Selected as co-recipient of the 2021 Arthur F. Taggart Award for the paper “Selective Extraction of Zinc from Zinc Ferrite,” Vivek Kashyap and Patrick Taylor, Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration 2021, 38, 27–36.
Vivek is now employed at Brimstone Energy located in California.
CMI researchers at Colorado School of Mines conducted the activity for this highlight
Innovation
Develop a novel approach for decomposition of zinc ferrite at low temperature for the recovery of Zn, Ga, Ge, and In.
Achievement
- Paper recognized by the Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME) through the prestigious Arthur F. Taggart award to Vivek Kashyap and Patrick Taylor, Colorado School of Mines.
- Decomposition of pure zinc ferrite at relatively low temperature (550°C) was accomplished, enabling 95% zinc extraction with faster kinetics.
Significance and Impact
Zinc ferrite is a major component of residue from domestic zinc smelting. The Zn in the residue represents a significant potential additional value to the industry, making it economically feasible to recover the trace critical materials Ga, Ge, and In.
Hub Targets Addressed
- Industry adoption of a technology for domestic supply of a metal other than rare earths or lithium.
- CMI grand challenge “Unlocking unconventional resources.”