There’s a fine line between breaking down rock just the right amount and too much – and Associate Professor Nimal Subasinghe is helping navigate it. Along with PhD student Jian Zhang, he’s developed a predictive model for mineral liberation that could save the resources industry millions.
“When ore is broken into different sizes the amount of liberation changes,” Associate Professor Subasinghe explained. “Grinding everything down wastes a lot of energy and the current measuring techniques are very costly. We use the characteristics of the ore itself to predict the best size for optimal liberation.”
The research, sponsored by Newmont Mining, has already been published. The next steps are to develop a software package and commercialise the project. “Nickel, iron or gold – anyone should be able to use it,” Associate Professor Subasinghe said.
More news from Curtin’s WA School of Mines
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Half a million dollar refurbishment of teaching labs
Curtin’s ongoing commitment to teaching and research at its Kalgoorlie campus has been demonstrated with the addition of a new rock and soils laboratory.
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Future students get a focus on mining
The industry supported Focus on Mining program continued this year with a camp to the South West, providing prospective students greater exposure to mining activities than previous camps.
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Inaugural Ray Finlayson Medal
The first Ray Finlayson Medal for Leadership and Academic Excellence will be presented at the Dealers and Diggers Conference dinner on 6 August.
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