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SNAPSHOT UPDATES FROM OUR UNIVERSITY NODES
from ARC Centre for Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals - 2022 Annual Report
University of Melbourne
Node’s key focus: Chemical engineering
“Our approach is process application driven, and as such, we conduct problem-solving research with tangible outcomes for industry.”
Dr Erica Avelar (Curtin)
“ The UQ node has had a very productive year, particularly in the sphere of outreach, education and inter-node collaboration.”
A/Prof Liza Forbes (UQ)
“Internode collaboration brings people with different but complementary skills and talents together to reach a better end. Our research directly contributes to the recovery of minerals that will shape future technology.”
A/Prof Seher Ata (UNSW)
"A highlight was the transfer of Reflux Classifier technology to other nodes in a collaborative effort to facilitate broader deployment of this novel technology."
A/Prof Elham Doroodchi (UON)
“There have been many memorable moments and highlights at UoA in 2022, including UoA officially joining the Centre as a node.”
Prof Chun-Xia Zhao (UoA)
“2022 has been a great year for the UniSA node, particularly in the development and success of our researchers and progress toward our GEDI goals.”
Prof Bill Skinner (UniSA)
“Being part of the #COEFamily gave us some fantastic opportunities in 2022. As one of the Centre’s smallest nodes, the highlights for Deakin in 2022 centred on our collaborations and the way they have flourished this year. ”
Dr Ellen Moon (Deakin)
“This year has been fantastic and much exciting research progress has occurred in 2022 at the UOM node.”
Prof George Franks (UOM)
"A highlight of 2022 was the opportunity for our bio-inspired RAFT polymers to be tested in multiple COEMinerals nodes (UQ, UON, Deakin, UOM, UniSA) for mineral separations, as well as internationally for lithium ion flotation work at Helmholtz Institute Freiberg, Germany."
Prof San H.Thang (Monash)
Technology & invention
Highlights of 2022
High pressure dewatering rolls equipment underwent a major upgrade and has been used to evaluate a tailings sample of a major multinational minerals company. The result has been to produce tailings with unprecedented low water content
Team milestones
UOM had a full cohort of PhD students for the first time this year. Several have progressed past their first year confirmation
Sector engagement
Ten node members visited Fosterville gold mine in Victoria, enabling students to see how their research is applied in industrial settings
Collaboration in action
Skill sharing: The team made and welcomed several visits between nodes including UON, UOM, UQ and Monash along with frequent visits from the Deakin researchers
University of Newcastle
Node’s key focus: Chemical engineering, modelling and fluid mechanics
Technology & invention
Highlights of 2022
Technology transfer: REFLUX™ Flotation Cell (RFC) technology was disseminated to UQ and UniSA, Monash and Curtin to support research occurring as part of Projects 21 & 22 and the Sink-Hole Fluidiser was sent to Curtin (projects 16 & 17)
Sector engagement
Hosted the 3-day ‘International RFC Upscaling Symposium’ where we welcomed industry and sustainability experts from Australia and around the world, as well as research presentations from multiple members representing different nodes
Community outreach
Conducted numerous lab tours for visiting Board & International Panel visitors, as well as wide-ranging government and industry representatives and trade delegations
Deakin University
Node’s key focus: Earth sciences and mineral surface chemistry separations using novel reagents
Highlights of 2022
Collaboration in action
Skill sharing: Deakin members have a close and collaborative working relationship with UOM. Centre members travel between nodes to make use of lab & facilities that one university has, but the other doesn’t, and to train each other in specific techniques.
