Umwelt- und Ingenieurtechnik GmbH Dresden

UIT is part of the publicly funded StratOre project. This project investigates the efficient and sustainable extraction of strategic elements from Indonesian ore deposits.

With our partners, we are developing new processing and exploration concepts for the efficient extraction of strategic elements from Indonesian ore deposits.

In doing so, we are focusing on new extraction methods for strategically valuable elements: PGEs (Platinum Group Elements), Co, Ni and Sc from an Fe-Ni laterite.

Laterites (highly weathered rocks) form excellent exploration targets as a natural source and are often located in tropical regions. By working with Indonesian companies, research on current deposits is made possible and a trusting cooperation with international partners is established. Due to UIT's many years of experience and expertise in this field, hydrometallurgical tests are planned at the Dresden site and carried out in a UIT pilot plant in the company's own technical center.

UIT successfully operated two hydrometallurgical pilot plant campaigns in Germany. The results, indicate the successful extraction of Nd/Pr and other REE, contained in a high-purity rare earth oxide (REO). UIT is currently working on the verification in small industrial scale within the DOE (U.S. Department of Energy) founded project for facility design and engineering in preparation for the construction and operation of a Rare Earth Element (REE) Separation and Processing Demonstration Plant.

It utilizes the enhanced proprietary technology to produce several products- a high-purity neodymium/praseodymium (Nd/Pr) oxide, lanthanum (La) oxide, and a mixed mid-and heavy rare earth concentrate. The enhanced process is expected to significantly reduce process steps and operating costs as well as further reduce environmental impacts and associated costs.

For details see: https://www.rareelementresources.com/investor-information/news-releases/2022/09/26/rare-element-resources-progresses-rare-earth-processing-and-separation-demonstration-project-in-wyoming

UIT’s geophysical borehole logging tool OreLog constrains petrophysical and geochemical parameters of the ore body and the host rock near real-time and, hence, it is economically highly interesting compared to drill core interpretation.

OreLog provides accurate elemental concentrations used to deduce mineralogy and ore grade and furthermore yields petrophysical parameters including porosity, permeability and hole inclination. This allows you to make the next key exploration decision.

Orelog’s petrophysical parameters provide an important link to seismic survey data, as they allow to constrain interval velocity models and therefore to generate 3D models of the ore body.

Through a major upgrade of the tool in 2022, Orelog’s detection limit could be significantly lowered for target elements such as Fe, Ca, Si, Mg, S, Mn and soon Al. The launch of OreLog is planned for 2023. Get in touch!