ERAMET RESEARCH
40 years in R&D serving extractive metallurgy of
non-ferrous metals
DES ALLIAGES,
DES MINERAIS ET DES HOMMES.
contact.ErametResearch@erametgroup.com
ERAMET GROUP: TARGETED STRATEGIC POSITIONNING
A specialist in alloying metals used for up range metallurgy and steelmaking.
An integrated Group from ore through to finished parts and recycling, with key strengths:
World-class deposits
High-tech metallurgical production capacities
Strategy centered on world-class R&D.
Developments in progress or under study in new, high-potential metals, e.g. zircon, titanium
dioxide, lithium, niobium, rare earths…
Businesses and skills that position the Group as the mining and metallurgical partner for
strategic industries and new business sectors.
A specialist in alloying metals on the leading edge of mining
and conversion technologies
ERAMET RESEARCH in a few words
Fully owned subsidiary of ERAMET (main R&D Centre of the Group)
Our integration within the Group as an important role player in the fields of mining and metallurgy
is a gauge for the strength of the research center.
40 years experience in R&D
Successful R&D followed by industrial implementations in mining , beneficiation and metal producing
plants, either in continuous improvement or in breakthrough innovation.
170 scientists and technicians gathered in one site just 20 minutes outside of Paris
Documentation, test laboratories, pilot installations, analytical equipment, mineralogical and
computational modeling facilities ; all competencies and means to carry out projects are present in
Trappes.
Proximity with ERAMET INGENEERING also based in Trappes
Exchange between R&D and mining engineering to plan and design the best adapted solutions
An advantage when the projects evolve from the research into the industrialization phase, including
a complete network of service providers.
An organization serving performance and innovation
Our missions
To develop and to optimize the processes and the products of our clients
In mines
In metallurgical factories
By running for them R&D programs
By helping them during commissioning and ramp-up phases
Taking into account safety and sustainable development aspects
To conduct technical assistance missions
Audits during and after installation of equipment.
Expert missions in metallurgical factories.
To guaranty a permanant pool of scientific expertise
A high level of academic requirements in selecting staff
Partnerships with the best engineering schools and universities.
An integration and education of young engineers and researchers in mineral processing
An active participation in the international science and technology network
We carry out studies from laboratory to industrial scale
Documentation, bibliography
Numerical and Physical Modelling
Analysis and Physico-chemical
characterizations
Laboratory tests
Internal/external pilot tests
Plant tests
Support to engineering teams
NiCl2 dihydrate compacting-grinding pilot
Support to industrial ramp up
and further optimization
A R&D center structured around various poles of competencies …
Mineralogy, Geology and
Product Applications
Ore dressing
Development of products
adapted to client needs
Preparation and Beneficiation
Mining and
extractive Metallurgy
Pyrometallurgy
Hydrometallurgy
Treatment of minerals by
elevated heat
Treatment of minerals by means
of liquid agents
… with the expert assistance of transversal departments
Chemical
Analysis
HSE
Design and
construction of
pilots
Computer
Modelling and
Simulation
ORE BENEFICATION - Expertise
Laboratory studies and pilot plants to valorize raw materials to develop innovative beneficiation
processes or to optimize existing industrial units (technical assistance).
Specialized on all levels of process mineralogy :
Comminution: attrition, crushing and grinding
Particle size classification : scrubbing / screening /sieving/ cycloning …..
Concentration : density separation/flotation/magnetic separation
Solid/liquid separation : flocculation/filtration
Process characterization: sample preparation/mass balance/process simulations and optimization
All studies are performed with chemical analyses and mineralogical characterizations
performed at ERAMET RESEARCH.
9 qualified persons including 4 graduate engineers
ORE DRESSING - Equipment
3 laboratories and 2 pilots allow to perform classification and beneficiation tests on a large
variety of minerals or recycled materials at different scales ranging from a few grams to
several tons
Crushing : Cone and jaw crushers, MMD …
Milling : Rod mills and ball mills, attritioning cells , SMD…
Densimetric separation : shaking tables, jigs, spiral classifier and dense liquor .
Flotation : 5 flotation cells including newest Outotec lab cell.
Magnetic separation : high and low intensity magnetic separators (dry and wet).
Sample preparation : Sampling tower to obtain representative test material to perform
representative chemical analyses (tons to grams).
HYDROMETALLURGY – Expertise and competencies
Lab and pilot studies to treat ores, metallic concentrates or recycled materials, including:
Chemistry of inorganic and organic solutions : Leaching in chloride, sulfate,
ammoniacal, basic medium, solvent extraction and ion exchange resin, purification or
metal recovery by precipitation, cementation, crystallization
Solid-liquid separation : Flocculation, thickening, centrifugation, filtration (vacuum,
pressure)
Electrochemistry : Electrowinning, electrorefining, membranes technology, electro
dialysis
Environment : Gaseous emission treatment, Wastewater treatment, solid residue
neutralization
Modelling : Mass balance (USIMPAC), Solvent extraction
25 graduate engineers including 5 experts and 21 technicians
HYDROMETALLURGY- Equipment
5 Laboratories
Fume hoods(5) : acid or basic, toxic gas (SO2, Cl2), with a vent gas washing tower of 4500
m3/h
Leaching hoods(16)
Specific solvent hoods(4)
Solid/liquid separation equipment: Centrifugation, Filtration, Flocculation – decantation
Roasting furnace up to 200 L
2 piloting halls
From 1L to 5 m3 tanks
Continuous pilot facilities at 50 L/h flow rate including 50 various reactors, pumps,
thickeners, belt filter and filter press, mixer-settlers, instrumentation and control system
(flow meters, pH, redox, temperature,..)
