@inproceedings{36a0479ed49d45b2b78e77842396a40d,
title = "Recent advances in developing tropical nickel agromining",
abstract = "Hyperaccumulator plants can be utilized as {\textquoteleft}metal crops{\textquoteright} in agromining operations. This emerging technology produces {\textquoteleft}bio-ore{\textquoteright} by growing {\textquoteleft}metal crops{\textquoteright} on sub-economic ore materials, such as natural ultramafic soils. In a typical application plant material is periodically harvested, followed by air-drying and incineration to produce the bio-ore intermediate. The bio-ore is of very high grade (>15 wt. % nickel), and of high purity, and may be processed into a number of different products (including nickel metal, nickel-based catalysts and pure nickel salts). Current research efforts from our team focus on Mediterranean climate field trials (Albania, Spain) and tropical climate field trials (Malaysia, Indonesia). Field-scale demonstrations are required to provide evidence of real-life performance and of economic viability. If the trials are successful, agromining may in the near future support local livelihoods with income opportunities as an alternative type of agriculture: to farm nickel.",
keywords = "Agromining, Nickel, Phytomining, Strip-mining, Tropical Ultramafic Soils.",
author = "{van der Ent}, A. and G. Echevarria and P. Erskine",
note = "Funding Information: We express our gratitude to Sabah Parks for the ongoing collaborative research conducted in Sabah (Malaysia). We thank The University of Queensland for financial support, and the French National Research Agency through the national “Investissements d{\textquoteright}avenir” program (ANR-10-LABX-21 - LABEX RESSOURCES21) for funding of A. van der Ent's post-doctoral position in 2014–2015. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 TAPPI Press. All rights reserved.; 28th International Mineral Processing Congress, IMPC 2016 ; Conference date: 11-09-2016 Through 15-09-2016",
year = "2016",
language = "English",
series = "IMPC 2016 - 28th International Mineral Processing Congress",
booktitle = "IMPC 2016 - 28th International Mineral Processing Congress",
}