The National University of Science and Technology "MISIS" (NUST MISIS) has developed a digital modeling system for mining waste, the university's press service reported.
The development will increase the efficiency of extracting mineral resources from "tailings" — waste remaining after ore extraction and processing. This system allows analyzing the composition and properties of man-made deposits (copper, zinc, and other metals), making it possible to reprocess waste to extract minerals.
A significant portion of dumps remains unused due to insufficient knowledge of their composition. We have developed a methodology for geoinformation modeling of man-made deposits, with the help of which the system allows building accurate three-dimensional models of tailings storage facilities and shows the presence of useful components in them.
To create digital models, researchers used spectroscopic analysis of samples taken from rock dumps. Based on the data obtained, detailed maps of the distribution of useful resources across man-made arrays were created. The technology has already been successfully tested at Russian mining enterprises.
The use of this methodology contributes to increasing the economic benefits of recycling and supports the course towards sustainable development of the mining industry in the face of depleting natural resources.
Earlier, www1.ru reported that in Novosibirsk they invented a material recycling technology.
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