ARC Centre for Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals - 2021 Annual Report by The University of Newcastle

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

UNIVERSITY PARTNERS

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals acknowledges the support of the Australian Research Council and the NSW and South Australian Governments. We also acknowledge the in-kind and financial support from all our national collaborative organisations: The University of Newcastle (administrative node), The University of Queensland, Deakin University, The University of Melbourne, Monash University, University of South Australia, Curtin University and University of New South Wales. We also acknowledge the support from our Industry Partners: CSIRO, AMIRA, FLSmidth and Jord International, as well as in-kind from our international partners.

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS

Scan to visit ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals’ website 3

OUR CENTRE

• About COEMinerals

• Our Vision, Mission & Strategy 11

• Message from Director

• Issues Affecting the Centre

• Our Strategic Direction

• Governance

• Advisory Board

• International Advisory Panel 20

INNOVATION & COMMERCIALISATION 23

• Concorde Cell

• Traversing the Valley of Death

• Two Successful Commercial Agreements 30

• Our Strategy of Continuous Engagement 33

RESEARCH PROGRAMS 37

• Program 1

• Overview

• Project Summaries

• Spotlight on: Teresa McGrath

• Program 2

• Overview

• Project Summaries

• Program 3

• Overview

• Project Summaries

• Spotlight on: Cuong Nguyen

OUR PERFORMANCE

• 2021 Highlights

• Signature Lecture & Seminar Series

• Outreach Overview

• Celebrating the Success of Women in our Centre 78

• Training

• Publications

• Financial Statements

• COEMinerals 2022 Plans

OUR CENTRE • About COEMinerals

• Our Vision, Mission & Strategy

• Message from the Director

• Issues Affecting the Progress of the Centre

• Our Strategic Direction

• Governance

• Advisory Board

• International Advisory Panel

ABOUT COEMinerals

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling EcoEfficient Beneficiation of Minerals (COEMinerals) is a collaborative Centre established between eight Australian Universities, University of Newcastle (Administrative Organisation), University of Queensland, University of Melbourne, Deakin University, Monash University, University of South Australia, Curtin University and University of New South Wales; as well as CSIRO, industry partners and leading international researchers.

The technological, economic and environmental dilemma, however, is that the declining grade of the more accessible minerals, increasing complexity of mineralogy, and the growing need to extract the minerals from deeper mines, has reached a tipping point for sustainability. The objectives of the Centre will be to ensure the sustainability of the Australian minerals industry through higher metals recovery while reducing costs and environmental impact along with lower energy and water usage.

The urbanisation of the developing world, the emerging green economy needed to rebuild our energy systems and the digital revolution have together resulted in an unprecedented global demand for metals. With a projected global population of nine billion by 2050, demographic forecasting indicates strong growth for resources over the long term.

Over the life course of the Centre, members together with consortia will deliver transformational science technologies and capabilities to benefit the industry and the environment. This will pave the way for critical advances in the availability of metalsbased innovation in the future, as well as the establishment of a new generation of research leaders to support the innovation needed in creating a green economy for future generations.

The work of the Centre is focused on addressing three Thematic Objectives via Research Programs involving internodal collaboration across 51 projects.

Thematic Objectives •

Objective 1 - Early gangue (waste) rejection, achieved through technology advances in coarse particle beneficiation, to minimise energy and water consumption.

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Objective 2 - Fast, efficient beneficiation to minimise losses of high value metals, achieved through technology advances in fine particle beneficiation, to maximise resource recovery and product grade.

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Objective 3 - Real time removal of solids from tailings, and rejection of water from solids, achieved through the introduction of novel hydrophobic interactions, and technology advances in dewatering (getting rid of tailings dams).

MINERALS FOR OUR FUTURE

VISION To double energy and water productivity in the mining sector by 2030, maintaining the drive towards the ‘zero-emission mine’ and reduce losses of high value metals during processing by 90%.

MISSION To develop deep scientific knowledge that enables the establishment of new, transformational technologies in minerals beneficiation, to deliver a sustainable future for Australia’s minerals industry.

STRATEGY Working in partnership with the minerals industry, Mining & Equipment Technology Services (METS), the community and other stakeholders to provide advice, thought leadership, research, education, people and transformational innovations.

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR We entered 2021 believing the worst of the pandemic was behind us. There is nothing wrong with a little optimism. With the Centre Header Agreements signed in July 2020, we could now concentrate on the completion of the 51 multi-party project schedules, formal commencement of the projects, and the recruitment of the remaining Centre personnel, including PhD students. We could also look forward to a Centre launch and our inaugural Centre conference, in Canberra. However, with just a few weeks remaining before the Centre launch and conference, there was that sense of foreboding as Sydney’s COVID-19 case numbers rose. It became obvious there would be no launch or Conference in Canberra when Sydney and the Central Coast went into lockdown, but we remained hopeful of setting a new date. That hope was lost when the rest of NSW joined Sydney for the next four months. This was mirrored by Victoria which, for the second year, also went into lockdown. Major Events As we moved through the first half of the year, we held our second Stakeholder Committee meeting and finalised the composition of the Advisory Board and International Advisory Panel, both featured from page 16.

Following the Stakeholder Committee meeting in May, we held a Strategic Planning Day through Zoom, involving all researchers and partners, apart from overseas colleagues. The event focused on three key areas: • Collaborations, as the fundamental underpinning of the research to be conducted under the Centre’s banner; • The professional development of Centre members, as one of the stated ARC objectives, and; • The engagement the Centre must have with stakeholders and the world at large, as an accountable entity for the substantial investment made in it by the country. It was a very successful event, which drew valuable contributions from across the Centre at all levels. The findings were later communicated as part of the inaugural Annual Conference and worked into the ever-evolving strategic plan. After the third attempt to have a face-to-face launch, the event was moved to an online platform and held on the 16th September 2021, with contributions given by the Head of the ARC, Professor Sue Thomas and Senator Hollie Hughes (Senator for NSW). Also speaking at the event were the Vice Chancellor of the University of Newcastle, Professor Alex Zelinsky, Mr Nathan Towney, PVC - Indigenous Strategy and Leadership at the University of Newcastle, who gave the Acknowledgment of Country, myself as Centre Director, followed by Professor Karen Hapgood of Deakin University as our Centre Equity and Diversity Champion, and FLSmidth industry partner Craig Wilson Head of GPLM for Sizers, Screens & Centrifuges, Mining Industry.

The Annual Conference was transferred to an online platform and held over a two-day period, coinciding with the Centre launch. During the two days, the Centre research programs were introduced by the Program Leaders, with research contributions from each of the sub-programs. Research and soft-skills training were covered on other days. People, Projects & Partnerships The year 2021 called for a little pragmatism, a shift in strategy to drive the research projects in the absence of PhD students. Project funds were used to deliver some progress through short-term appointments of additional Research Associates, employment of undergraduate students through the summer, and through Honours projects. Our PhD student load was only three at the commencement of the year, but by year’s end had climbed to 19. Virtually all the Research Associates were on board at each of the Nodes.