Electrolysis and electrodialysis cells
HYDROMETALLURGY– Some historical achievements
Projects
Zn hydrometallurgy: calcine leaching, jarosite, goethite precipitation, purification by
cementation, increase of current efficiency
Mixed Cu-Zn-Pb ore: sulfide leaching in chloride medium, solvent extraction, Pb
electrolysis
Specialty metals: recovery and purification of In, Ge, Ga from concentrates by leaching,
distillation, cementation, electrowinning and electrorefining
Spent catalysts: recovery of Mo, V, Ni, Co, Rare Earth
Ni hydrometallurgy: complete treatment of Ni-Co laterite ore
Recovery of Nb, Ta, U, Rare Earth from a mixed ore
Lithium recovery from brine
Environment: cyanide removal from effluent, standard leaching tests on solid residues
PYROMETALLURGY- Expertise et competencies
Running of electric furnaces
Charge preparation : pelletizing, sintering, …
Process simulation and furnace applications
Thermal and materials flows – reactions kinetics – interface reactions – pre reduction
Process control
Technologies:
refractories – insulated/freeze lining , electrodes and power supply, off-gas cleaning …/…
Tapping and casting systems – granulation
Refining
MOR – Bessemer – Pierce-Smith – AOD …/…
11 graduate engineers of which 3 experts and and 6 experienced
technicians
PYROMETALLURGY - Equipment
Laboratory
9 laboratory furnaces (1200°C to 1750°C) allowing a wide range of tests:
Electric resistivity of slags, slag viscosity, formation of crowns in rotary kilns , corrosion of refractories, smelting and
reduction of ores by means of anthracite or coke, injection of reactants into the metal, studies on the formation of
freeze linings, calcination of ores, studies on the pre reduction of ores …/…
Continuous analysis of process gases (CO, CO2, O2, H2)
ATD/ATG/DSC – enthalpy, entropy, reaction kinetics
Piloting hall
2 rotary kilns - 220 KW et 1 MW – drying and calcination – designed for co/counter current operations
Vertical sintering station – reducing or oxidizing conditions
BZ test Station: low impedance - 36kA, 1.3MW
Electric arc furnace, AC, high grade ore
HZ test Station - 12kA, 0.7MW
Electric arc furnace , AC, low grade ore
FCE furnace - 6kA, 200kW
Can be quenched - examination of in-situ metallurgical evolutions
Induction furnace – 150 kW, 3KHz – general tool for studies on slags or metals
PRODUCTS / APPLICATIONS - Expertise and competencies
Missions
Guidance of clients in the development and improvement of commercial products
Evaluation of market needs , in conjunction with commercial and marketing units
Studies on product production paths to fulfill the product requirements
Improvement of existing products or development of new products
Competences
Chemical engineering (low and medium temperatures), electrochemistry
Production of samples of a representative size
Integration of new or improvement of existing processes in production sites
3 graduate engineers of which 1 expert and 2 experienced technicians
MINERAL AND MATERIAL CHARACTERIZATION
Competences and expertise in various domains
Geology, Mineralogy and Petrology
Petrography and Crystallography
Ore reserve evaluation and mineral processing orientation
Geochemistry of natural rocks
Material sciences
Metallography (steel and alloys)
Characterization bring essential information for R&D projects with pertinent industrial results
Identification of ore minerals and concentrations is essential for ore resources evaluation
Determine mineral association and liberation facilities to model mineral processing
Identify and localize penalizing elements to maximize its elimination and add value to the final product
Observation of microstructures and textural orientations able to determine metal defects and prevent
failures
5 graduate engineers including 2 experts and 3 experienced technicians
MINERALOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION - Equipement
X-ray diffraction (XRD)
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM with field emission gun) for high resolution imaging in
secondary electrons (SE) and back-scattered electrons (BSE)
Energy dispersive spectroscopy analyses (EDS) for elementary mapping
Energy Back Scattered Diffraction (EBSD) for crystallographic orientation and detection of
metal defects in tools
Qemscan automated mineralogy system for statistical grain counting, shape of particles,
mineral proportions and liberation ratios
Electron Microprobe Analyses (EMPA) to determine quantitative mineral composition and
trace element research (spot size resolution 1µm and very low detection limits <0.1wt%)
Environmental SEM with low vacuum system under water-pressure control for life and
hydrated material studies
Laser Particle Sizer
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS – Competencies and Expertise
Competencies
Element analysis of liquid and solid samples (major, minor, traces) of ores,
slags and sinters, metals, residues, salts, hydrometallurgical samples, ….
