Mining faculty draw out copper with $1.7M DOE award
(From left) Sefiu Adewuyi, School of Mining Engineering and Mineral Resources postdoctoral student; Isabel Barton, associate professor; Jinhong Zhang, associate professor and Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Chair in Mineral Processing; and Sehliselo “Selo” Ndlovu, professor of extractive metallurgy and hydrometallurgy.
Copper is essential to renewable energy technologies, smartphones and electric vehicles, but extracting it economically is becoming increasingly difficult as mining companies turn to lower-grade resources.
Sehliselo “Selo” Ndlovu, professor of extractive metallurgy and hydrometallurgy in the School of Mining Engineering and Mineral Resources, is leading an interdisciplinary team developing a low-cost chemical solution to this challenge.
The researchers received a $1.7 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Critical Materials Innovation Hub to develop a low-cost chemical process aimed at improving copper recovery from low-grade sulfide ores. The team includes University of Arizona and Penn State faculty, with support from Freeport-McMoRan and BASF.
“Most of the copper deposits that are being developed today are very low grade and increasingly difficult to process economically,” Ndlovu said. “Mining companies are looking for technologies that can increase copper recovery.”
Copper ores often contain sulfide minerals such as chalcopyrite, which trap copper tightly within their crystal structure and resist conventional leaching. Ndlovu’s team is developing a hydrometallurgical system that combines nanobubbles, surfactants and reactive oxygen species to break down copper sulfides and accelerate recovery.
Researchers hope the process can increase copper recovery by as much as 30% compared with conventional leaching systems.
“Even 10% is very significant for this type of ore,” Ndlovu said. “Thirty percent would really be a game changer for mining companies.”
The team is designing the technology to work with existing copper extraction infrastructure, making it easier for mining companies to adopt without major changes to their operations.
Joining Ndlovu from the School of Mining Engineering and Mineral Resources are associate professors Isabel Barton and Jinhong Zhang, Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Chair in Mineral Processing. Penn State assistant professors Thandazile Moyo and Olumide Ogunmodimu are also part of the research team.
Freeport-McMoRan will supply samples from multiple copper deposits and advise researchers on practical implementation at mine sites, while BASF will evaluate surfactants and provide additional industry guidance. Researchers will also explore whether the process could recover copper from legacy tailings and other low-grade materials.
For Ndlovu, who joined the U of A in 2024, Arizona’s position as the nation’s leading copper-producing state and the university’s close industry ties provide an ideal setting for the work.
“The support that we get from the copper mining industry here is massive,” she said. “The University of Arizona has a tremendous advantage because of its location and its strong relationships with industry.”