TOMRA Mining Boosts Critical Mineral Recovery

TOMRA Mining is drawing attention to how its sensor-based sorting technologies are extending the life of critical mineral deposits and improving recovery from lower-grade ores. With demand for lithium, copper, and other energy-transition minerals increasing, the company’s X-Ray Transmission (XRT), Near-infrared (NIR), and Laser sorting systems are being used to separate barren material early in the process, reducing the energy, water, and chemicals required for downstream treatment. This early intervention allows operators to recover more metal from existing resources and convert marginal deposits into viable ones.

Recent developments such as the AI-powered OBTAIN™ and CONTAIN™ systems have further increased throughput and precision, while the TS100 precision ejection system reduces air consumption by up to 70%. Field trials at Wolfram Bergbau in Austria reportedly increased revenue by 12 percent and cut water use by 40 percent without altering tonnage.

“At its core, sensor-based sorting addresses one of mining’s greatest inefficiencies: we are able to recover more metal from the same amount of material. By rejecting waste early, operators feed higher-grade material into their mills, reduce operational expenditure, and improve overall efficiency.” said Rasoul Rezai, Global Segment Manager Metals at TOMRA Mining.

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