How Geosyntec Consultants is exploring a new way to recover valuable metals from mining waste, using acoustic cavitation to accelerate the extraction process and unlock potential new opportunities for the mining sector.
Testing a new approach to metal recovery
To investigate the potential of the technology, Geosyntec Consultants worked with the BIG Growth Innovation Programme, which connected the company with academic expertise and laboratory facilities at London South Bank University (LSBU).
Working with Professor Maria Mavroulidou, Dr Sumit Joshi and Dr Hamed Keykha from LSBU's School of Engineering, Geosyntec Consultants carried out a series of experiments using its own ultrasonic equipment in the university's soil laboratory.
Using a 160-litre vessel, the team investigated whether acoustic cavitation could help release metals from mining waste more quickly. In simple terms, cavitation involves the formation and rapid collapse of bubbles in a liquid, creating conditions that can influence physical and chemical processes.
The team tested different lixiviants, liquids used to dissolve and extract metals , and monitored samples to measure metal dissolution, pH and conductivity. This allowed the researchers to compare the results with conventional acidification and gather data from a system designed to be representative of potential larger-scale applications.
Promising results for Geosyntec Consultants
The experiments showed that using acoustic cavitation accelerated the release of metals from mining waste compared with conventional acidification alone.
The work provided Geosyntec Consultants with proof-of-concept results, alongside operational protocols and a technical report to support its assessment of the technology. The findings are also contributing to a draft academic publication.
“Maria and the team were able to carry out a proof of concept test for the rapid dissolution of metals. The work was carried out quickly and safely and the results are contributing to Geosyntec Consultants’ presence in the mining sector. We hope to continue our collaboration around this specific technology and develop new avenues.”
— David Holmes
Geosyntec Consultants
An academic perspective
The project also gave the academic team an opportunity to apply existing research and laboratory expertise to a clearly defined commercial challenge.
“This project let us take our existing tailings research in a genuinely new direction. Geosyntec Consultants brought a well-defined commercial question and their own equipment, and our laboratory gave them the scale and rigour needed to test it properly. The results are a strong basis for publication, and for Dr Joshi and Dr Keykha it's been valuable experience applying academic methods to a live industry problem. We're looking forward to building on this with Geosyntec Consultants.”
— Professor Maria Mavroulidou
School of Engineering, London South Bank University
Looking towards future applications
These findings give Geosyntec Consultants a stronger basis for assessing the technology's potential beyond the laboratory. The planned field-scale pilot will help determine whether the approach can be developed further for practical applications in mining and other sectors.
Supporting business innovation through collaboration
The BIG Growth Innovation Programme supported the project by helping Geosyntec Consultants access the academic expertise and specialist facilities needed to carry out the testing.
“This collaboration is a good example of what the BIG Growth Innovation Programme is designed to do pairing a business with a clear technical challenge to the right academic expertise and facilities. Geosyntec Consultants couldn't have run this testing anywhere else, and LSBU's team delivered results that are already shaping the company's next steps. We're glad to have supported it and look forward to seeing where the continued collaboration leads.”
— Alex Hokin and Anna Kulhan
BIG Growth Innovation Programme Project Team
About the programme
The BIG Growth Innovation Programme connects South London businesses with academic expertise from LSBU and partner universities, delivering tailored collaborative support to help businesses innovate and grow.
The programme is funded through the UK Shared ProsperityFund (UKSPF) by the Greater London Authority. The aim of the UKSPF was to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and place, supporting local businesses, and developing people and skills.
