THE TEAM
ABOUT US
We have started Ekion in 2023 to accelerate the development of EK-ISR. We collaborate directly with industry-leading mining companies that share our passion for science and innovation and our vision for a more sustainable approach to metal mining.
OUR EXPERIENCE
As team Ekion we cover the wide range of fields in geoscience and engineering that is required to make our vision of EK-ISR as the next generation mining technology a reality.
Most importantly, we have outstanding experience in understanding and quantifying reactive transport processes in various subsurface media, including those controlling the fluid rock interactions involved in the in situ recovery of metals from ore bodies. Underpinning our integrated experimental and process-based computational approaches, we have a deep theoretical knowledge of the ionic transport processes and the mineralogical characteristics that are the key to a viable and efficient electrokinetics-based metal recovery from rocks, clays and tailings.
RELEVANT
PUBLICATIONS
Everything we do is embedded in state-of-the-art science, at the nexus of innovation and cutting-edge research.
ELECTROKINETIC IN SITU RECOVERY
Martens, E., Prommer, H., Dai, X., Wu, M.Z., Sun, J., Breuer, P., and Fourie, A. (2018). Feasibility of electrokinetic in situ leaching of gold. Hydrometallurgy, 175, 70-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2017.10.020
Martens, E., Prommer, H., Dai, X., Sun, J., Breuer, P., and Fourie, A. (2018). Electrokinetic in situ leaching of gold from intact ore. Hydrometallurgy, 178, 124-136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2018.04.003
Martens, E., Prommer, H., Sprocati, R., Sun, J., Dai, X., Crane, R., Jamieson, J., Ortega Tong, P., Rolle, M., and Fourie, A. (2021). Toward a more sustainable mining future with electrokinetic in situ leaching. Science Advances, 7(18), [eabf9971]. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abf9971
Ortega-Tong, P., Jamieson, J., Bostick, B.C., Fourie, A., and Prommer, H. (2023). Secondary phase formation during electrokinetic in situ leaching of intact copper sulphide ore. Hydrometallurgy, 216, [105993]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2022.105993
Prommer, H. (2023). Towards sustainable rare-earth-element mining. Nature Sustainability, 6(1), 13-14. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01014-3
IN SITU RECOVERY
Ortega-Tong, P., Jamieson, J., Kuhar, L., Faulkner, L., and Prommer, H. (2023). In-Situ Recovery of Copper: Identifying Mineralogical Controls Via Model-Based Analysis of Multi-Stage Column Leach Experiments. Env. Sci. Technol. Eng., 3, 773−786. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.2c00404
Kuhar, L.L., Bunney, K., Jackson, M., Austin, P., Li, J., Robinson, D.J., Prommer, H., Sun, J., Oram, J., and Rao, A. (2018). Assessment of amenability of sandstone-hosted uranium deposit for in-situ recovery. Hydrometallurgy, 179, 157-166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2018.06.003
Martens, E., Zhang, H., Prommer, H., Greskowiak, J., Jeffrey, M., and Roberts, P. (2012). In situ recovery of gold: Column leaching experiments and reactive transport modeling. Hydrometallurgy, 125-126, 16-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2012.05.005
Roberts, R.A., Zhang, H., Prommer, H., Benvie, B., Jeffrey, M.I., Johnson, C.D., and Anand, R.R. (2010). Ore characterization, hydrometallurgical and reactive transport studies for in-place leaching of oxidized gold deposits. Minerals and Metallurgical Processing, 27(2), 72-80. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03402382
ELECTROKINETIC THEORY
Sprocati, R., Gallo, A., Boeskov Caspersen, M., and Rolle, M. (2023). Impact of variable density on electrokinetic transport and mixing in porous media. Advances in Water Resources, 104422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2023.104422
Gallo, A., Sprocati, R., Rolle, M., and Sethi, R. (2022). Electrokinetic delivery of permanganate in clay inclusions for targeted contaminant degradation. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 251, 104102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2022.104102
López-Vizcaíno, R., Cabrera, V., Sprocati, R., Muniruzzaman, M., Rolle, M., Navarro, V., and Yustres, Á. (2022). A modeling approach for electrokinetic transport in double-porosity media. Electrochimica Acta, 141139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2022.141139
Rolle, M., Albrecht, M., and Sprocati, R. (2022). Impact of solute charge and diffusion coefficient on electromigration and mixing in porous media. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 244, 103933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2021.103933
Sprocati, R., and Rolle, M. (2022). On the interplay between electromigration and electroosmosis during electrokinetic transport in heterogeneous porous media. Water Research, 213, 118161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.118161
Sprocati, R., Gallo, A., Sethi, R., and Rolle, M. (2020). Electrokinetic delivery of reactants: pore water chemistry controls transport, mixing, and degradation. Environmental Science & Technology, 55(1), 719-729. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c06054
Sprocati, R., and Rolle, M. (2021). Integrating Process‐Based Reactive Transport Modeling and Machine Learning for Electrokinetic Remediation of Contaminated Groundwater. Water Resources Research, 57(8), e2021WR029959. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021WR029959
Sprocati, R., & Rolle, M. (2020). Charge interactions, reaction kinetics and dimensionality effects on electrokinetic remediation: A model-based analysis. Journal of contaminant hydrology, 229, 103567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2019.103567
Wu, M., Reynolds, D.A., Fourie, A., Prommer, H., and Thomas, D.G. (2012). Electrokinetic in situ oxidation remediation: Assessment of parameter sensitivities and the influence of aquifer heterogeneity on remediation efficiency. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 136-137, 72-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2012.04.005
Wu, M., Reynolds, D.A., Prommer, H., Fourie, A., and Thomas, D.G. (2012). Numerical evaluation of voltage gradient constraints on electrokinetic injection of amendments. Advances in Water Resources, 38, 60-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2011.11.004