Metallurgy of Dictyonema

Purpose and goal

The project aims to develop a methodology for extracting vanadium from shale of the Dictyonema Formation that is economically sustainable and environmentally acceptable. The project goal is to develop an efficient method for extracting vanadium from alum shale, focusing on the application of POL (Pressure Oxygenation Leaching), for extraction in a closed system.

Expected results and effects

The project´s long-term objective is to help develop local Swedish production of the critical green energy metal vanadium, used for large-scale storage solutions in power grids and secure a sustainable source of vanadium within the EU. An efficient extraction generates a cleaner waste, which can then be used as secondary raw material, for example in concrete production. A cleaner extraction method may help to reduce the local resistance to the project.

Planned approach and implementation

This project builds on experimental analytical procedures. The success of the project depends on a high degree of flexibility following results from the different analyses performed. Experiments to be performed include: 1) Pressure oxygen leaching tests at variable conditions, 2) Characterization of the clay mineral vanadium host and 3) Surface analyses detection of V. Geological and other details from known shale hosted vanadium deposits will be investigated as an integral part of the work.

More information

Presentation slides from Swedish Mining Innovation Day 2020

External links

Beskrivning av prospekteringsprojektet i Skåne.