SBIR Phase II: Heap leaching and slope saturation monitoring with muon detectors

Award ID: 2150925

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project focuses on the development of a technology for advanced geophysical density measurements and the monitoring of fluid fronts in soils based on the passive detection of naturally occurring cosmic rays. The primary application area for this project is the mining sector, where the technology may be able to drive efficiency improvements (up to 10%) in the recovery of copper and other key metals. These efficiencies could potentially result in a value opportunity of close to $1 billion per year in the US alone. The technology can also be applied to monitoring the stability of dams and levees, a widely-recognized ongoing concern, where it can provide safety and environmental benefits to the industry and society at large. The intellectual merit of this project is primarily related to both the continued development of field-ready instrumentation and of original data inversion methodologies. This includes: i) validation of the prototype sensor developed in Phase I under control conditions; ii) development and testing of fit-for-purpose conveyance and other hardware required for remote operation; iii) development of an original, three-dimensional data reconstruction algorithm driven by customer needs; and iv) development of commercially ready answer products and user interfaces. These innovations will serve to demonstrate the feasibility, technology readiness, and value of the proposed solution to the mining industry. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Benaiah Schrag