Chile to investigate deadly mining accidents at Anglo American and Minera ACF

Mining Minister Aurora Williams said that the Ministry of Mining is closely monitoring the investigations.

By Annabel Cossins-Smith

The new Minister of Mining, Aurora Williams, is sworn in by Chilean President Gabriel Boric during a ceremony at La Moneda Presidential Palace in Santiago on 16 August 2023. Credit: JAVIER TORRES/AFP via Getty Images.

Chile’s Government has begun an official investigation into deadly accidents at two mines belonging to Anglo American and Minera ACF, Mining Minister Aurora Williams said in a statement on Sunday.

The country’s National Mining and Geology Service (Sernageomin) announced in two separate tweets over the weekend that three workers had been killed in accidents. Two occurred at Anglo American’s Los Bronces copper mine, which sits some 40 miles from the country’s capital Santiago.

Sernageomin said of the Anglo American deaths: “We regret to report the deaths of two workers in an accident that occurred at the Anglo American mining site #LosBronces. [Our] team will go to the [mine] to start an investigation. We send our condolences to the families of both workers.”

Anglo American Chile said in a statement on Saturday that the relevant authorities have already been informed and an “exhaustive investigation” has been launched to determine the cause of the accident. It added that the company is “deeply sorry for what happened and send our condolences to the families of both workers, as well as their colleagues and friends. For Anglo American, the safety of the people who work on our sites is priority.” The two workers that died were contractors with the engineering company NETaxion.

Sernageomin also announced the death of one worker at the Minera ACF iodine and nitrate mine in the northern Tarapaca region. Minera did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Williams said that the Ministry of Mining is closely monitoring the investigations. “The Mining Ministry expresses its heartfelt condolences to the workers’ families and co-workers,” the ministry said in the statement. It also called on the mining companies to further reflect on the value of safety in their operations.

Study warns against the impacts of alluvial mining on river systems

According to the study, riverbed mining is taking place at higher rates than ever before.

By Florence Jones

Illegal gold mines in Brazil’s rainforests contaminate local water supplies with discarded mercury.

Credit: Getty Images.

Aresearch study published in the scientific journal Nature last week has warned about the impact of mining stream beds, known as alluvial mining, on river systems.

The study’s authors found that gold and mineral mining in and near rivers is degrading waterways in 49 countries. The research focused on tropical waterways, principally located in South America and Africa.

River mineral mining involves intensive excavation and sediment processing in river corridors, releasing sediment downstream. This excavated material disrupts aquatic life and human health. Suspended sediment can carry toxins such as mercury, which is used in the river mining process.

According to the study, “increasing gold and mineral mining activity in rivers across the global tropics has degraded ecosystems and threatened human health”.

Other research has also shown an increase in the concentration of lead and mercury in local waterways where gold mining is taking place.

“For hundreds, if not perhaps, thousands of years, mining has been taking place in the tropics but never on the scale, as we have seen over the past two decades,” Evan Dethier, one of the authors of the study and visiting assistant professor at Bowdoin College in the US, told reporters.

“The degradation of rivers from gold and river mining throughout the tropics is a global crisis,” he went on. The researchers analysed river mining across the tropics from 1984 to 2021.

This year, the Brazilian Government issued a medical emergency following reports of increased levels of malaria and mercury poisoning among indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest. The administration concluded that illegal gold miners in the area are responsible for exposing the community to new diseases that they had not previously been exposed to and polluting waterways with mining tailings.

Sediment also has severe impacts on wildlife and the environment. Fish cannot see predators and prey, and their gills can become choked with sediment.

GLOBALIZTION

Indonesian nickel smelters turn to Philippines for ore as local supply tightens

Reuters | August 30, 2023 

Image: Harita Nickel

Nickel smelters in top producer Indonesia are making rare purchases of ore from the Philippines to ease tight supplies, people familiar with the matter said, upending trade flows of the raw material and pushing up costs across the supply chain.


Jakarta recently delayed the issuing of mining quotas and suspended operations at a key site of state miner Aneka Tambang (Antam) after an investigation into corrupt practices in issuing mining allowances.

While mining at other sites continues and Indonesia, which accounts for half of global mined supply, has said there is no shortage of ore, prices have risen about 8% this week, following a 10% surge a week earlier, local buyers say.

