Platform Overview
Delivering Industry Support Today, Developing Next Gen Technology, Processes and Products for Tomorrow
The Minerals and Metallurgy Platform supports current minerals industries with process improvements and efficiencies while anticipating next-generation technologies and products. Researchers work to define Minnesota’s mineral resources and demonstrate competitive, responsible resource use and seek new opportunities.
Our staff expertise and testing capabilities in mineral characterization, mineral processing and metallurgy are recognized by regional and international clients. Discovery and operational research teams work together across our facilities in an innovative approach to minerals and metallurgy.
With facilities located in northern Minnesota near Lake Superior (NRRI Duluth) as well as the Mesabi Iron Range (NRRI Coleraine), NRRI labs are strategically positioned to serve mineral resource-based industries and their product supply chains.
Platform Goals
- Perform discovery research aimed at advancing the state of the art in technology and mineral processing.
- Perform operational research aimed at addressing our clients needs on schedule and on budget.
Minerals and Metallurgy Capabilities and Expertise
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Expertise
NRRI has deep expertise and capabilities in the following areas:
- Economic Geology & Geometallurgy
- Mineral and Material Characterization
- Geology
- Mineralogy
- Metallogy
- Geometallurgy
- Mineral Processing
- Comminution
- Screening
- Beneficiation
- Agglomeration
- Metallurgy
- Pyrometallurgy
- Hydrometallurgy
- Secondary Products
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Meet Our Experts
- Economic Geology & Geometallurgy
- Mineral characterization
- Mineralogy
- Mineral processing
- Comminution
- Screening
- Beneficiation
- Agglomeration
- Metallurgy
- Pyrometallurgy
- Hydrometallugy
- Secondary Products
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Bench Scale to Pilot Scale Capabilities
NRRI has bench to pilot scale capabilities, which decreases capital investment for our clients and decreases risk in product development.
Bench Scale Testing and Development
The purpose of bench-scale testing is to:
- Generate basic characterization and metallurgical data
- Develop and/or test a process flowsheet
- Determine the process parameters for pilot-scale testing
- Test multiple process variants at a small scale (lbs/Kgs) for time and cost efficiency
- Narrow the scope of the work for pilot testing
- Sizing of equipment used at this scale is generally 5 to 10 orders of magnitude smaller than industrial scale
Pilot Scale Testing and Development
The purpose of pilot-scale testing is to:
- Validate a process flowsheet
- Assess technical aspects that cannot be detected on smaller-scale (e.g., impurity buildup in products over time, effect of recirculation of water and slurry streams, etc.)
- Work with tons of material at a scale that facilitates development of data for industrial plant design
- Generate bulk materials for further characterization and down-stream testing
- Sizing of equipment is generally 2 to 4 orders of magnitude smaller than industrial scale
Research Programs
![MN Natural Resource Atlas screen capture showing bedrock deposits across MN.](/sites/nrri.umn.edu/files/styles/article_lists/public/2024-02/mn-atlas-screen-shot.jpg?itok=ZelTzDsw)
Researching regional materials that can be used for economic and/or industrial purposes. Economic Geology program is the center for economic geology studies and mineral resource character
![Researcher looking through microscope at a mineral sample.](/sites/nrri.umn.edu/files/styles/article_lists/public/2021-10/mineral-microscopejpg.jpg?itok=zXbsr2DQ)
Defining mineral characterization through the spatial distribution of materials and mineral geologic properties and how that relates to extraction of commodity materials.
![High Pressure Grinding Roller at the Coleraine facility.](/sites/nrri.umn.edu/files/styles/article_lists/public/2021-05/HPGR_coleraine.jpg?itok=KHsyx4pn)
Continued investment in assets and capabilities to support regional mineral industry development.
![Man stands next to glowing industrial furnace](/sites/nrri.umn.edu/files/styles/article_lists/public/2021-10/20168_nrri_coleraine_PotGrate-50-%282%29.jpg?itok=2UOf8o1M)
Focusing on Minnesota’s ore bodies to understand the most optimal process for extracting metals for a variety of iron products.
![A technician stands beside mineral separation machinery.](/sites/nrri.umn.edu/files/styles/article_lists/public/2021-10/separation-program.jpg?itok=whPxDIXP)
Researching technologies to separate materials from our mineral resources with the least amount of waste or and environmental impact.
![Man pouring tray of metal pellets into round sieve](/sites/nrri.umn.edu/files/styles/article_lists/public/2021-08/NRRI-Coleraine-Balling-hero.jpg?itok=zLdq4zLD)
Developing next generation taconite pellets to help Minnesota's ore processing industry to prepare for the future.
![Two men in safety vests inspect a roadway patch on a Duluth overpass.](/sites/nrri.umn.edu/files/styles/article_lists/public/2021-06/program-secondary-products.jpg?itok=8vioDmZR)
Seeking to find beneficial use of mineral-based secondary products generated by mining and other industrial activities,
Featured Research Projects
![Taconite Road Repair Larry Zanko A cluster of men wearing safety vests inspect a patch of pavement](/sites/nrri.umn.edu/files/styles/article_lists/public/2022-08/img_1491.jpg?itok=_emAeex5)
Developing a durable road repair patch utilizing taconite tailings, the waste rock left over from the iron ore mines on Minnesota's Iron Range.
Recent News
![Three people in safety vests stand along a roadside behind a car observing equipment on road.](/sites/nrri.umn.edu/files/styles/article_lists/public/2024-06/img_7113.jpg?itok=25S5aRrt)
NRRI tests waste rock as a safe and readily available high friction road aggregate.
![NRRI logo](/sites/nrri.umn.edu/files/styles/article_lists/public/2023-05/nrri_block_m-vert-maroon-black.png?itok=GCFKYjMt)
Title: NRRI Researcher 3: Mineral Processing & Metallurgy Staff Scientist
Job ID: 361410
Location: Coleraine
Job Family: Research-Researchers
Full-Time/Regular
![Six people in safety vests and hard hats stand near an upright piece of equipment](/sites/nrri.umn.edu/files/styles/article_lists/public/2024-05/stm_commissioning.png?itok=HExxc74P)
Pilot-scale, vertical mill from Switzerland is ‘game-changer’ for industry decarbonization efforts.
![Man in hard hat and safety vest stands at table holding four trays of iron pellets.](/sites/nrri.umn.edu/files/styles/article_lists/public/2024-04/dan_carrigan_sizing_green_balls_2023.jpg?itok=TIQGHQNr)
Minnesota joins nine states in effort to develop zero emissions ironmaking and ultra-low life cycle emissions steelmaking.
![Three men stand in front of a conference booth.](/sites/nrri.umn.edu/files/styles/article_lists/public/2024-03/sme_2023.jpg?itok=o4rc6PkY)
NRRI researchers to present industry innovations at SME 2024.
![A man wearing safety PPE stands in front of a large industrial kiln.](/sites/nrri.umn.edu/files/styles/article_lists/public/2024-02/s._tripathy_2-2024_0.jpg?itok=xGeiK_9S)
Sustainability meets mining industry for this minerals engineer from India.