although the focus on China may have subsided somewhat. Hatch recently visited a processing plant assisting Alabama Graphite in the production of coated spherical battery grade graphite from a smaller flake size deposit, where the company claims to have demonstrated lower costs than anyone else in the industry, as well as lower wastage. According to the company's website, "Orbite anticipates producing alumina, rare earths and rare metals, as well as other valuable materials" from company waste streams.