Some firms are now buying ore from neighbouring Philippines, the world’s No. 2 supplier, in the event that new mining quotas are further delayed, said three smelter managers, two nickel traders and a Chinese analyst.

All declined to be identified because they were not permitted to disclose the trade information publicly.

“(We) started imports from this month. It is economical,” said an official at a major smelter in Indonesia.

The person did not specify how much the smelter is buying but said the purchases are of low-grade limonite ore.

Indonesian miners will prioritize high-grade ore for their limited production quotas, the person added.

Indonesia imported 53,864 metric tons of nickel ore in the first half of 2023, up from 22,503 tons for all of 2022, Indonesian trade data showed.

But imports from the Philippines only started in May, and all arrived at Morowali port in a huge nickel processing park run partly by Chinese nickel giant Tsingshan Group, the Indonesian data showed.

Tsingshan did not respond to a call and email seeking comment.

Volumes in the first half from the Philippines were less than 1,000 tons in nickel content compared to Indonesia’s 1.6 million tons mined last year, data from the Indonesian government and the International Nickel Study Group (INSG) showed.

“The ore from the Philippines is generally lower grade than Indonesian material which will push operating costs higher due to lower production from same tonnage of ore,” said Wood Mackenzie analyst Andrew Mitchell.

“But the ore is cheaper by comparison with domestic ore currently and so this will offset some of the rising costs,” Mitchell said.


Indonesia exported much of its ore before a 2020 ban halted all shipments and attracted billions of dollars worth of investment in nickel smelting, mostly from Chinese companies.

Imports from the Philippines could rise to 100,000 tons for July and August combined because of the supply tightness, according to Chinese consultancy Mysteel.

The Philippines mined 360,000 tons of nickel in ore in 2022, or 11% of global supplies, according to INSG.

Rising demand for ore from the Philippines is also pushing up prices in China, as buyers stock up due to tighter Indonesian supplies and ahead of the rainy season in the Philippines starting in October, said a Chinese trader.

Philippines 1.3% grade ore landed at China’s Lianyun port surged 20.6% in the past month to $41 a ton, the highest since March, Mysteel data showed.

(By Mai Nguyen, Siyi Liu, Fransiska Nangoy, Enrico dela Cruz and Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Dominique Patton and Kim Coghill)

India to start critical mineral blocks auction process this year

Bloomberg News | August 30, 2023 

Stock Image

India is preparing to start the auction process for some 100 critical mineral blocks in the next four months, as part of plans to secure domestic supplies of the raw materials needed to fuel the green energy transition.


The blocks are for minerals including nickel, lithium, cobalt and platinum, along with rare earths, Mines Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj said in an interview in New Delhi.

“The legal framework has been laid out and the blocks have been identified,” Bharadwaj said. The tender seeking bids is expected to be out by December and auctions may start three months later, he added.

The South Asian nation is racing to ensure critical minerals security to power its ambition to make the country a key battery and electric vehicles manufacturing hub and help attain a net zero goal. India currently doesn’t mine key materials like lithium, cobalt and nickel locally.

In order to incentivize global and local miners to participate in the process, the government is planning to reimburse half the cost of exploration, Bharadwaj said. Companies may take at least three years to bring the mines into operation, he added.

India changed its mining rules last month in a bid to boost exploration of some critical minerals like lithium by allowing private miners to search for the materials. The reforms will be key for auctioning lithium blocks recently identified in Jammu and Kashmir, and Karnataka state.

Some state-run companies have been scouring the globe for such assets while energy heavyweights Coal India Ltd. and NTPC Ltd. are mapping out plans to mine the materials. Khanij Bidesh India Ltd., a joint venture of three government-run firms, has been created to purchase critical mineral assets overseas, mainly in Australia and South America.

(By Swansy Afonso and Rajesh Kumar Singh)

GEMOLOGY

India asks US to release funds frozen over suspected Russia diamond link – sources

Reuters | August 30, 2023 | 

(Image courtesy of Alrosa).

India has asked the United States to release $26 million belonging to at least two Indian diamond firms frozen due to their alleged trade links with sanctioned Russian diamond major Alrosa, three Indian sources told Reuters.


The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the US Treasury unit that oversees sanctions, froze the funds earlier this year, said two of the sources. Both are Indian government officials but declined to identify themselves or the companies citing the sensitivity of the matter.

The OFAC freeze is the first known punitive measure against any Indian business since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year and subsequent Western sanctions on Russian entities.