Mercury analyses
Carbon sulfur analysis in ores slags and metals
Diverse titration tests (pHmetry, potentiometry, volumetry,…)
Gravimetry, colorimetry, distillations, analysis of anions….
20 qualified chemists (scientists, engineers and technicians)
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS – Equipment
Analytical technics for mono element analyses
AAS – Atomic absorption spectrometry AA220
EAAS – Electro-thermic absorption spectrometry AA220Z
Mercury analyzer - CETAC M6100
Analytical techniques for multi elements analyses
ICP AES – Atomic emission spectrometry ICP (3 units: VistaPro, 720 ES et 730 ES)
ICP MS – Mass spectrometry ICP 820 MS
XRF – X-ray fluorescence spectrometry – AXIOS Minerals equipped for diverse applications (glass
beets) with special software OMNIAN (semi-quantitative analyses)
Others
C,S analyzer - EMIA 320V
Spectrophotometry UV-Vis - Cary 50
Ionic Chromatography - Metrohm 881 Compact IC Pro
Potentiometric titration, ph-metry
Sample preparation technologies
jaw crusher, vibration crusher, centrifugal crusher,
blade crusher, and various sample dividers,….)
NUMERICAL MODELLING – Expertise and Competencies
Dynamic simulation of
reactors
Thermodynamics
Procédés
Fluid mechanics and
heat tranfer
Process simulation
Model
Simulation
Software development
€↓
COMPUTATIONAL MODELLING - Equipment
3D work-stations + CRAY super-computer
World class modelling softwares
Software
Version
Developer / Vendor
Applications
FLUENT
V13
ANSYS, Inc. (USA)
GAMBIT
2.4.6
ANSYS, Inc. (USA)
Geometry – Meshing
MTDATA
4.81
National Physical Laboratory (UK)
Thermodynamics
MATLAB
R2013
Mathworks (USA)
Scientific Computing
SCILAB
5.4.1
Scilab Enterprises (France)
Scientific Computing
THERMO-CALC
S
Thermo-Calc Software AB (Sweden)
Thermodynamics
Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
Transport phenomena
Model
Simulation
€↓
MAINTENANCE department– Competencies et Expertise
Missions
Preparation of piloting facilities
Development and technical improvement of equipment
Technical support to metallurgical projects
Design and commissioning of: special machines, test stations, laboratories
Competencies
Mechanics/ piping, / Plastics, …/…
Electricity, Automation, Instrumentation / Thermography
Reliability studies (FMEA) and maintenance plans for equipment
Project management for new plant facilities
2 engineers and 13 technicians
MAINTENANCE department – Equipment
Software
Autocad LT
Solidworks (2014)
Caneco
Step 7
Supervision iFix
Mechanical workshop and electricity
TIG welding
Various type of machining equipment …
ERAMET INGENIERIE – Missions and services
Our proximity to the engineering teams is complementary to your R&D projects.
ENGINEERING SERVICES (for investments up to 150 M€)
Scoping studies
Preliminary Feasibility Studies
Feasibility Studies (sometimes referred to as Bankable Feasibility Studies)
Engineering Procurement and Construction Management services (EPCM)
ASSISTANCE
Assistance to Owner, i.e. Project Management Consulting
Technical audits
Process
General engineering disciplines
Technical assistance
56 employees, project managers, specialists engineers and engineering technicians .
ERAMET'S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICY IS BASED ON FOUR PILLARS
1
Protecting ERAMET
employees and involving
them in our actions
Preserving the health and
safety of our employees
Promoting professional
development and
encouraging social dialogue
Making our employees
active players in terms of
sustainable development
2
Managing the risks and
impacts on health and the
Environment
Controlling the impacts of
industrial activities on
health and on the
environment
Reducing energy
consumption and
combating climate change
Improving the use of
natural resources and
increasing recycling
3
Seizing the opportunities
offered by Sustainable
Development
Integrating SD into our
innovation policy and the
group's diversification
Highlighting the
environmental benefits
associated with the use
of our products and reducing
risks to humans and the
Environment
Including SD in procurement
practices
4
Maintaining a relationship
of
trust with stakeholders
Developing consultation
and meeting the
expectations of
Stakeholders
Contributing to economic
and social development of
the communities
Ensuring good governance
of the group's companies
Sharing our challenges and
achievements
Conclusion - ERAMET Research’s strengthes :
Unique place grouping experts in all areas from mine to metallurgy and recycling
R&D oriented toward search of industrial solutions adapted to customers’ needs
Closed relationships with our industrial customers
Strong international networking
Universities
International R&D centers (FFF-SINTEF, CSIRO, MINTEK, MEFOS, GTK)
Equipment suppliers
Flexibility and ability to respond to many needs regardless of budget or studied
phenomena
Ability to perform tests on all scales (laboratory, continuous pilot)
World class characterization equipment