The goal of the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Mining and Exploration is to encourage and support research, education and outreach activities regarding the nature and impacts of mineral resource exploration and extraction particularly in Northern Ontario.
Areas of expertise
- Mineral exploration and mineral extraction including mine development and mineral processing
- Social, economic and environmental impacts of mineral resource exploration and extraction
- First Nations and Métis engagement
Unique equipment
- NMR: Varian Unity Inova 500
- XRD: Pananalytical Xpert Pro Diffractometer
- FTIR: Bruker Tensor 37 with Hyperion 2000 IR Microscope
- SPECS: Cary5e UV-VIS-NIR, Cary 50
- ICP-AES: Varian Vista Pro Radial
- ICP-MS: Perkin-Elmer Elan DRC-e
- CHNS [Cl] Elementar vario EL
- GC-MS: Varian 450GC - 300 MS/MS
- IC: Dionex ICS-1100
- HPLC: Waters Alliance
- LC-MS: Dionex U3000/Bruker amaZon X
- SEM/EDS: Hitachi Su-70 Schottky Field Emission SEM
- Confocal Microscope: Olympus FV300
- Photo Microscopes: Leica MS5, Zeiss Ultraphot
- Inverted Microscope: Olympus IX51 (DIC,FL, Phase)
Key Projects, Programs and Initiatives
NRCan Rare Earth Elements and Chromite R&D Program Active
The Canadian rare earth element (REE) and chromite R&D program emphasizes the need to develop, de-risk and demonstrate the technologies required to establish these industries and bring their products to market. Further, technologies will be developed and assessed hand-in-hand with environmental impacts, with a strict goal of establishing methods that minimize environmental impacts and establish appropriate methodologies to manage them.
Additional Information:
Benefits
- Developing the next generation of Canadian professionals in the REE and chromite industry
- Improve the productivity and competitiveness of Canadian mines
- Establishment of Canadian rare earth and chromite industries
Areas of focus
Improved process efficiencies, economic and market analyses to inform technology directions that should be addressed, laboratory and pilot-scale testing facilities, technical reports and publications, engaged and informed REE and chromite stakeholder communities, high quality personnel (HQP) trained, and new processes developed and evaluated.
Partners & Collaborators
REE and chromite industry, Canadian universities, service providers, provincial government, NGO’s, and civil society