OFAC froze the funds when UAE-based units of the unspecified Indian companies tried to transfer them to buy rough diamonds. Reuters could not determine if the money was being transferred to Alrosa or another party.

“The government is aware of the OFAC action and has initiated dialogue over it,” one of the Indian government sources said. “The problem was suspicion of trade links with Alrosa.”

The Indian firms impacted by the action have told the government that the payments were meant either for non-sanctioned Russian entities or for orders completed before the sanctions on Alrosa came into effect in April last year, the source said.

State-controlled Alrosa, the world’s largest producer of rough diamonds, did not respond to an email seeking comment. India’s trade and foreign ministries and the US treasury department also did not respond to requests.

India has the world’s largest diamond processing capacity and exported polished diamonds worth more than $22 billion last fiscal year that ended on March 31. The industry, based mainly in the western state of Gujarat, buys rough diamonds from suppliers in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Belgium and Russia.

(By Shivangi Acharya, Rajendra Jadhav, Polina Devitt and David Lawder; Editing by Conor Humphries)

AI’s potential role in the coal industry

Reuters | August 30, 2023 | 

In this thought-provoking interview, we delve into the intriguing realm of artificial intelligence and its potential to reshape the landscape of coal mining and utilization. Join us as we engage with an expert at the intersection of AI and energy to uncover the promises, challenges, and prospects of integrating cutting-edge technologies into a time-honored sector.


Tell us about yourself and what you do

My name is Adam Kokorkhoev, and I’m a co-founder of FTOREX, a company specializing in commercial brokerage and commodity supply. The company supplies several grades and specifications of high-caloric value coal to customers worldwide, focusing on Southeast Asia and the Middle East. We aim to provide direct contracts and competitive pricing straight from the manufacturers.

Over the past few years, I have been deeply involved in the coal industry, witnessing a transformative shift driven by the integration of new technologies in our sector. I believe the industry’s evolution will be driven by artificial intelligence technology.

How do you envision AI’s potential role in the coal industry and its impact on overall efficiency and productivity?

AI can automate and optimize various processes in the coal industry, making them more efficient and accurate. It can determine optimal parameters, analyze coal demand to predict future trends and prices, optimize energy consumption in mining and processing — and more. The big news for the whole industry is the joint launch of the Pangu Mine Model by Huawei and Shandong Energy Group, the world’s first commercial AI model for the energy sector and the coal industry in particular.

The model identified 21 application scenarios related to coal mining, tunneling, primary transportation, auxiliary transportation, lifting, safety monitoring, rock burst prevention, coal preparation, and coking. It’s been tested in several coal mines in Shandong, and the whole industry eagerly awaits the results.

In what specific areas of the coal industry do you believe AI technologies could be implemented to optimize operations and processes?

AI technologies can be used to explore deposits, drilling, mining, processing, and equipment maintenance. It can analyze geological data to find promising coal deposits, optimize quality control and accident prevention, monitor coal quality, determine optimal cleaning and sorting parameters, and predict possible failures or breakdowns, increasing overall efficiency.

How can AI be used to improve safety conditions for coal miners and reduce workplace accidents in the coal mining sector?

Introducing this tech can greatly improve miner safety and reduce workplace accidents. Its applications range from accident and working conditions monitoring to security data analysis, virtual training, and automation. Also, AI could eventually replace some underground workers, which would significantly lower risks.

Given the current environmental concerns related to coal usage, how can AI be leveraged to develop cleaner and more sustainable practices within the coal industry?

Artificial intelligence can be used to develop cleaner and more sustainable practices to reduce the coal industry’s environmental impact. It can create algorithms to develop emergency energy sources, alternative energy power plants, and energy storage systems and analyze the environment around coal mines and power plants to monitor pollution levels.

What challenges do you foresee in integrating AI technologies into the coal industry, and how do you propose overcoming these obstacles?

One of the biggest problems is the lack of available data for routine AI training. We can help solve that problem through collaboration with universities, research centers, and independent study groups to gather data or create the necessary databases. This poses another problem: some of this data is confidential. Insufficient data protection could lead to an abuse of this information, so a high level of data security, encryption, access control, and monitoring must be put in place.

I also think that there is a shortage of qualified specialists with enough field knowledge in machine learning, data analysis, and algorithm development. Here again, the solution would be to invest in education, personnel training, and experience from other organizations.

