A Minnesota startup company has
licensed a University of Minnesota sensor technology for a product that could help copper and other metal mines reduce their chemical use.
United Science, based in Center City, Minn., is developing a device that looks like a pH meter and aims to help miners more accurately mix the chemical slurries used to separate materials.
The chemicals are used during a process known as flotation. The raw ore is placed in the solution, which binds to the metal, causing it to float to the top, while the ore and clay sink.
As United Science founder Jon Thompson researched the process last year, he saw a large, unmet opportunity in helping mines mix these chemicals more precisely.
"You had ten different people measuring it in ten different ways, and none of them had a real analytical measurement," says Thompson. "I saw one guy actually put his finger in the mining solution and taste it and said, yup, there's enough in there."
The only consistency in how mines mix these slurries: they all use more chemicals than they actually need, because they don't want to risk using too little and losing copper.
Thompson thinks his product can save money for the mines by conserving chemicals. He's partnered with a Pennsylvania company called
FLSmidth that makes flotation equipment.
The sensor technology was developed by Philippe Buhlmann, an associate chemistry professor at the University of Minnesota. United Science's first product is for use in copper mines, but Thompson says it could be tailored to function for coal, lead, gold, nickel, uranium, and iron ore.
Thompson has grown the company from a one-person operation last year to six employees today.
Source: Jon Thompson, United Science
Writer:
Dan Haugen