Peter Kondos, YaKum Consulting Inc.
Title: “Alternative Lixiviants to Cyanide – The Thiosulphate Experience”
Hosted by Professor Vladimiros Papangelakis
Abstract
The use of cyanide in the recovery of precious metals, particularly gold, has been practiced for nearly 150 years, because of its efficiency, selectivity to gold and easiness to use. The major impetus in seeking alternative lixiviants to cyanide arises from the environmental hazards posed by the toxicity of cyanide, with numerous environmental groups throughout the world actively pursuing a ban on its use. On a few occasions, cyanide use is uneconomic due to certain characteristics of the gold ore, such as high content of organic carbon, copper, and sulphur.
Thiosulphate is currently considered the most attractive alternative to cyanide for leaching gold due to its low toxicity and its potential use on carbonaceous ores that cannot be readily treated by conventional cyanidation. This presentation reviews the development of the ammoniacal thiosulphate leaching process for gold and silver extraction and discusses the underlying leaching mechanism, thermodynamics, thiosulphate stability and gold recovery options. The chemistry of the ammonia-thiosulphate-copper system is complicated. However, we found that by maintaining suitable Eh and pH and by controlling the concentrations of thiosulphate, ammonia, copper and oxygen in the leach solution, high gold extraction can be achieved with low reagent consumption:
The thiosulphate technology was selected by Barrick Gold Corp. to process very refractory gold ores in Nevada, USA. In November 2014, the Goldstrike mine in Nevada poured its first gold bar produced using their patented thiosulphate leaching technology, with a technology team led by the presenter. This milestone marked the industrial beginning of a new process developed to extract gold from double refractory ores that could not be treated via the traditional cyanidation/carbon-in-leach (CIL). The arduous path of technology development and commercialization will also be discussed.
Biography
Peter Kondos was born in Athens, Greece, where he completed his Diploma of Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens, followed by a MEng on Computers in Mining and a Ph.D. in Hydrometallurgy, both at McGill University. He has extensive expertise on leading innovation efforts, technology, IP management & commercialization and consistent track record of implementing new solutions in challenging situations. He has been involved in building worldwide networks and innovation ecosystems to solve complex challenges.
Peter has worked for:
- the Canadian Government at CANMET in Ottawa
- the Noranda Technology Centre in Montreal, leading the Hydrometallurgy group
- an electronic powders manufacturer for a year as R&D Manager of New Products
- Inco Technical Services in Mississauga as a Mini-Plant Operations Manager
- Barrick Gold Corporation, where he held the position of Sr. Director, Strategic Technology Solutions, coordinating step changes and breakthrough technologies
- YaKum Consulting Inc. as CEO, and Board member in technology organizations
His peer recognitions include:
- Sherritt Hydrometallurgy Award
- Chair of Canada Mining Innovation Council (CMIC 2014-2016)
- Innovation Award for the Thiosulphate Process (2016) and the Hot Cure and Lime Boiling Process to recover silver from the pressure oxidation process (2019)
- Has participated in numerous lectures and round tables on Mining Innovation.
Meeting link:
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Join us this April as Professor Frank Gu discusses taking global solutions for sustainability from the lab into business. Conducting research and training of highly skilled researchers have long been a central focus of universities. A roadmap to bring knowledge created in an academic lab to a practical application can be a convoluted and challenging process. In his talk, Professor Gu will discuss the advantages of fostering industry partnerships, cultivating entrepreneurship, and creating business models and technology development roadmaps in bringing research solutions closer to commercialization.
Frank Gu is a Professor and an NSERC Senior Industrial Research Chair in Nanotechnology Engineering in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry. Dr. Gu received his BSc from Trent University, Ph.D. from Queen’s University, and postdoctoral training from MIT and Harvard Medical School. Before joining U of T 2018, Dr. Gu was an Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Gu has established a frontier research program in Nanotechnology Engineering, with important advances in medical and life science applications. His research has brought tangible impacts on his field and industry, including mucoadhesive materials for the treatment of Dry Eye Disease, and photocatalytic water treatment technologies for the Canadian energy sector.
Join us online for this free and exclusive event brought to you by U of T Engineering.
Register here today!
Contact Steve Radbourn (steve.radbourn@ecf.utoronto.ca) should you have any questions about the event.
How are biomedical engineering and biotechnology evolving? What are the keys to being able to build a successful career in a changing industry? Which techniques contribute to research and innovation in academia and industry? What other backgrounds and skills are shaping the future of the biomedical industry? How do you navigate such an interdisciplinary field?
Join us on April 14, 2021 for a lively panel discussion with experts shaping the industry of biomedical engineering and biotechnology in a variety of ways. The 5 panellists will share their experiences in computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, biochemistry and biomedical engineering.
The Green Chemistry Initiative is hosting Dr. Pavani Cherukupally from Imperial College London as part of its online Seminar Series on Thursday, April 22 from 10-11 am. Dr. Cherukupally’s talk is titled: Sponges for wastewater reclamation, resource recovery, and infectious disease prevention.
Abstract: According to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030, there is a need for affordable, sustainable technologies to combat global water, environmental, and public health challenges. For example, the international oil industry produces over 100 billion liters of oil contaminated wastewater annually. The residual crude oil in these effluents is hazardous to the environment and valuable crude oil loss. On the other hand, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are estimated to cause 10 million deaths and $100 trillion in medical costs per year by 2050. In this talk, I will discuss a new sponge-based adsorption technology used to reclaim oily wastewater, reuse sponges, and recover residual crude oil from wastewater to improve circular economy metrics in the oil industry. Also, I will discuss sponges’ design for removing and killing bacteria in the water to provide safe water in medium- and low-income countries like Rwanda. Due to the excellent performance and cost-efficacy, the sponges could contribute to reforming water policies and accessible to people across the world.