And lastly, introducing AI may raise concerns about the loss of jobs, so it would be mandatory to engage in public dialogue. Overcoming these challenges requires collaboration from government agencies, academics, and quality professionals to push the necessary research, training, and development forward. Only then can we begin to approach the ethical and scientific aspects of AI implementation in the coal industry.

How can AI and machine learning algorithms assist in predicting and mitigating potential geological risks in coal mining, such as collapses or gas emissions?

AI can process large amounts of data on organic environments, accumulation history, seismic activity, increased danger, and stress in the ground to predict possible collapses.

Once the AI has had time to learn what a normal environment looks like, it could help develop predictive models using data on previous occurrences of gas buildup or rock bursts. The Pangu Mine Model I mentioned earlier can analyze the quality of stress relief drilling and assist rockburst prevention personnel in quality verification, reducing their review workload by over 80%. These applications may even roll over to the development of security systems and personnel training.

However, it is important to understand that AI is not a panacea and should be evaluated against other security methods.

Considering the trend towards renewable energy sources, what role can AI play in helping the coal industry adapt and diversify its operations to remain relevant in the changing energy landscape?

In a nutshell, AI can help the coal industry to adapt and diversify its operations, keeping up with the pace of modern tech. This could be achieved by optimizing performance to increase output while reducing harmful effects or forecasting market demand to automatically change output levels to match. Whatever the future holds for renewables, the coal industry needs to adapt to new interests, industries, and stakeholders.

How might AI-driven automation impact job roles within the coal industry, and what measures can be taken to support the workforce through this transition?

AI-drivel automation could replace some jobs in the coal industry. For example, if the coal is detected, AI-powered machines may do the job that was previously done manually, such as drilling or transporting coal.

Artificial intelligence can be used to continuously monitor the personnel’s health or the status of equipment to prevent accidents and address issues timely. It can optimize logistics, including route calculation and inventory management, reducing transportation costs and improving the efficiency of coal delivery. Besides that, it can analyze large amounts of data collected in the coal industry, help identify patterns, and make more informed decisions.

To support the workforce during this transition period, we can include retraining and training, creation of new jobs, introducing social programs and support, and cooperation with trade unions and public organizations.

Data security and privacy are crucial in any AI application. How can the coal industry ensure that sensitive data, such as geological surveys or employee information, is protected when using AI technologies?

Ensuring data security and privacy is a very high priority when building AI technologies, more so in an industry like coal. All sensitive data, like geological surveys, must be encrypted, access to control systems must be limited to authorized personnel, and the physical security of servers needs a great deal of attention, too.

Once you have these security measures in place, employee training on the importance of data security and information leaks becomes paramount. Regular security audits to look for vulnerabilities, security regulation and compliance, and network security maintenance are all important and necessary steps when working with this kind of data.

I believe that data security and privacy must be built into all aspects of AI technologies in the coal industry.

AI systems are only as good as the data they are trained on. How can the coal industry ensure that the data used for AI implementation is accurate, reliable, and representative of the industry’s diversity?

The data used to study AI systems should reflect different aspects of the industry, including data from different deposits, used equipment, and types of mining. It’s necessary to implement data quality control processes to correct errors and distortions and analyze it to detect inconsistencies. Data checks from coal industry experts and regular updates would help make sure the data is relevant.

It is important to note that data quality assurance is an ongoing process, and the coal industry must constantly work to improve it to ensure the accuracy and reliability of AI systems.

(The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author, Anthony Clarke.)

Hyundai to invest $400 million for stake in Korea Zinc

THANKS TO BIDEN'S IRA

Bloomberg News | August 30, 2023 | 

Hyundai IONIQ 5 Electric on display at Thailand International Motor Show 2022. Stock image.

Hyundai Motor Group will buy a 5% stake in Korea Zinc Co., the world’s largest smelter for non-ferrous metals, as part of its effort to ensure access to key metals used in making electric-car batteries.


The group, which controls Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands, signed a partnership Wednesday with the smelter to jointly develop a “nickel value chain” that procures, processes and recycles the metal needed for EV batteries, the Seoul-based automaker said in an emailed statement. Hyundai will spend 527.2 billion won ($398 million) to purchase shares of Korea Zinc as part of the tie-up, it said.