Two new license agreements with industry partners were signed, while one technology, the Concorde, was installed into a major nickel operation in Western Australia by Metso-Outotec to increase the recovery of ultrafine particles. The Nova Cell was formally launched by Jord International, while FLSmidth and the University of Newcastle researchers completed the first full-scale trial of the Reflux Flotation Cell using industry and government funding. An Australian manganese operation also investigated the potential for more advanced gravity separation to increase their recovery of manganese from tailings. Another major company undertook studies across a range of COEMinerals’ technologies on their ores, and on the classification of sands using the Reflux Classifier. New funding of $2.95M was also secured from the industry to undertake a full-scale trial of the novel agglomeration XtractOreTM in 2022. For 2022, the Centre is well positioned to forge ahead on the back of its strong industry engagement achieved through 2021, with the bulk of its personnel, including students, on board. There will be challenges ahead no doubt in navigating the COVID endemic.

Issues Affecting the Progress Of The Centre Access to labs and lack of PhDs scholarships due to COVID border closures and state lockdowns were the two major issues affecting the Centre. As mentioned prior, we mitigated PhD issues by utilising the shortterm appointment of Research Associates and undergraduate students. As part of their project report, all project leaders were tasked with describing risk/ challenges they foresaw within their project and how they planned to mitigate or overcome these.

The most common risks/mitigations were: Risks: • PhD international restrictions • Closure to national boarders • Limitations of access to labs • Difficulty in obtaining commercial reagents and delivery supply of equipment to commence experiments • Difficulty in sourcing ores and mineral samples Mitigations: • Appoint postdocs for short-term to start the work/ apply for travel exemptions for PhD candidates • Postpone inter-collaborations until 2022 when national borders open • Focus on theoretical and numerical studies, and review articles • Utilise Centre members to assist in sourcing other reagent companies • Source ores and minerals from international suppliers or synthesise in labs or purchase ore specimens from commercial providers • Seek exemptions during lockdowns to continue laboratory work where possible - Laureate Professor Kevin Galvin

OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTION In May, all Centre members (including industry partners) came together via Zoom to participate in our Strategic Planning Day. The aim of the day was to have members explore and share views and ideas, as well as discuss the strategic direction of the Centre in line with the Centre proposal.

The Strategic Planning Day was overseen by a private consultant, who interviewed key personnel on the technical research and operations of the Centre prior to the meeting. From these interviews, three main session themes for the day were formulated: 1: Collaboration as a Critical Determinant of Centre & Research Success This session explored the particular importance the Centre attaches to effective collaboration among all members (academia, partners, industry, government – even community), along with the mechanisms by which the Centre intends to foster and maintain the necessary collaborative spirit over time. Where do the opportunities lie? Where do risks lurk? What challenges are there to it? 2: Professional Development & the Centre’s Research Spirit This session considered the non-technical objectives of the Centre and, in particular, the development of the capability of participants as professionals and individuals operating in highly collaborative project environments.

3: Communication, Engagement, Outreach & Associated Behaviours - Speaking with One Voice This session discussed some of the sensitivities likely to arise in the operation of a dispersed, multi-party Centre: information sharing, information protection, conflicts of interest, outreach and its limitations. Zoom breakout rooms were used to discuss and share ideas on the themes. The day was exceptionally successful, with 76 Centre members participating. From the sessions and notes taken from the consultant, a fully revised Strategic Plan with objectives has been developed.

OBJECTIVES 1: To develop and deliver new transformational technologies to the minerals industry

INITIATIVES • Conduct a research review and feedback, against Centre’s thematic objectives • Industry alignment and feedback into research programs • A focus on innovation and industry collaboration • International advisory board overview and feedback on research directions

2: To provide the minerals industry with a diverse and future-oriented technical workforce

• 50% gender equity targets in all activities • 50% gender equity targets in all appointments • Defined leadership of equity and diversity for the Centre, including planning • Training on language, equity and racial bias • Targeted professional training for PhDs & ECRs

3: To provide thought leadership and deep technical training to students and the industry

• Monthly Signature Lectures from industry and academic thought-leaders • Technical and training seminars to all members of the Centre • Out-of-discipline training sessions for all students and industry partners • Cross-university engagement of all PhD students

4: To establish strong links between the minerals industry, community and researchers

• Strategic advisory board inclusive of key industry leaders • Industry involved in >50% of PhD projects • Involvement of industry in all seminars and training activities • Flexibility to produce new technical innovation delivery programs directly and via Amira Global

Quotes from Our Strategic Planning Day

“We cannot demand collaborations. We can, however, invite them, enable them and foster them by creating the environment in which they are most likely to flourish, and the conditions under which they will best originate and thrive.”

“Besides striving for research excellence, the Centre is concerned that it should provide an outstanding developmental experience for its members — one that will not only equip them with the skills and knowledge beneficial to their growth as persons and professionals, but one that will also inspire, by exemplifying what a career in research can be, and thus produce a model for future endeavours.”

“The Centre has attracted substantial ARC funding. In so doing, it has entered into an obligation to the community at large — an obligation that, even if only moral, requires the Centre to

demonstrate the benefits of the investment made in its seven-year research endeavour.”

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY PANEL

DIRECTOR

ADVISORY BOARD

CENTRE CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

RESEARCH PROGRAMS REVIEW COMMITTEE

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEE

PROGRAM TWO

CHIEF INVESTIGATORS ASSOCIATE INVESTIGATORS INTERNATIONAL RESEARCHERS ECRS, MCRS PHDS TECHNICAL STAFF PROFESSIONAL STAFF

Executive Committee

Advisory Board

International Advisory Panel

COEMinerals’ Executive Committee is a collaboration made up of the Director, Centre Chief Operations Officer, Node Leaders and Deputy Node Leaders.

The Advisory Board aims to: • Review and provide feedback on the Strategic Plan for the Centre • Provide strategic advice to the Centre Director and assist the Centre in achieving its goals • Provide high-level advice on engagement with industry, government and community • Facilitate, where appropriate, new opportunities for the Centre and review performance

The purpose of the International Advisory Panel is to: • Review the research program reports • Review outcomes from the Research Program Review Committee • Provide an international perspective or benchmark on research performance, as well as facilitate, where appropriate, new opportunities for the Centre

They meet once a week, on average, to ensure the research and operations of the Centre are aligned with our vision, mission, strategic and research goals, and KPIs, as well as to ensure the Centre is strengthening internal and external links and engaging with industry nationally and internationally.

