New Developments in Flotation: Advancing Seawater-Based Green Copper-Arsenic Separation with Organic Molecules and Nanoparticles

• Project/Area Number: 25K17983
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 31020:Earth resource engineering, Energy sciences-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Suyantara Gde・Pandhe・Wisnu 九州大学, 工学研究院, 准教授 (70932367)
• Project Period (FY): 2025-04-01 – 2028-03-31
• Project Status: Granted (Fiscal Year 2025)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,940,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,140,000); Fiscal Year 2027: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2026: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000); Fiscal Year 2025: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
• Keywords: Cu-As separation / Green flotation / eco-friendly reagents / nanoparticles / seawater

Outline of Research at the Start

Japan imports arsenic through copper concentrate from South America, causing environmental and health risks. This study develops a sustainable flotation process using eco-friendly chemicals and seawater for selective Cu-As separation, tackling arsenic contamination and water scarcity while enhancing Japan’s leadership in green mineral processing.