Hyundai plans to buy 50% of nickel it needs for EV batteries through the partnership by 2031 to comply with President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which encourages carmakers to produce EV components outside of China. The supply chain built with Korea Zinc, also based in Seoul, will meet European requirements for the sourcing of critical minerals and satisfy other ESG rules, the automaker said.

It aims to be one of the world’s top three EV makers by the end of this decade by producing 3.64 million vehicles annually.

The company has denied speculation that it wants to build its own lithium-ion batteries for EVs, though it has acknowledged that it’s studying solid-state batteries. Hyundai opened a research center in July in collaboration with Seoul National University to develop next-generation batteries.

(By Heejin Kim, with assistance from Shinhye Kang)

Taseko Mines Executes Programmatic Agreement with US EPA at Florence Copper Project

bySarah Vega - Content Writer, The Assay
1 day ago


(Credit: Taseko Mines)


Preservation Act (NHPA) section 106 process, a programmatic agreement has been executed by all required signatories, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Taseko, regarding its Florence copper project in Arizona.

The agreement is now in effect and stipulates requirements for the treatment, handling, and protection of cultural resources on the Florence project site, in accordance with the NHPA. A draft of the deal was issued by the EPA in August 2022 for public comment and comments received were addressed prior to finalizing and executing the agreement.

Taseko president and CEO Stuart McDonald commented, “The signing of the programmatic agreement is an important step in the EPA’s permitting process, and an indication that the EPA is preparing to make a final decision on Florence copper’s underground injection control permit.”

Taseko reports a net present value of US$930M (after-tax, at an 8% discount rate) with an internal rate of return of 47% (after-tax) on measured and inferred resources of 363Mt grading 0.35% Cu.

Florence is a wholly owned in-situ copper recovery project, located midway between Phoenix and Tucson near the community of Florence, Arizona. Development of the project is being performed in two phases – the first phase is a production test facility, which is followed by the second phase commercial facility.

BC

Red Pine Enters into Royalty Agreement with Franco-Nevada for Consideration of C$6,750,000

PUBLISHED

AUG 29, 2023 

TORONTO, Aug. 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Red Pine Exploration Inc. (TSXV: RPX, OTCQB: RDEXF) ("Red Pine" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a net smelter return royalty agreement (the “Royalty Agreement”) with Franco-Nevada Corporation (“Franco-Nevada”) for the purchase and sale of a 1.5% net smelter return royalty (the “Royalty”) on its Wawa Gold Project (“Wawa”) located in Ontario for immediate cash proceeds to the Company of C$6,750,000.

Proceeds from the sale of the Royalty will be used for continued exploration and advancement of Wawa, and ongoing working capital.

Quentin Yarie, President & CEO of Red Pine commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Franco-Nevada as a new partner into the Red Pine and Wawa story. Red Pine has been fortunate to have strong support from existing partners, and the addition of Franco-Nevada, a true leader in the gold space, brings further validation to the Wawa Gold Project. On the back of this non-dilutive financing, and with over C$10M in cash on hand, we are well positioned to deliver on our exploration goals, including ongoing infill and expansion drilling, an updated mineral resource estimate defining the open pit exploration target, and a potential preliminary economic assessment.”

Paul Brink, President & CEO of Franco-Nevada commented, “We are excited to be supporting Red Pine in its advancement of the Wawa Gold Project. We believe that the Michipicoten Greenstone Belt has great geological potential and are pleased to be partnering with Red Pine with the objective of advancing a new mine to production in Ontario.”

Pursuant to the Royalty Agreement, Franco-Nevada has been granted a one time option, exercisable within 30 business days of Red Pine providing notice to Franco-Nevada confirming both (i) a board-approved construction decision at Wawa, and (ii) completion of a feasibility study at Wawa, to purchase an additional 0.5% net smelter return royalty (the “Additional Royalty”) at a cost of 1.0x the net present value of the Additional Royalty, which is to be calculated based on the value of the mineral reserves within the Wawa feasibility study, after applying a 5% discount rate, and utilizing the then-prevailing analyst consensus commodity price forecasts.

Advisor and Counsel

Haywood Securities Inc. acted as exclusive financial advisor to Red Pine with respect to the sale of the Royalty. Wildeboer Dellelce LLP acted as legal counsel to Red Pine.

About Red Pine Exploration Inc.

Red Pine Exploration Inc. is a gold exploration company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Company’s shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “RPX” and on the OTCQB Markets under the symbol “RDEXF”.

