SMI-ICE-Chile researcher Dr. Yendery Ramírez Ángel spoke at the Foundation of Mineral Processing & Extractive Metallurgy (FoMPEM) international conference, organized by the University of Antofagasta and Wuhan University (China), which recently took place in San Pedro de Atacama.
This conference, which brought together scientists and academics from different countries, focused on the fundamental aspects of mineral processing and extractive metallurgy, addressing topics such as water and energy; solid waste; flotation and concentration processes; and critical materials.
The work presented by Dr. Yendery Ramírez focuses on improving water management in tailings storage facilities by using artificial intelligence to model evaporation in these facilities. Her research seeks to optimize evaporation estimation in order to improve the water balance of tailings.
In his presentation, Yendery Ramírez explained that mining faces increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact, especially regarding water use. “Wastewater treatment plants lose large volumes of water to evaporation, an important factor that is often overlooked,” he said. “Better predictions mean better decisions for water reuse, recycling, and storage. This also means improved physical and chemical stability. All of this supports sustainability goals and regulatory compliance.”
The FoMPEM2025 conference was also supported by the Advanced Mining Technology Center, the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, the University of Quebec at Abitibi-Témiscamingue, the UM6P – Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, and ANID Chile.