RESEARCH PROGRAM COMMITTEE

PROGRAM ONE

GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

2021 saw the commencement of biannual meetings of the Advisory Board and International Advisory Panel.

PROGRAM THREE

ADVISORY BOARD The Advisory Board members consist of the following people including, Laureate Professor Kevin Galvin (Director) and Annemarie Fawkner (Centre Chief Operations Officer)

Professor Simon Biggs, FTSE FREng (Chair)

Professor Richard A Williams, OBE FREng FTSE

Denise Goldsworthy AO, GAICD FTSE FAIM

Simon is the Senior Vice-Chancellor at the James Cook University. His research interests are broadly within the field of particle and colloid engineering and he is the author of more than 200 refereed papers in international journals, as well as more than 20 patents. His work has received more than 7000 citations. Prior to taking on senior leadership roles, he led a number of large, multi-year research consortia in the UK.

Richard Williams (Vice Chancellor, Heriot-Watt University) is an academic and entrepreneur in on-line measurement and simulation of mineral processes, energy storage and environmental technologies. He is a graduate of Imperial College London and has held posts at the Universities of Manchester (UMIST), Exeter (Camborne School of Mines), and as Pro ViceChancellor at the Universities of Leeds and Birmingham. He is a Fellow Academician of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He is an Advisory Board member of the Lloyds Register Foundation, a Non-Executive Board Director of the British Geological Survey, and a Trustee of Entrepreneurial Scotland. He has developed new technology start-ups in radical innovation in on-line rheology, flow imaging, particle modelling and thermal nanomaterials.

Denise Goldsworthy AO commenced as Edith Cowan University’s fifth Chancellor on 1 January 2022. As founder of Alternate Futures, Ms Goldsworthy connects research organisations, tech start-ups and industry, delivering solutions to problems. Her expertise in innovation was honed during her career in the manufacturing and resources industries. Starting with BHP Steel, Ms Goldsworthy rose to leadership roles in operations and technology for ironmaking and steelmaking. In 1998, she joined Rio Tinto Iron Ore as Technical Marketing Manager, ultimately moving into executive roles including CCO Autonomous Haul Trucks, MD Dampier Salt, MD HIsmelt and Director Major Projects. Denise has a portfolio of non-executive director (NED) roles, which includes Chair of ChemCentre, Gascoyne Gateway and Navy Clearance Diver Trust, the Boards of Western Power and Leichhardt Industrials, as well as a member of the Cooperative Research Centre Advisory Board (CRCAC) and WA Defence Science Centre Advisory Board. She was awarded Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year in 2010 and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Andrew Hutchinson

Professor Jacques Eksteen

Andrew Hutchinson is the General Manager of the Critical Minerals Facilitation Office with the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. Andrew brings 20 years of experience in energy, climate, environment and resource management to the role, having worked across the private and not-for-profit sectors, and Commonwealth and state governments. Andrew most recently held the role of senior adviser to the Prime Minister on environment, energy and climate change.

Jacques Eksteen is a chemical and metallurgical engineer with 28 years’ experience in industry and academia. He is the Research Director of the Future Battery Industries CRC (FBICRC) and was the Chief Operating Officer from the inception of the FBIRCRC until June 2021. Jacques holds a PhD in extractive metallurgical engineering and has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers. Jacques also holds the position Chair: Extractive Metallurgy at the Western Australian School of Mines in Curtin University.

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY PANEL

The International Advisory Panel members consist of the following people including, Laureate Professor Kevin Galvin (Director), Professor William Skinner (Deputy) & Annemarie Fawkner (Centre Chief Operations Officer)

Professor Cyril O’Connor

Silvia Cristina Alves França

Dr Barun Gorain

Dr Martin Rudolph

Cyril is a chemical engineer with a PhD from the University of Cape Town and a Senior Doctorate (DEng) in Metallurgical Engineering from Stellenbosch University. He is the founder Director of the Centre for Minerals Research at the University of Cape Town, was President of the International Mineral Processing Council (2006-2020) and held the Anglo-American Platinum Chair in Minerals Processing (2008 until retirement). He has published over 300 papers and has supervised more than 80 PhD and MSc graduates. He is a Fellow of numerous learned societies and is an International Member of the US National Academy of Engineering.

Silvia is a Chemical Engineer, PhD in particulate systems, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2000), and a Senior Technologist at CETEM – Centre for Mineral Technology/Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations. Silvia is involved in RD&I projects focused on dewatering, rheology and water reuse in mining, involved in international cooperation at the Minerals Research Laboratory, USA (2000), the Ian Wark Research Institute, Australia (2015) and in a working group of the United Nations/Austria on tools for monitoring the quality and use of water in mining activities. She has held the position of Director of CETEM Mineral Technology Centre since September 2020.

Barun has served the minerals industry over 25 years focusing on gold and base metals operations, capital projects, and in process technology implementation roles. Some of his key professional roles include Chief Technology Officer for Hindustan Zinc (Vedanta), Director with Barrick Gold based in Toronto, and as a Group Leader at Teck Resources in British Columbia. Dr Gorain has a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering from the JKMRC, University of Queensland in Australia and a BTech in Mineral Engineering from Indian School of Mines. Dr Gorain is now the President and CEO of ORE2METAL, based in Toronto, Canada.

Martin is a process engineer with a love of fine particles. In 2012 he received his PhD at TU Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF), Germany, in the processing of nanoparticlepolymer composites with an emphasis on interfaces and colloidal interactions. He continued in research as a Post-Doc and transitioned to the field of mineral processing, becoming one of the first engineers of the newly founded Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF). There he helped set up the department of processing and re-establish Freiberg flotation research. Since 2016 he has been the Head of the Department and also a lecturer at TUBAF.

INNOVATION & COMMERCIALISATION • Concorde Cell

• Traversing the Valley of Death

• Two Successful Commercial Agreements

• Our Strategy of Continuous Engagement

CONCORDE CELL

New Flotation Technology For the Sustainable Minerals Industry The race to hit net zero emissions over the next few decades will require a significant increase in production of so-called “critical minerals” for batteries, wind turbines, and electronics for key energy technologies. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently predicted that there will be a six-fold increase in global demand for nickel, copper, lithium and cobalt, which it identified as the top four energy transition metals. Australia is well placed to benefit from the supply gaps for critical minerals. Nickel for example is used to strengthen alloys like stainless steel widely used in the food, health, and architectural industries. It is also one of the “battery metals” used in electric vehicles. Currently, Australia produces 24 per cent of the world’s nickel, a global market worth over $70 billion a year. The race is on to increase production to meet the new demands. In August 2021, BHP - the largest producer of nickel in Australia – announced a major upgrade to their Mt Keith nickel operation in WA, aimed at increasing the mine’s output by 40 per cent.