Deakin welcomed teams from the UON to the Geelong campus to tour labs and utilise facilities to benefit joint projects
Community engagement
Participated in ‘Girls in Physics’ school outreach and hosted a ‘Girls in STEM’ work experience day
Provided tours and presentations to Geelong Manufacturing Council’s ‘Geelong Future Leaders of Industry’ and ‘Girls Leading Advanced Manufacturing’ (GFLOI & GLAM) programs for Y10-12 students
University of South Australia
Node’s key focus: Flotation, mineral surface chemistry, spectroscopy & physical chemistry (bubble-surface and droplet interfaces)
Highlights of 2022
University of Adelaide
Technology & invention
Technology transfer: UniSA received and installed a laboratory REFLUX™ Flotation Cell (RFC)
A new Profile Analysis Tensiometer (PAT) was acquired
Team milestones & thought leadership
Skill sharing: UQ node members visited UniSA for training on contact angle measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS)
Prof Bill Skinner participated in Commonwealth Government Critical Minerals Strategy Roundtable
Sector engagement
33rd Australian Colloid and Surface Science Student Conference was organised by UniSA node members A/Prof Marta Krasowska and Dr Amir Beheshti
Dr Asamoah (AI) leads successful Australia-India Strategic Research Fund Grant, “Advanced recovery of the battery materials and REE from ores and wastes”. UniSA node: Asamoah (AI), Abaka-Wood (ECR), Skinner (CI)
University of Queensland
Node’s key focus: Flotation & mineral surface chemistry
Highlights of 2022
Curtin University
Node’s key focus: Process Systems and Chemical Engineering
Highlights of 2022
University of New South Wales
Node’s key focus: Froth Flotation Systems
Highlights of 2022
Node’s key focus: Bio-inspired engineering
Highlights of 2022
Technology & invention
Collaboration in action
UNSW hosted Monash members and provided flotation lecturing to the wider research group via Teams. Work is in progress to characterise their frother/collector samples at UNSW
UoA has a new, fit-for-purpose laboratory for COEMinerals work. The team is currently filing patents for technology developed in the lab
Team milestones
Node leader Prof Chun-Xia Zhao started her prestigious National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Leadership Fellowship (2022-2026)
Community outreach
Wilderness high school students visited UoA as part of student work experience, where they saw the bio-engineering work we do in the lab
Monash University
Node’s key focus: Polymer chemistry & RAFT Polymerisation
Highlights of 2022
Technology & invention
Technology transfer: Sink-Hole Fluidiser received from UON
Collaboration in action
Curtin has two collaborative projects with UON associated with testing and computer modelling/data analytics informing technology development and industry application
Technology & invention
Completed a series of in-depth technology reviews, including:
- A comprehensive review of aerosol collector addition in the context of fluidised bed technology was conducted, with the findings presented to a group of industry representatives
- A comprehensive review of techniques for assessing and measuring the effect of mineral texture on random and non-random breakage
Collaboration in action
Hosted other node members for flotation laboratory techniques training and collaboration discussions, including, UOM and Monash and Prof Chris Aldrich, Curtin node was a Visiting Prof in the second semester of 2022
Community outreach
Wide-ranging community outreach activities including:
- Science and Engineering Challenge participation
- Centre members demonstrated minerals processing laboratory experiments to a school group and followed up with presentation on overview of how metals go from being in the ground to becoming end products
Technology & invention
World first, Bio-inspired RAFT polymer invention and application testing for use in minerals processing Identification and development of bio-inspired synthetic pigments as responsive froth and flotation agents
Collaboration in action
Monash team has a collaboration with UoA on bringing the best of both worlds of RAFT polymers and peptides for minerals beneficiation. We also work closely with team members in UON and UQ nodes
Design and synthesise RAFT polymers and reagents that are used collaboratively with various Projects in the Centre
Collaborative agreement implemented for access to CSIRO Rapid Automated Materials and Processing Centre (RAMP) for high throughput synthesis of bio-inspired responsive flotation agents
The Centre’s research approach and industry-ready solutions represent a step-change in academic-industry collaboration and implementation, helping to fast track the positive impact of new minerals processing innovation and technologies.
COEMinerals works hand-in-hand with industry partners and others to understand challenges, improve techniques, test solutions and drive transformation of the METS sector in Australia and around the world. The Centre leverages the knowledge, skills and knowhow of some of Australia’s – indeed the world’s – leading scientists representing diverse areas of specialisation.
Collectively, COEMinerals members work on a wide spectrum of projects from blue-sky, to proof of concept and the pathway from invention to patent and commercialisation.
The section showcases case studies and partner contributions of some of COEMinerals’ current research projects and technology evolution delivering meaningful outcomes for students and influencing sustainable change in the minerals industry.
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