There\u2019s a fine line between breaking down rock just the right amount and too much \u2013 and Associate Professor Nimal Subasinghe is helping navigate it. Along with PhD student Jian Zhang, he\u2019s developed a predictive model for mineral liberation that could save the resources industry millions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen ore is broken into different sizes the amount of liberation changes,\u201d Associate Professor Subasinghe explained. \u201cGrinding 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The research, sponsored by Newmont Mining, has already been published. The next steps are to develop a software package and commercialise the project. \u201cNickel, iron or gold \u2013 anyone should be able to use it,\u201d Associate Professor Subasinghe said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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