One of the new technologies being used in the Mt Keith upgrade is the Concorde Cell invented by Laureate Professor Graeme Jameson from the University of Newcastle. The Concorde Cell is a type of froth flotation machine that was developed to improve the recovery of ultrafine particles, which are present in the Mt Keith ore. Froth flotation is used to separate valuable mineral particles such as pentlandite, a nickel sulfide, from particles of host rock. Trace amounts of chemicals are added to the finely ground ore that make the valuable minerals water repellent while leaving the rock particles untouched. When bubbles are introduced, they collect the water-repellent particles, leaving the remainder behind.

In the case of the Mt Keith ore, when ground finely to liberate the nickel particles, the background material forms large flocs, like curdled milk. The valuable nickel particles are enveloped by the flocs, so they cannot contact the bubbles. As a result, the recovery of the finest particles is very low. The Concorde Cell has a high-shear zone that breaks up the flocs and releases the valuable particles, to be collected by the bubbles. An intensive test program showed that the Concorde Cell performed better than alternative technologies and it was selected to implement the upgrade. The Concorde Cell was developed in Newcastle, and was subsequently licensed to Metso Outotec, the world’s largest supplier of equipment for the mining industry. Since its introduction in 2018, cells have been commissioned worldwide, in industries as diverse as silver, gold and copper. The Concorde Cell is very different to previous flotation technologies, and recent experiences have opened up new avenues that need to be explored at a fundamental level. A number of these issues are under investigation by COEMinerals.

TRAVERSING THE VALLEY OF DEATH How the RFC Almost ‘Died’ Multiple Times Before It Was Even Tested!

The Reflux Flotation Cell (RFC) was filed as a provisional patent in 2011, however it was not until 2021 – following a decade of perseverance and multiple ‘near-death experiences’ while stuck in the perilous Valley of Death – that a successful full-scale trial on a mine site was achieved. The ‘Valley’ lies between the proverbial peaks of research and commercialisation, and represents arguably the most perilous period in the process, as research funding has generally been exhausted but some commercial partners still consider the project too financially risky to invest in. However, the name can be deceptive. The Valley is not the place ill-conceived projects meet their fate, like an unprepared traveller foolishly venturing into the wilderness. It’s a well-worn path where robust ideas can, nevertheless, still slowly starve. Given the heightened need for academic research to deliver new technologies to industry, it is worth conveying the nature and complexity of traversing the Valley. 26

Early Days of the RFC Originally motivated by an industrial need to recover and concentrate high-value cenospheres from fly ash, research on the RFC soon expanded to address the far greater need for a better flotation cell, confirming the potential for delivering process intensification and extreme levels of product cleaning (research that is continuing as part of multiple COEMinerals projects). Efforts to secure funding to investigate up-scaling of the RFC commenced many years prior to the COEMinerals research proposal, such is the nature of the commercialisation journey. A sum of $1 million was secured in 2016 from the Federal Government’s new Global Innovation Linkage (GIL) scheme, along with initial support of $700,000 from the licensee, FLSmidth, and $300,000 from ACARP. The First Near-Death Experience Once the project commenced, the host site chose to invest its own funds towards a plant six times larger than required for the trial. While this confidence was encouraging, their design incorporated significant contingency in the form of an allowance to revert, if necessary, back to the conventional technology, making the entire proposition too expensive. This diversion cost over 12 months of project time, leaving just four weeks to reassemble an entirely new proposition.

The Second Near-Death Experience A new site was identified within a week, an MoU between six organisations secured, and a contract with an SME signed, leaving just a few days spare. A two-stage cascading RFC system, over 20 metres high, underwent detailed design. There was bad news, however, when it was discovered the foundations under the existing concrete slab would need to be excavated and re-engineered at considerable cost. Following the tender it was discovered the cost of the facility was well beyond the budget. In parallel with the detailed design work, new research confirmed the viability of replacing the two-stage RFC system with a single-stage RFC separator.

Opposite: RFC, image supplied by FLSmidth

There Can Be Benefits Found in the Valley of Death The new goal was to operate at about five times the feed rate of a conventional cell, while achieving product cleaning well beyond that currently possible. The approach formed the basis of a number of COEMinerals’ projects, while laboratory work led to the development of two skid-mounted pilot plants, one for the Americas and one for Australia, both funded by partner FLSmidth. Site pilot trials are planned for 2022 at two nickel plants in Western Australia in parallel with more fundamental research. The full-scale facility was redesigned as a single-stage separator at ground-level. If we knew that wind-loads had triggered the need for excavation of the site in the previous design, this ground-level approach would have been adopted sooner, saving significant time and money. The new single-stage ground-level design was, in fact, a blessing, a considerable reduction in the complexity and cost, hence a vastly more attractive solution for industry.

The Third Near-Death Experience With the project funds depleting with time, however, it became clear following a new tender that even this solution was too expensive. The timing was not good for FLSmidth either, so we needed a way to keep the project moving. The solution was to establish a Phase I and a Phase II objective, by securing an alternative feed source in the plant to reduce the costs. FLSmidth’s local engineering group undertook the installation, greatly de-risking the project from the pitfalls of “variations”. These changes made it possible for the University to commit the project funds, guaranteeing a facility would be produced. New funds from FLSmidth were secured in the following year to complete Phase II; the final project cost was $4.5 million cash and in-kind. Throw in Bushfires, Floods, a Pandemic… In addition to meeting mine site compliance, there were further delays due to catastrophic bushfires in 20192020, the NSW lockdown in early 2020, and floods. Following initial commissioning, a plug of sediment that formed within the main waterpipe over the preceding months travelled through the circuit causing significant damage, costing two more months. Finally, prior to Easter 2021, the facility was ready for its first experiment. However, the absence of a piece of inexpensive metal shaped as a final – maybe insurmountable – hurdle.

Could a Pipe Bracket Be the Straw That Breaks the Camel’s Back? The absence of a single pipe-bracket support delayed commencement by two more days, after which we discovered the plant feed was no longer available that week. Pre-Easter plans were abandoned. This was a considerable blow as the site was also closed for two weeks after Easter for maintenance. The completion date of the GIL project was June 30; there would be no more extensions as we had already been granted a 12-month COVID extension in the previous year! In May 2021 we seized the opportunity to commence the experiments despite the facility requiring more engineering improvements. With the correct reagent added to the feed, the hydrodynamics of the RFC were shown to perform as expected and to deliver highquality separations. The technology had been de-risked! We were jubilant. After completing the engineering improvements, a new road was installed near the facility preventing site access for a month. Then, NSW went into lockdown for four more months. That $100 pipe bracket nearly cost us a $4.5 million project! But this project was ultimately successful. The goal was “not to deliver a preconceived process design”, but rather “to de-risk a new technology”. This meant there needed to be flexibility in the pathway, coupled with a preparedness to redefine the meaning of success.

