In October 2025, Institute TOMS in cooperation with FINGRI company successfully commissioned a pilot vertical mill for fine grinding testworks.
Institute TOMS acted as a silver sponsor of the 21st MINEX Mining and Exploration Forum that took place in Moscow on 8-9 October, 2025.
Moscow International Mineral Processing Congress (MIMPC-2025) brought together leading specialists in the field of solid mineral processing, researchers, equipment and reagent manufacturers to share their experience, discuss issues and possible solutions.
Institute TOMS took part in the international scientific symposium Miner’s Week 2025 held by MISIS University, February 3–7. The specialists of Mining audit and consulting department delivered a report on advanced approaches to create geometallurgical block models and assess process variability of ores.
Institute TOMS was assessed and passed as consistent with the criteria of the national accreditation system.
Metallurgy
Institute TOMS carries out metallurgical testworks for different types of ores and processing products containing precious and other base metals (Au, Ag, Zn, Cu, Pb, Mo, Co, Nb, Ni, PGMs). The metallurgy laboratory is fully equipped and uses advanced test methods:
- Conventional leaching tests for different metals
- Intensive leaching of gold-bearing products in ACACIA reactor
- Tests to determine parameters for sorption leaching of gold (sorption isotherm, sorbent type, sorbent capacity etc.)
- Simulation of processes CIP (RIP), CIL (RIL), Pump Cell
- Intensive leaching of gold and silver concentrates under influence of temperature and with the use of special reagents
- Heap leaching (physical and mechanical properties of ores and ore pellets, agitation leaching, leaching in a percolator, leaching in columns up to 6 m in height)
- Methods to determine the necessity for material pelletizing and for study of pellets’ strength properties as well as for tests in compression devices to get a detailed assessment of hydrophysical properties
- Extraction of Cu, Zn, and other metals from pregnant solutions (EW, SX-EW)
- HLA test to determine whether an ore is amenable to heap leaching
- Pressure oxidation (POX) of mineral products: gold-containing ores and concentrates, sulphide- and aluminum-bearing products, zinc fumes, and other refractory materials
- Hydrometallurgical treatment of refractory concentrates using an automated pilot Leachox plant: ultrafine grinding and soft oxidation in special reactors without influence of temperature and pressure - preparation of minerals to leaching, decomposition of refractory sulphides (Au, Ag, Cu, As, and Fe ores)
- Detoxification tests for metallurgical products and processing tailings (cyanide destruction, arsenic and mercury neutralization, etc.)
- Development of metallurgical treatment flowsheets and recommendations for process design criteria documents
- Pyrometallurgical treatment of precious metals concentrates including oxidative roasting under environmentally friendly conditions
- Precious metals refining
- Albion Process testing (Au, Zn, Cu) in a specialized unit by Glencore Technology. It is an atmospheric oxidative leaching process alternative to pyrometallurgy, autoclave and bacterial oxidation
Institute TOMS applies new technologies and performs testing in the following fields:
- detoxification of cyanide-containing waste waters, cyanide regeneration and concurrent recovery of base metals from solutions;
- detoxification and disposal of arsenic-containing products;
- detoxification and disposal of mercury-containing wastes; and
- cyanide neutralization using CN-D technology (MMS).
Institute TOMS offers a method to process copper sulphide products, which combines hydrometallurgical and flotation technologies. This method enables to increase copper recovery to saleable concentrate and reduce considerably (up to three times) the volume of concentrate being reported to autoclaving or even eliminate this stage.
A specialized pilot plant fitted with an automatic dosing system for reagents, gas, and material. The system is applied both in gold metallurgy – cyanide leaching of gold (CIL, CIP, RIL, RIP) and in copper metallurgy – acid leaching of copper.