The Ontario Professional Engineers Awards (OPEA) Gala is the province’s most prestigious and anticipated engineering event of the year. Proudly co-presented by the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) and Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), this annual gala brings industry innovators, business leaders and policy makers together to celebrate and be inspired by engineering excellence and achievement.
Alumnus Howard Goodfellow (ChemE BASc 6T4, MASc 6T5, PhD 6T8) will receive the 2020 Management Medal.
CEGSA is excited to present it’s 4th Annual Alumni Panel!
This event will be perfect for those looking to network, learn about how to transition from academia to industry, or learn about specific career paths some of our Alumni have taken.
The will be taking place Thursday, May 6th, 2021 from 5:30pm – 7:30pm. The panel will be held virtually on Gather.Town (please reach out if you aren’t familiar with it) and will consist of a moderated discussion followed by a chance for informal virtual networking. Please register for the event here (Registration Form) by Monday May 3rd at 5 pm.
The panel will consist of individuals who have completed MASc, MEng, and PhD degrees in Chemical Engineering. We are also excited to be hosting Paul Vassiliou from Hire Results Ltd. to talk about key actions you can take for a smooth transition from academia to industry! So regardless of interests, this event has a lot to offer and we hope you will join us!
If you aren’t convinced yet, all participants will be receiving a $5 Tim Hortons gift card and we will be raffling off three larger prizes throughout the event! We look forward to seeing everyone there! Keep an eye out on the CEGSA instagram for the panelists to be released!
The EdTech Workshop is a free event for faculty, staff and other members of the University of Toronto community. We invite you to join us for an informal but jam packed day of sharing ideas, learning from each other, and yes, doing a little commiseration after a pretty challenging year. While we wouldn’t say this is an “unconference,” we do focus on conversation, connections, and interaction and are working hard to take our in person event online in the same spirit!
What’s the story behind this year’s theme?
This year’s EdTech Workshop has three sub-themes, looking forward to the “after times” when we are back on campus and in classrooms, but thinking about what online aspects (if any) that you’ll still use, into the future.
Stream 1: Reduce
These sessions will feature instructors that have removed some elements of their course that were done in person. This stream is for you if you’re wondering about what activities will you do less of in person and what new activities you can implement in their place.
Stream 2: Reuse
These sessions feature instructors who have developed reusable course materials – content, activities, and assessments, harnessing the work they’ve done this year and paying it forward to their future selves. This stream is for you if you’re wondering what to do with all the work you’ve done to produce learning artifacts (like videos and other things!) and how you can (re)use them effectively in future terms.
Stream 3: Recycle
These sessions will feature instructors who have come up with something brand new for their online courses, taking something perhaps that they did in person and reinventing it or incoporating something totally new. This stream is for you if you’re wondering about new teaching innovations and are looking for ideas to apply in your own teaching.
Each stream has a combination of practical and theory-based sessions and you are welcome to switch between the streams based on your interests.
Register now!
Science Rendezvous is a free, annual, all-day festival that brings science out of the lab and onto the street with the ultimate goal of improving student enrolment as well as public involvement in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.) – and this year, we’re going virtual! Over 30 University of Toronto departments and local organizations in the community are involved in exhibiting engaging and hands-on experiments that inspire youth and adults alike.
This year, visitors of all ages and backgrounds will be able to explore multiple online sessions to learn about all things S.T.E.A.M. with awe-inspiring demonstrations, experiments you can follow along with at home, a science fair to see the work of young scientists, and a chance to check out awesome science-inspired artwork!
Don’t miss out on Saturday, May 8th, 2021 – we’ll be running events all day! RSVP here to register for more details and the links to attend.
Follow us on social media for updates and free giveaways happening all month!
Website: sciencerendezvousuoft.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UofTSR
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uoftsr/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/UofTSR
Dr. Joshua Apte, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UC Berkeley
Air pollution exposure is the leading environmental risk for premature death globally and a key cause of urban health disparities. Future choices about energy and transportation will profoundly change the levels and spatial patterns of urban air pollution around us. Yet pervasive gaps in current environmental measurement systems limit our understanding and predictive ability about the air we breathe. New techniques for measurement and data analysis can illuminate the relationships between urban infrastructure, atmospheric emissions, and population exposures to air pollution.
Dr. Apte presents two interlinked analyses that help frame the urban air pollution problem at the global and local scales. First, Dr. Apte shows how particle air pollution levels have evolved over the past two decades in every city in the world, with a sharp global divergence between cities in lower and higher-income countries. Second, using Google Street View cars and other specially equipped mobile air pollution laboratories, show how air pollution varies at fine spatial scales within individual neighborhoods in the Bay Area and Bangalore, revealing unexpected patterns of sources and pollution. Results from each study emphasize profound considerations of equity and environmental justice, which Dr. Apte will discuss as a cross-cutting theme in this work.
Join Dean Christopher Yip and us on Friday May 14th 5pm – 7pm ET to hear from the successes and experiences of InVEST program students and the InVEST program.
The InVEST (International Virtual Engineering Student Teams) program is an initiative at the University of Toronto (U of T) in the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education and Practice (ISTEP) in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. InVEST creates connections between faculty and students at U of T and numerous partner institutions around the globe based on mutual interest in research projects that are industry- or development-oriented. Through these connections, InVEST provides opportunities to build collaborative research among internationally dispersed engineering institutions in addition to training students in intercultural communication and virtual team strategies.
Please join the InVEST symposium where you can engage with students, alumni, and industry partners and learn more about the InVEST Initiative and experiences of the student teams.