Takeaway New technologies can easily take around ten years to commercialise. Strong research support is needed in parallel with the process of innovation and commercialisation, in building a deeper understanding of the underpinning physicochemical and hydrodynamic forces that deliver the separations, in achieving improvements, in the deployment of a new technology, and in expanding the innovation platform to create new Intellectual Property. Our work is a continuum; the boundaries of the Centre are permeable. External investment beyond the Centre, derived from the genuine value proposition of transformational change, funds the pathway for traversing the so-called Valley of Death. COEMinerals seeks transformational change through the introduction of new ideas and technologies into the innovation pipeline, while conveying these existing technologies of varying TRL to successful commercialisation on the back of new investment.

Reference: Galvin, K.P. (2021). Method and Apparatus for Separating Low Density Particles from Feed Slurries (US Patent No. 11,066,312 B2), US Patent and Trademark Office. https:// patentsgazette.uspto.gov/week29/OG/Cpc-c.html Visit YouTube link below to see the RFC story in more detail: ...

TWO SUCCESSFUL COMMERCIAL AGREEMENTS WITH JORD INTERNATIONAL

A key relationship that was further cultivated during 2021 was with partner organisation Jord International (Jord), a privately-owned company that has strong ties to COEMinerals’ operating node, the University of Newcastle, with a presence on-campus. Leveraging the existing relationships with Jord has been critical to the development of two key pieces of technology, NovaCell and XtractOreTM, with Jord coming on board as a commercialising partner for both. NovaCell is an exciting new technology created by Laureate Professor Graeme Jameson, who believes his technology stands to make huge energy and water savings for the mining industry. Briefly, the NovaCell addresses the issue of capturing particles in the mineral extraction process. Where traditional technology requires particles to be ground down to the breadth of a human hair – around 100 microns – NovaCell uses a fluidised bed rather than a stirred tank, which allows for capturing particles as coarse as sand, or around 500 microns. This is important because the grinding process consumes huge quantities of energy – which in turn contributes to CO2 emissions while the finer particle size leads to increased consumption of water. Based on their work to date, Jord believes the “NovaCell could unlock a 40% reduction in comminution energy and a 12% reduction in overall site operating cost”.

“This is a really exciting commercialisation opportunity from our perspective,” says Jord GM Resources, Kevin Barber. “We’ve been doing various test work, hired new staff and are really ramping up the design efforts in the new technology as well as the marketing efforts.” As for XtractOreTM, it is a novel agglomeration technology focused on fine particles that are difficult to recover by traditional flotation technology. The novel approach is showing great potential across a range of valuable minerals that are traditionally unrecovered and end up lost in the mine tailings. Based largely on work lead by Laureate Professor Kevin Galvin, Jord believe XtractOreTM could ultimately “deliver a 10 to 100 fold increase in the speed of fine particle separation”. Jord and the university, backed by funding from ACARP, collaborated closely to develop and cost a full-scale XtractOreTM 500m3 per hour demonstration plant at a site in NSW scheduled to be turned on in early 2023. Both commercial opportunities have progressed as a result of Jord’s close proximity and therefore ability to be a very hands-on partner. “The beauty of our team being onsite is we can go down and see first-hand design issues or the effects of changes,” Mr Barber says.

“It’s been a terrific process really – the ability to be involved directly in test work, be involved in optimisation in real time, gives us great insight to take it to full scale. “The interaction under an embedded model has been the secret to our success.” Mr Barber has also enjoyed the insights provided to other areas of technical research presented by academics and researchers. “Being a part of COEMinerals has really opened my eyes to a range of new opportunities and cutting-edge research that is being completed by groups all around the world.” He has expressed confidence it will lead to future successful collaborations.

OUR STRATEGY OF CONTINUOUS ENGAGEMENT

Engagement may start with conversations, on social media, via email, over the phone or on Zoom, building mutual understanding of the issues, and the potential value propositions – often ad-hoc across multiple enterprises. It may be initiated either from the industry to the university, or the other way. There is no hard-sell, just conversations on the art and science of the possible, with a genuine interest in the opportunities from both ends. The discussions dissipate, and then – out of the blue – return. There are no expectations. It’s common to see research funds flow about two years after the first conversation. The principle of repeat business delivering value is the key to continuation in the engagement over the long term with funding and impact.

Our Centre’s strategy has been one of continuous, ad-hoc engagement, with a view to aligning the value propositions and research opportunities of existing projects with the needs of industry. This approach ensures strong relevance to the industry and greater access to real minerals, ensuring the fundamental work leads to real solutions. Students and Research Associates become involved, providing valuable experience to younger researchers in appreciating the factors that motivate the industry.

OUR STRATEGY OF CONTINUOUS ENGAGEMENT (Cont) Salazar

South32

Anglo American

ACARP

Australia-Germany Grant

Persuing Full-Scale Trials

Our traction with Salazar, a Western Australian company with a significant but elusive rare-earth deposit, is a prime example.

South32 has recovered manganese dioxide – used in manufacturing steel and in batteries – at Groote Eylandt over many decades. In 2012 they installed five Reflux Classifiers to recover and concentrate the mineral from tailings waste streams.

Anglo American has engaged strongly from the outset through significant research funding to support scoping experiments across a myriad of Centre technologies, the aim being to identify productive areas for further work.

ACARP provided funding of $2.9 million to support the upscaling of the novel agglomeration technology, to be known as XtractOre, licensed in 2021 to partner organisation Jord International. The work will be conducted at around 500 m3/h utilising little more than an orifice plate in a pipe to produce the selective agglomeration.

Ultimately the minerals industry will be very different to the existing paradigm, which is built upon 20th century priorities and business models.

Full-scale trials are critical to shifting the technology readiness levels of key Centre technologies. The challenge is to raise the capital to support the work and to sustain the vagaries of the ‘Valley of Death’. A multi-party collaboration finally led to the trialling of the Reflux Flotation Cell on a mine site in 2021, delivering the necessary de-risking required to take the technology to industry. Our engagement with IGO and Nickel West has led to formal plans for pilot scale work on those sites. Similar engagement with Cadia in NSW will likely lead to further discussions on possible site trials in 2022.

The Salazar Rare Earths research, funded initially for $56,250, involves University of Newcastle, Monash and University of South Australia researchers in a collaboration with the company. At its heart is an intractable problem: how to selectively concentrate specific rare-earth minerals. A mix of capabilities was assembled for the project, consisting of density functional analysis to help establish the chemical functionality that might best work (Professor Alister Page and Dr Josh Brown - UON), RAFT polymerisation from one of its original inventors (Professor San Thang - MON), surface physics and mineralogy (Professor Bill Skinner - UniSA), and novel beneficiation (Laureate Professor Kevin Galvin - UON). New insights emerged through 2021, although practical work suffered due to the east coast lockdown. Success with this initial funding would lead to much more research opportunity and ultimately a significant resource, sufficient to meet the global demands for perhaps 100 years.

