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Media Release

April 3 2006

Microprobe sheds new light on mineral processing

The University of South Australia has secured funding to tackle outstanding minerals processing issues and develop synchrotron based technology that can simultaneously determine the structure and chemical composition of mineral samples at microscopic levels – a capability not possible in the laboratory.

The planned multi-analysis synchrotron X-ray facility (Beamline 11) being considered for implementation on the Australian Synchrotron, will have many applications across the earth sciences, biotechnology, materials and environmental sciences, and will provide an important resource to Australian science and technology.

UniSA’s Applied Centre for Structural and Synchrotron Studies (ACeSSS) plans to use Beamline 11 to shed new light on the factors that constrain recoveries of copper and gold from typical copper ores, thereby contributing to economic benefits. Professor Andrea Gerson, Director of ACeSSS, is working with an international team and the Australian Synchrotron on the design of Beamline 11.

South Australia is already a significant producer of copper in Australia, but there remains great potential to increase the state’s copper and gold production. Copper and gold are normally found together in ores along with a valueless mineral pyrite. In processing these minerals either through separation, smelting, leaching or electro processing, there is clear scope in some of these options to improve processing and/or increase recoveries.

Using state-of-the-art synchrotron technology, researchers will determine the structure and chemical composition of mineral samples at the microscopic level in an effort to understand the fundamentals of the behaviour of these materials so that process and environmental benefits can be tackled.

Three different strategies will be employed. These include tracing the movement of gold through the mineral processing chain to optimise and increase gold recovery; examining the surface layers formed when copper is leached from the mineral, chalcopyrite, to enhance the understanding of this surface layer formation and ultimately maximise copper recovery; and improving environmental remediation by understanding the mineralisation process during acid-rock drainage.

ACeSSS will interface with both the minerals and environmental remediation sectors, building on the establishment of the Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment and cementing close collaboration with UniSA’s Ian Wark Research Institute. A longer-term aim, the development of applications for manufacturing technologies is also being actively pursued through collaboration between ACeSSS and CSIRO Manufacturing Infrastructure and Technology, which feeds directly into UniSA’s Mawson Institute for Advanced Manufacturing.

Funding and in-kind contributions totalling $1.38 million for the project have been made available from the Premier’s Science and Research Fund, industry partners BHP-Billiton and Rio Tinto, and synchrotron partners Advanced Light Source (USA) and the Canadian Light Source.

“The funding allows us to build a niche industrially-oriented market for SA with an applied high tech capability at the Mawson Precinct,” Professor Gerson said.

“If this research project results in just a one per cent improvement in metals recovery, contributions to South Australia’s economy would increase by about $10 million annually based on current production, which is very significant relative to the funding received,” Prof Gerson said.

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