'Brazil has always been and will always be a prominent country in mining'

Swiss specialty chemical company Clariant is sharpening its focus on providing solutions for the mining sector against the backdrop of the growing appeal of ESG practices on the part of mining firms in Brazil and elsewhere. 

The company has been working closely with mining companies, developing solutions for more sustainable operations, as well as for tailings management, a highly sensitive topic, particularly in Brazil due to two devastating dam collapses, in Brumadinho in 2019 and Mariana in 2015.

"Mining remains essential for the future and we at Clariant are committed to sustainable chemistry and are increasingly investing in innovation and technologies that not only improve the metallurgical performance of our customers' mines, but also support them in achieving sustainability goals in their day-to-day operations," Anna Paula Dacar, global head of mining solutions at Clariant, tells BNamericas in this interview about the company's outlook for the sector.

BNamericas: Could you tell us about the products and solutions that Clariant offers its clients?

Dacar: Clariant is a global company dedicated to developing greater chemistry between people and the planet. Our purpose is supported by four main pillars. Focus on our customers, technology innovation, leadership in sustainability and engagement of people.

Currently, we have three business divisions. Care Chemicals provides solutions for personal and home care, agribusiness, industrial applications, petroleum services, mining solutions and basic chemicals business segments.

The area called Catalysts includes solutions for the business segments of propylene, specialties, synthesis of gas and fuels, ethylene, biofuels and derivatives and applied catalyst technology.

There is also the Adsorbents and Additives area. In adsorbents we have solutions for the segments of purification, foundry and specialties, charging and device protection; and in additives we have solutions for coatings and adhesives, plastics and electronic mobility.

We work very closely with our customers, offering solutions and technologies that improve their sustainability profile.

BNamericas: Regarding the mining sector, how do the products and services offered by Clariant add value to customers?

Dacar: In the mining sector, Clariant globally offers a wide selection of solutions that not only improve the metallurgical performance of mines, but also support our customers in achieving their sustainability goals in their day-to-day operations.

BNamericas: What are the mining segments in which Clariant is currently most active? 

Dacar: Clariant currently has a broad portfolio of flotation solutions, process aids and emulsifiers to help the mining industry optimize its operations and become more sustainable. We have solutions for iron ore, sulfides and industrial minerals, among others.

It should be noted that we work very closely with our customers to develop customized solutions. Customers often have specific needs depending on the type of ore, and extraction and metallurgical processes they use.

Our teams identify the needs of each client. We develop experimental reagents that are tested on samples in Clariant's laboratories.

BNamericas: Does Clariant have any plans to expand the offering of products and solutions to other mining segments? Which ones specifically?

Dacar: Always. We're a technology and innovation company and our developments are directly related to sustainable mining.

Our tailings management program focuses on developing solutions to reduce and recover tailings, improving filtration and handling.

We have lower-toxicity alternative technologies for xanthates and sodium hydrosulfide in order to improve the safety of our customers' operations. And technologies to reduce energy and water consumption in the flotation and pelleting of ores.

As a way to contribute to the energy transition, we developed the Decarbonization Minerals Program focused on the development of reagents for processing the major decarbonization minerals, including copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, rare earths and aluminum.

BNamericas: At present, what would you say are the outstanding projects in mining in Brazil and even in other countries that are under development or implemented where Clariant believes that its solutions and services could add more value?

Dacar: There are several greenfield and brownfield projects underway in Brazil and around the world and Clariant, as a solutions provider, closely follows all these projects.

We work closely with customers and in partnership with engineering companies to develop technologies that meet their needs with a focus on metallurgical recovery and sustainability.

BNamericas: In which countries does Clariant have its most extensive presence? Are there plans to expand to other countries? 

Dacar: Today Clariant has a global presence in mining to serve our customers more efficiently wherever they are operating.

We are present on five continents with seven plants, we own operations and outsourced units, seven application and development Laboratories (Brazil, United States, Chile, Peru, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and Australia), and five Global Centers of Competence – treatment of tailings and iron ore in Belo Horizonte, Brazil; sulfide minerals in Tucson, US; decarbonization minerals in Dubai, UAE; and Emulsifiers for Explosives in Lara, Australia, as well as a global research and development center in Frankfurt, Germany.

Despite this, we frequently evaluate opportunities for expansion and growth in other technologies and geographies that improve our solutions for the market.

BNamericas: What is your general view of the business environment for the mining sector in Brazil at present, both from the point of view of investments and also from the perspective of the value chain, logistics and supply issues?

Dacar: Brazil has always been and always will be a prominent country in terms of mining activities due to its natural abundance and variety of ores. 

It's a sector that continues to receive investments in expansion, modernization and adaptation to new legislation by the private sector.

On the other hand, like other sectors, it faces constant infrastructure challenges. Brazil is a country of continental dimensions and it has an undersized logistics structure to serve this and other sectors. Challenges like these end up increasing costs and harming Brazil's competitiveness in the global market.