There was a view that a stronger performance and significant extension of the site viability could be achieved by introducing two stages of processing into the fines circuit, increasing the recovery of the finest particles. Recent fundamental work by Professor Galvin’s group demonstrated potential benefits in greatly advancing gravity separation of fine particles by using more closely spaced inclined channels. With the NSW lockdown, it was only possible to continue the laboratory work with a skeleton crew, with strong measures in place to prevent any infections. The research, with funding of $81,475, involved a series of 17 experiments, leading to clear conclusions on the potential to improve productivity by as much as 20 per cent. The benefits to the industry from this short program of work, if applied, could be sufficient to fund seven ARC Centres of Excellence into the future.

The experimental work has covered a strong mix of research that has immediate interest, through to research of a much more speculative nature. These projects have been run in parallel with Centre projects and via direct engagement with the partner organisation FLSmidth to ensure the outcomes can be piloted immediately at key industrial sites. Similar strategies have been used with partner organisation Jord International, via an end user to beneficiate silver tailings. Glencore Copper provided five tonnes of chalcopyrite to support a range of projects, while Australian Tin Resources provided a significant sample from a NSW tailings dam. These sources of ore will underpin Centre projects directly. Recent evidence suggests the potential to completely transform the way cassiterite is recovered and concentrated, with a significant step change in recovery and grade using closely spaced inclined channels.

This makes Centre research on the agglomeration much more relevant and valuable, given the outcomes of the Centre’s agglomeration research have a greater chance for translation.

Decarbonisation is driving change at an increasing rate. Recycling is already happening in Europe to ensure metals can be re-used. We have secured an AustraliaGermany grant that will allow PhD student Sian Parkes to extend her work in particulate flotation to include “Ion Flotation of Critical Minerals using the Reflux Flotation Cell”. While this is a small grant, the connections with the Helmholtz Institute in Freiberg will be mutually beneficial, with the Institute also party to an $8 million EIT RawMaterials (an innovation community within the European Institute of Innovation and Technology project on the Reflux Flotation Cell involving FLSmidth). Ultimately, direct engagement with the minerals industry provided cause for optimism in a year in which the Centre was subject to closed borders and therefore few PhD students enrolled.

RESEARCH PROGRAMS • Program 1

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Overview

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Project Summaries

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Spotlight on: Teresa McGrath

• Program 2

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Overview

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Project Summaries

• Program 3

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Overview

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Project Summaries

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Spotlight on: Cuong Nguyen

PROGRAM 1: PHYSICS OF NOVEL SYSTEM HYDRODYNAMICS Research Program Leaders

Laureate Professor Kevin Galvin, Laureate Professor Graeme Jameson and Professor Bill Skinner.

Overview Program 1 comprises 32 projects across four subprograms, aimed at reducing energy and water consumption, while maximising the recovery of the resource to deliver high-grade product. Over 2021, while the full cohort of postgraduate students and post-doctoral researchers were unable to be appointed, progress still advanced in all subprograms. Activity highlights include: Characterising bulk and surface properties of minerals (Projects 1-8) • Refinement of HRXMT analysis methodology completed and first data acquired on Pb-Zn feed and cyclone products from real processing circuit. • 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling of clay dispersions and the impact of ionic and molecular additives on particleparticle interactions for flotation and dewatering environments.

Pre-concentration through coarse particle beneficiation to reduce the need for grinding (Projects 9-18) • Laboratory-scale Reflux Classifier (RC) facility constructed and commissioned. • Methodology developed for producing synthetic, composite particles with controlled locking texture and surface expression of value minerals. Fine particle separations to achieve faster and more efficient separations (Projects 19-27) • Industry partner Jord International has signed a licensing agreement to develop the Novel Agglomeration concentrated water-in-oil emulsion technology. • Image processing algorithm developed to quantify the bubble size distributions in the Reflux Flotation Cell (RFC). Solid-liquid separations to eliminate tailings dams (Projects 28-32) • Techno-economic assessment of the use of commercially available reagents for fine particle aggregation for flotation recovery has been completed. • Combined Discrete Element Method (DEM)-CFD simulation development for studying growth and breakage of aggregates in flotation hydrodynamic environments.

Our Objectives for 2022

Program Personnel

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nstallation, commissioning of laboratory RFC at the University of South Australia. Development of a full scale novel agglomeration technology (ExtractOre) system on a mine site. Pilot scale trials of transformative flotation technologies in recovering nickel and other metals. Next phase of commercialisation of the Graviton, which combines G forces with inclined channels to achieve large scale. Development and construction of a new, continuous Sink-Hole Fluidiser system for dry separation of minerals. New DEM-CFD model to explain the novel separation mechanism that governs the Sink-Hole Fluidiser. Multi-phase DEM-CFD model for inclined channels in the Reflux Classifier. Advances in the Coarse AirTM for achieving coarse particle flotation. Particle size classification in the Reflux Classifier. Novel approach to benchmark coarse particle flotation. Benchmarking of coarse, composite flotation recovery in the HydroFloat Cell using controlled synthetic particles with controlled surface exposure of hydrophobic mineral. Improved solid-liquid separation using novel polymers for achieving hydrophobic flocs.

Dr Mahshid, Firouzi, UON, Chief Investigator Dr Simon Iveson, UON, Research Associate Mr Matt Cole, UON, Research Associate Dr Vahid Hassanzadeh, UON, Research Associate Dr Callan Lowes, UON, Research Associate Dr Bellson Awatey, University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Karina Barbosa, University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Konuray Demir, University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Farhana Diba, University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Marko Hilden, University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Saeed Kia, University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Conrad Ndimande, University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Thuong V Nguyen, University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Tuan Nguyen, University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Ngoc Nguyen, University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Cuong Nguyen, University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Francisco Reyes, University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Wonder Chimonyo^, University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Tejas Bhatelia, Curtin University, Research Associate Dr Peter Sherell, University of Melbourne, Associate Investigator Dr Ghislain Bournival, University NSW, Associate Investigator Mrs Sian Parkes, University of Newcastle, PhD Ms Meolla Yvon, University of Newcastle, PhD Mr Syamsundar Menon Murali Mohan, University of Newcastle, PhD Mr Virat Gurung, University of Newcastle, PhD Mr Jiarui Chen, University of Queensland, PhD Miss Annabelle Niu, University of Queensland, PhD Miss Jackquline Eardley, University of Melbourne, PhD Mr Yuxuan Luo, University of Melbourne, PhD Mr Sajid Hassan, University of Melbourne, PhD Mr Lequan Zeng, University of Melbourne, PhD Mr James Dankwah, University of South Australia, PhD Mr Sayed Anzoom, University of NSW, PhD Dr Joshua Sutherland, University of Newcastle, Research Assistant Miss Ai Wang, University of Newcastle, Research Assistant Dr Xiu Liu, Curtin University, Research Assistant

