Hydrometallurgy & Biometallurgy
Hydro- & Biometallurgy Lab, Pilot & Equipment
Hydrometallurgy – Lab
Our laboratory is fully equipped to develop hydrometallurgical processes.
In addition to standard equipment, two autoclaves are available for pressure testing. Several types of reactor (glass or hastelloy) can be used, depending on requirements, for volumes up to 2 liters and pressures up to 60 bar. The equipment is equipped with a temperature control system up to 250°C.
Laboratory safety is a top priority for our team. Most laboratory benches are equipped with fume hoods. Eyewash fittings are placed near each sink, emergency showers are directly accessible, diphoterine is placed at regular intervals on the benches, while conventional and dedicated Li-ion battery extinguishers can be used at any time.
Hydrometallurgy – Pilot
The GeMMe laboratory has semi-industrial pilot equipment for the development of processes that have been validated at laboratory scale. This equipment enables all stages of a hydrometallurgical process to be carried out:
- Leaching/Precipitation
- Solid/liquid separation
- Solvent extraction
- Electrolysis
Diphoteric bottles and fire extinguishers are placed within direct reach of all pilot equipment.
Semi-automated plant
This semi-automated plant is spread over three floors and is equipped with:
- A conveyor belt equipped with load cells for solid feed
- Several reactors of varying sizes (up to 200 liters) with temperature control and gas neutralization system
- A wringer with the option of using removable fine- and coarse-mesh bags
- A network of pipes and pumps for transferring solutions and pulp from one piece of equipment to another
- Solution storage reactors equipped with load cells
- A washing tower and ventilation system to neutralize acid vapors from the entire structure
- A PLC for coordinated use of the structure's equipment
- A set of alerts and alarms to ensure safe use of the equipment
Other equipment
Other available pilot equipment includes:
- A 60-liter 316 steel autoclave capable of withstanding an absolute pressure of 6 bars and rising to 60°C
- 30-liter glass reactor with temperature control
- Several 316 steel pressure filters, each with a 30-liter capacity
- A mobile pump for transferring pulp/solutions to other equipment in the pilot room
- A solvent extraction unit - Rousselet-Robatel (continuous flow)
- An electrolysis unit
Prototypes
- Cuscus (coming soon)
Biometallurgy - Lab & Equipment
The laboratory disposes a large collection of microbial cultures (facultative autotrophs and autotrophs – as single strains and as consortium).
The main pieces of associated equipment involve:
- Range of temperature controlled shakers
- 3-L BO-Bionet fermenter
- Column for percolation leaching and jacketed condensation columns
- Cell counting equipment
- Various centrifuges
- Sterilizer
This infrastructure enables bioleaching and bio-oxidation processes to be studied at various scales for different metal bearing substrates. Associated microbiological follow-up and analysis is sought through collaboration with external partners labs (e.g. Syngulon, GIGA).