The Wawa Gold Project is in the Michipicoten Greenstone Belt of Ontario, a region that has seen major investment by several producers in the last five years. Its land package hosts numerous historic gold mines and is over 6,900 hectares in size. Led by Quentin Yarie, CEO, who has over 25 years of experience in mineral exploration, Red Pine is strengthening its position as a major mineral exploration and development player in the Michipicoten region.

For more information about the Company, visit www.redpineexp.com

 21 CENTURY ALCHEMISTS

Gilded mysteries unveiled: Ancient art meets nanotechnology in nanoscale goldbeating

• AUGUST 25, 2023
• RESEARCH, STUDENT RESEARCH

Goldbeating, an age-old craft pioneered by ancient Egyptian artisans more than five millennia ago, involves the meticulous thinning of bulk gold into gossamer-like leaves. Throughout history, this intricate process has adorned various masterpieces, such as the tombs of Thebes and Saqqara, and has cemented its place in art and adornments across cultures. Today, nanoscale gold is used not only for decorating fancy desserts, but is indispensable for modern applications ranging from microelectronics to nanomedicine.

Bridging the gap between ancient arts and modern technology, researchers from the University of South Florida, Clemson University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have discovered that even nanoscopic gold ingots can be compressed into 2D leaf forms, replicating the ancient process of goldbeating, but at the nanoscale. 

The ancient craft of goldbeating enters the nanoscale where gold nanoparticles as tiny as ~18 nanometers are compressed into ultra-thin 2D sheets.

"We were intrigued by the idea of borrowing ancient craft for modern nanomanufacturing processes," said researcher Michael Cai Wang, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at USF. "The ability to fabricate 2D thin films from nanoparticles opens up new frontiers in nanotechnology and materials science, as we further pursue green ways to engineer gold at USF!" 

The researchers' recently published article in PNAS Nexus, "Nanoscale Goldbeating: Solid-State Transformation of 0D and 1D Gold Nanoparticles to Anisotropic 2D Morphologies", explores and offers insights into the world of nanoscale metallic deformation and 2D leaf formation. The understanding gained from this study can lead to the development of a broad palette of nanocrystals and nanometals, paving the way for exciting future applications in renewable energy, quantum computing, and nanomedicine.

“The inception of this solid-state 2D transformation technique is merely the starting point. Its versatility extends beyond gold, making it applicable to a diverse array of materials," said Md Rubayat-E Tanjil, a USF doctoral candidate in Mechanical Engineering and a first author on this paper. "As we share our findings with the scientific community, we eagerly anticipate advancing our understanding of nanoscale metallic deformation and unveiling new science.” 

Mechanical Engineering student and NSF S-STEM Scholar Keegan Suero

The study revealed that the induced 2D morphologies of the gold leaves were dependent on various factors, including the precursor nanoparticles' original shape, size, and ordering before their compression. Because of the malleability of gold, this nanomanufacturing technique has the potential to precisely control the 2D gold leaf's shape, lateral size, and thickness, opening up new avenues in diverse applications.

“The effort we put in towards achieving uniform large-area compression of nanocrystals paid off in the end," said Keegan Suero, a Mechanical Engineering junior and USF S-STEM Scholar who has been working in Wang's lab throughout his undergraduate studies. "I am thrilled to be a part of this remarkable endeavor, and, of course, there is a wealth of science yet to be unearthed!” 

With the convergence of ancient artistry and nanotechnology, this study not only expands our understanding of nanoscale materials but also showcases the timeless appeal of gold and its significance in shaping our past, present, and future.

This research was made possible through USF’s Nanotechnology Research & Education Center and with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and American Chemical Society (ACS).

Photo credit: Ryan Wakefield

Mechanical Engineering doctoral students Md Rubayat-E Tanjil and Zhewen Yin working in the NanoMechanics, NanoMaterials, NanoManufacturing Laboratory (NM3L) of Assistant Professor Michael Cai Wang.

Metmuseum.org

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/egold/hd_egold.htm

Gold in Ancient Egypt | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art Hi... 

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Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10446819

Nanoscale goldbeating: Solid-state transformation of 0D and ... 

Aug 18, 2023 ... Goldbeating is the ancient craft of thinning bulk gold (Au) into gossamer leaves. Pioneered by ancient Egyptian craftsmen, modern mechanized ...