^ Also involved in Program

PROGRAM 1: PHYSICS OF NOVEL SYSTEM HYDRODYNAMICS (GALVIN, JAMESON, SKINNER)

TITLE

LEADER & KEY PERSONNEL

PROJECT SUMMARIES

The manipulation and analysis of data from XRT to quantify mineral surface liberation, with a particular focus on fine particle characterisation

P1.1 Quantifying Bulk and Surface Properties of Minerals 1

Application of X-ray CT scanning in describing mineral surface liberation with increasing grinding and applied breakage mechanisms

Application of X-ray CT scanning in describing partition curves of mineral separators

Leader: Prof Bill Skinner (UniSA) Key Personnel: A/Prof Mohsen Yahyaei (UQ) Dr Catherine Evans, AI (UQ) Prof Jan Miller, AI (UoU) - Amira

Leader: Prof Anh V Nguyen (UQ) Key Personnel: Dr Catherine Evans, AI (UQ) Prof Jan Miller, AI (UoU)

Key Personnel: Dr Catherine Evans, AI (UQ) Prof Stephen Neethling, AI (Imperial College)

These technologies impart combinations of compression and shear – key to grainboundary breakage at both coarse and fine-particle size. The work looks to examine liberation characteristics via Quantitative Evaluation of Materials by Scanning Electron Microscopy (QEMSCAN) and to develop the methodology for X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT), prior to designing standard comparison experiments using the same feed material. This will be followed by processing test work for coarse flotation.

The team has refined the procedure for High-Resolution X-ray Micro Computed Tomography (HRXMT) analysis using raw coal samples and successfully validated it by Float and Sink (FaS). Three samples (feed, overflow and underflow products) from a preconcentration Pb-Zn ore circuit (DMC) of a mineral processing plant were characterised. The mass and density distributions of the samples were successfully determined by XCT imaging using an Xradia Versa XRM500 machine.

X-ray Tomography (XRT) is a non-destructive technique that can measure the composition and surface exposure of mineral particles using 3D images, overcoming stereological problems associated with the analysis of 2D images. This project aims to test and further develop tomographic image-analysis methods previously developed by researchers at Imperial College London. Analysis is being completed to determine whether the project could also analyse Zeiss’s software and analysis methodologies as well. The work will test both systems using a range of different ores and do further development to decrease the size of particle that can be successfully analysed. Ore samples have been prepared into a form appropriate for analysis. An elutriation device has been constructed and commissioned to assist in removing finer particles ( -5µm) from the samples prior to XRT analysis.

Data from the literature and recent industry R&D on different types of low-energy comminution technologies has been collected. These include currently available commercial unit operations such as High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) and Vertical Roller Mills (VRM), along with pre-commercial devices such as the Super Fine Crusher (SFC) and Gyratory Rolls Crusher (GRolls).

The image processing and the XCT imaging procedure used for analysing coal washability have been refined for establishing the partition curves of these minerals. Dense-medium suspensions were used for FaS experiments, the results of which will be used for calibrating and refining the image processing, as well as validating the partition curves of these ores obtained from the XCT experiments.

Leader: A/Prof Kym Runge (UQ)

New techniques for quantifying fine particle mineralogy

Leader: Prof Bill Skinner (UniSA) Key Personnel: Dr Colin MacRae, PI (CSIRO)

Characterisation of clays, including the role of salts in copper flotation

Leader: Prof Peter Scales (UOM) Key Personnel: A/Prof Liza Forbes (UQ) Dr Nathan Webster, PI (CSIRO) Prof George Franks (UOM)

There is a lack of suitable model surrogates for the study of very fine particle mineralogy. Synthetic composites with ultrafine (sub-micron) textures are being produced to act as calibrants/standards for advancing technique development. Key mineralogies include rare earths (phosphate, carbonate phases) with silicates. Parallel QEMSCAN and Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS, UniSA) and soft X-ray/cathodoluminescence (CSIRO) analyses are planned.

Clays cause viscosity and surface coating issues in flotation and limiting dewatering processes in tailings management. Fast and efficient characterisation of the amount and type(s) of clays present in a process stream and prediction of the consequences for flotation and dewatering processes, such as thickening and filtration, are both still poor. The work looks to develop new methods of characterisation in conjunction with CSIRO, and also both model and validate the role of ionic and other molecular additives on clay-dispersion control. The aim is to characterise, predict and then control particle interactions and subsequent downstream-flow effects. Initial work has focussed on 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling of inter-particle interactions and developing model clay-based suspensions.

PROGRAM 1: PHYSICS OF NOVEL SYSTEM HYDRODYNAMICS 13

TITLE

LEADER & KEY PERSONNEL

PROJECT SUMMARIES

Application of inclined channels in enhancing early gangue rejection through gravity and flotation separation-Applied

P1.2 Coarse Particle Separations 9

10 (i)

Enhancement of bubble-particle attachment and recovery at coarse particle size and low surface liberation

Enhancement of bubble-particle attachment and recovery at coarse particle size and low surface liberation – Part 1

Leader: Prof Bill Skinner (UniSA) Key Personnel: Prof Anh V Nguyen (UQ) A/Prof Max Zanin, AI (UniSA) - Amira

Leader: Prof Bill Skinner (UniSA) Key Personnel: Prof Anh V Nguyen (UQ)

Bubble attachment to surfaces with low surface-liberation is a key parameter in the efficacy of coarse particle flotation systems. Initial work has examined the hydrodynamic variables impacting on effective fluidisation in the HydroFloat Flotation Cell as a function of feed characteristics.

Title: Enhancement of bubble-particle attachment and recovery at coarse particle size and low surface liberation – Part 2

Leader: Prof Anh V Nguyen (UQ) Key Personnel: Prof Anh V Nguyen (UQ)

Application of inclined channels in enhancing early gangue rejection through gravity and flotation separation - Fundamental

The work highlights the sensitivity of performance to feed material density and the balance between bed permeability and airflow rate. This baseline work aims to rapidly produce optimal fluidisation regimes to extend the flotation rates and recoveries of low surface liberated value minerals.

As with ultra-fine particle matrix systems, there is a lack of coarse flotation particle surrogates for coarse flotation research. The PhD student associated with the project has developed a new methodology for the manufacture of coarse, composite particles of controlled liberation type (complex vs simple locking), and mineral components (sulphide, silicate, etc.) in a hydrophilic matrix. The present focus is on optimising particle size ratios and matrix curing time. The latter has been shown to have a strong influence on uniform dispersion of fine particles within the resulting composites.

