DES ALLIAGES,DES MINERAIS ET DES HOMMES.

ERAMET RESEARCH

40 years in R&D serving extractive metallurgy of

non-ferrous metals

contact.ErametResearch@erametgroup.com

A specialist in alloying metals on the leading edge of mining and conversion technologies

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.

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

NiCl2 dihydrate compacting-grinding pilot

Documentation, bibliography

Numerical and Physical Modelling

Analysis and Physico-chemical

characterizations

Laboratory tests

Internal/external pilot tests

Plant tests

Support to engineering teams

Support to industrial ramp up

and further optimization

A R&D center structured around various poles of competencies …

Mineralogy, Geology and

Ore dressing

Preparation and Beneficiation

Product Applications

Development of products

adapted to client needs

Pyrometallurgy

Treatment of minerals by

elevated heat

Hydrometallurgy

Treatment of minerals by means

of liquid agents

Mining and extractive Metallurgy

Chemical

Analysis

Computer

Modelling and

Simulation

Design and

construction of

pilotsHSE

… with the expert assistance of transversal departments

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

� 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

MINERAL AND MATERIAL CHARACTERIZATION

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

Simulation

€ ↓

Model

Thermodynamics

Fluid mechanics and

heat tranfer

Dynamic simulation of

reactors

Process simulation

Software development

Procédés

COMPUTATIONAL MODELLING - Equipment

� 3D work-stations + CRAY super-computer

� World class modelling softwares

Software Version Developer / Vendor Applications

FLUENT V13 ANSYS, Inc. (USA)Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

Transport phenomena

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

Simulation

€ ↓

Model

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