Startup Licenses MGE Technologies

Faculty from the Department of Mining and Geological Engineering have joined forces with an experienced mining industry entrepreneur to launch the startup Auxilium Technology Group. The startup has licensed University of Arizona inventions that address growing concerns about mining's impact on the environment. Interim MGE department head Moe Momayez and MGE associate professor Jaeheon Lee worked with Tech Launch Arizona Senior Licensing Manager Bob Sleeper and Mentor-in-Residence Steven Wood to launch the company and license sustainable technologies that make ore leaching processes more efficient and less toxic, contribute to water conservation, and reduce energy consumption.

“Where others see waste, we see opportunity,” said Auxilium CEO Abraham Jalbout. “We are bringing together these technologies from the different people on the team, and we’re putting them together in a circuit to create a holistic approach to tailings management, which makes a very unique value proposition in the tailings world.”

Lee contributed one of the licensed technologies: a leaching process that uses the organosulfur compound thiourea rather than the more toxic element cyanide to extract gold from ore. The process he developed can reach up to 98% efficiency of extraction, resulting in higher profitability and lower toxicity.

Momayez contributed two other licensed technologies. Storing mine tailings – a common industry practice – requires pumping waterborne refuse material into human-made ponds where it is kept and separated. Momayez invented a system of floating, interlocking panels that cover tailings ponds to reduce evaporation and increase the amount of water available for reuse. The system also can be outfitted with solar panels to generate electricity. He also invented a spray-on thermal insulating geofoam made with mine tailings. When sprayed on the walls in hot underground mines, the geofoam provides a layer of insulation that prevents heat from radiating from the rock into the working areas, significantly reducing the cost of cooling the air. The team also foresees an opportunity to leverage this technology to benefit the construction industry. 

“Our ultimate goal is to reach zero waste,” Momayez said. “Mining is a very water and energy-intensive industry. We’re excited to provide solutions that extract valuables from mining effluents and reduce mine waste – the most visible footprint of the mining industry.”