Converting Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) into a valuable water resource for irrigation.

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) management is crucial to the preservation of the health of our water and food chain. Failure to effectively do so leads to high acidity levels which allow heavy metals from the mines to enter our water system. There are several treatment options for Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). For example, using alkaline industrial chemicals and limestone is more popular but leaves a residue of sludge which is commonly disposed of in landfill sites, negatively effecting the environment. That’s why UNISA’s innovative NanoMaghä process is so effective – it makes use of maghemite nanoparticles at pH < 5 to remove sulphate, manganese, copper, nickel, cobalt and zinc metal ions from acid mine drainage (AMD).

This process has a number of benefits. A combination of adsorption and precipitation processes has been employed to achieve high metal and sulphate removal. Overall, the method makes use of fewer chemicals to remedy Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) pollution, and is therefore more cost-effective. As important, it recovers valuable usable water resources from AMD, which can be used in agriculture, helping to address our country’s water scarcity.

Read more

Services

To access this innovation, contact us to find out how to secure the licence to use the technology.

Benefits

UNISA NanoMagh™ innovative process uses fewer chemicals, is more cost efficient and leaves no sludge residue.

  • Uses fewer chemicals.
  • Leave no residual sludge.
  • More cost efficient to convert.
  • Provides usable water for agricultural irrigation.

Industry Sectors

UNISA NanoMagh™ innovation is available to the mining industry that is looking for better and more cost efficient ways to manage AMD.

  • Mining industry
  • Agriculture
  • Water management
  • Mandela Mining Precinct
  • Making contaminated mine water safe for local communities
  • DSI launches initiatives to accelerate the development of South Africa's circular economy
  • Durban scientist leads research into generating value from waste