Mineral Processing: Innovations and Challenges
Contributor:
Iztok Livik
Posted: 10/17/2012 12:00:00 AM EDT | 0
(i) declining ore grades and increasing mineralogical complexity,
(ii) increasing competition from emerging new rivals,
(iii) limited availability of water,
(iv) carbon pricing, and
(v) higher community expectations in terms of the environmental responsibility.
In addition, particularly in Australia there is additional pressure from the ongoing skilled labour shortage, with a large number of engineers, plant operators and trade workers currently in demand. New graduates in the next few years can only partially fill this demand, only around 50% of positions required.
Posted: 10/17/2012 12:00:00 AM EDT | 0
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As part of the lead up to the Mineral Processing Plant Design and Construction event to be held from the 13 - 15 November in Brisbane, Queensland, Mining IQ interviewed Iztok Livik, Stream Leader at the Minerals Down Under Research Flagship, CSIRO.
Livik talks about innovations in the industry and the particular challenges the sector faces. He also highlights the role CSIRO plays in mineral processing plants and how their research can shape work processes and production.
Mining IQ: Can you talk about innovation and its role in mineral processing plant design – why is it so important now?
Iztok Livik: Innovation is extremely important whatever one’s field of endeavour. If you don’t innovate somebody else will and with time you will unavoidably fall behind. Continuous innovation is absolutely essential in the minerals industry, which together with the oil and gas industries provides more than 50% of the nation’s export revenues (around $180b).
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In a competitive business like mining and mineral extraction, finding and gaining access to ore bodies is only part of the challenge. The other factor is having an efficient and profitable technology for extracting the contained values. A sustainable minerals industry is heavily reliant upon continuous improvements to existing technologies, as well as on the discovery of new ore bodies and development of mines.
In copper extraction and processing, for example, continuous innovation over the last century has resulted in a close to 10-fold reduction in production costs. Without such technological improvements, the high value from Australian resources the community is currently benefiting from could not have been delivered.
When Australia’s competitors are increasing in numbers and quality, it is important that we accelerate our ability to deliver effective processing solutions.
Mining IQ: What are the main challenges facing the mineral processing industry?
IL: As Australia’s biggest exporter, it is important for the minerals sector to maintain its ability to capture market share and future investment. This is becoming increasingly more difficult due to a number of burgeoning challenges that include:
(i) declining ore grades and increasing mineralogical complexity,
(ii) increasing competition from emerging new rivals,
(iii) limited availability of water,
(iv) carbon pricing, and
(v) higher community expectations in terms of the environmental responsibility.
Relatively easy to process ore reserves are diminishing fast, requiring us to utilise less readily accessible and more challenging ore bodies.
In addition, particularly in Australia there is additional pressure from the ongoing skilled labour shortage, with a large number of engineers, plant operators and trade workers currently in demand. New graduates in the next few years can only partially fill this demand, only around 50% of positions required.
Mining IQ: How has the CSIRO positioned itself to help mineral processing industry address these challenges?
IL: As Australian’s national research agency, CSIRO has been reshaping its research focus to provide the maximum impact on key national challenges. This has substantially increased our ability to assemble highly diverse research teams that can readily tackle difficult problems. CSIRO is delivering innovative solutions to various stakeholders in research areas ranging from climate and bio-security to manufacturing and mineral resources.
CSIRO’s work in the mineral resources domain delivers new concepts and technologies to the Australian minerals industry through a number of dedicated research areas, including the developments in advanced processing technologies.
This research aims to help the minerals processing industry improve its competitiveness by enhancing the performance of existing operations and developing new approaches to extract low grade and complex ores. In the last financial year alone, we engaged with around 100 different companies through a wide range of research projects in mineral processing.
Mining IQ: What types of new processing plant technology can you provide to minerals industry?
IL: We have a diverse range of research teams working in hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical extraction processes to solve major industry-related processing challenges.
Within the hydrometallurgical domain, which is the area I am actively involved in, we have a number of technologies that are either ready for immediate adoption by industry or in the advanced stage of development.
For example, a new mixing technology developed in collaboration with industry has been installed in an alumina refinery and demonstrated economic viability through successful operation over a number of years.
A novel drag reduction technology that enables transportation of slurries in pipes at a much higher solids concentration than before is also available for application by industry.
In solid-liquid separation, we have made major progress in improving the efficiency of gravity thickener technologies. Many Australian and overseas processing companies have drawn significant benefits from an improved understanding of flocculation and sedimentation processes (through increased plant productivity, smaller plant footprints, and increased rates of water reclamation). Our work in this domain also resulted in an innovative thickener-feedwell design.
Livik will talk more about these topics at the Mineral Processing Plant Design and Construction. For more information about the event, please visit the event website.
CC Image courtesy of GSEC / Flickr
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Iztok Livik |
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