10 (ii)

Hydrodynamic interactions between bubbles and coarse particles are being studied using a high-speed camera, a shearing apparatus and an XCT instrument. Flotation experiments have been conducted in a lab-scale flotation cell, mimicking the condition of a HydroFloat cell to investigate the recovery of coarse particles. In a separate study, molecular modelling and molecular dynamics simulations have been conducted on reagent adsorption at the bubble surface. The results will be combined with surface tension and surfaces forces measurements to reveal a critical role of reagents in enhancing bubble-particle attachment and detachment with low surface liberation.

Influence of turbulence on coarse particle detachment from air bubbles

Leader: Prof Vishnu Pareek (CUR) Key Personnel: L/Prof Kevin Galvin (UON) - Amira - FLSmidth

Leader: L/Prof Kevin Galvin (UON) Key Personnel: Prof Vishnu Pareek (CUR) Dr Angus Morrison, AI (UQ) Dr Kathryn Hadler, AI & Prof Jan Cilliers, AI (Imperial College) - FLSmidth

Leader: A/Prof Elham Doroodchi (UON) Key Personnel: Prof Geoffrey Evans (UON) A/Prof Kym Runge (UQ)

Early gangue rejection is critical to water and energy reduction in comminution and downstream circuits. The work is looking at the possibility of a Reflux Classifier (RC) fractionator being used as a characterisation tool to obtain reasonable sink-float washability data using a typical ore. It aims to develop a multiphase model using Discrete Element Method (DEM) and CFD modelling of inclined channels in the RC.

Concerned with particles up to about 1 mm in size, this project seeks to reduce energy and water consumption in comminution circuits using an RC, which is a system of parallel inclined channels above a fluidised bed. The aim is to investigate the fundamentals of: i) direct gravity separation to reject coarse gangue minerals to the overflow ii) sharp particle size classification at high solids throughput iii) coarse particle flotation using a coarse air system to reject gangue minerals to the underflow. The hydrodynamic transport of the particles within the inclined channels underpins the efficacy of these separations. The laboratory scale facility at Newcastle was constructed and commissioned through 2021. The work will be complemented by fractionation devices at Curtin University to characterise the washability, and a similar version will be used by the University of Queensland to undertake a Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT) study of coarse particle flotation. Understanding detachment of bubbles from particles is critical to the optimisation of flow regimes in coarse particle flotation. A combined theoretical and experimental approach is being used to advance understanding of the interaction between fluid flow and solid-bubble aggregates. Specifically, the rising behaviour of solid-loaded bubbles in the presence of co-current flows is of interest. Analysis of the data from optical diagnostics has been performed using in-house image processing codes. The aim is to map the flow regimes to identify the conditions pertinent to particle detachment. Also, an interface resolved 3D CFD model was developed to simulate the interaction of a “clean bubble” (i.e. no particles) with a rotating vortex at different turbulence intensities. The simulation results were then employed to predict the critical energy dissipation required for particle detachment, with the predictions in excellent agreement with experimental data. PhD recruitment for this project has been completed, with the student commencing their work in mid-2021 and currently working in developing a mechanistic model to determine the shape of a solid-loaded bubble.

PROGRAM 1: PHYSICS OF NOVEL SYSTEM HYDRODYNAMICS NO

TITLE

LEADER & KEY PERSONNEL

PROJECT SUMMARIES

P1.2 Coarse Particle Separations (continued) 17

Investigation of novel granular flow mechanism for achieving a density-based separation

Leader: L/Prof Kevin Galvin (UON) Key Personnel: Dr Roberto Moreno-Atanasio (UON) Prof George Franks (UOM) Prof Chris Aldrich (CUR) - FLSmidth

Water-efficient electrostatic beneficiation

Leader: Dr Peter Ireland (UON) Key Personnel: Prof Karen Hapgood (Deakin) Prof Grant Webber (UON) Dr Kathryn Hadler, AI (Imperial College)

The Sink-Hole Fluidiser is a novel dry separation technology that has been shown to produce sharp separations on the basis of density. The separation mechanism appears to be new, with the separation density typically much higher than the air fluidised bed suspension density – a critical granular state appears to form at the sinkhole that is neither solid or fluid-like. This project seeks to develop a fundamental understanding of the novel separation mechanism using complementary approaches, discrete element modelling, and CFD. Initial modelling has commenced and a new batch system was constructed for Curtin, while a new continuous system will be developed at Newcastle.

Electrostatics are underutilised in separations technology. The project is developing models of droplet-particle collection and electric fields in proposed separator geometries using COMSOL Multiphysics software. A flexible Python architecture for problems involving the capture of charged particles has been developed and is being used in scoping studies. The aim is to the determine appropriate dimensions, aspect ratios and field strengths for the experimental program. Construction of a high-voltage fluidised bed apparatus for particle collection is also proceeding and electrostatic drop-particle aggregation work is being leveraged to progress the work.

PROGRAM 1: PHYSICS OF NOVEL SYSTEM HYDRODYNAMICS NO

TITLE

LEADER & KEY PERSONNEL

PROJECT SUMMARIES

Mechanism for coarsening of flotation froths

Key Personnel: Dr Liguang Wang, AI (UQ) Prof Roe-Hoan Yoon, AI (VT) Prof Stephen Neethling, AI (Imperial College)

P1.3 Fine Particle Separation 20

Enhanced bubble-particle adhesion kinetics of ultrafine particles in a shear field at an air bubble sparger surface

Fast flotation of fine particles

Leader: L/Prof Kevin Galvin (UON) Key Personnel: A/Prof Kym Runge (UQ) - FLSmidth Leader: Prof Bill Skinner (UniSA) Key Personnel: L/Prof Kevin Galvin (UON) -FLSmidth

Counter current washing of a concentrated bubble column, quantifying the limits of flotation separability using novel release analysis

Leader: L/Prof Kevin Galvin (UON) Key Personnel: Prof Yongjun Peng (UQ) A/Prof Kym Runge (UQ) - FLSmidth

Leader: Prof Anh V Nguyen (UQ)

The project will focus on the kinetics and hydrodynamics of flow in a Reflux Flotation Cell (RFC), aiming to enhance the bubble-particle collision and attachment. The aim is to build a downcomer arrangement that is transparent, allowing analysis of the flow regimes, bubble size and holdup. New measures such as the generation of nano-bubbles to improve fine particle recovery will also be explored. The RFC is an essential unit operation to enable examination of fine particle flotation behaviour and mechanisms in an environment of fast bubble-particle contact, and low entrainment, bubbly regimes. An RFC unit is being commissioned at the University of South Australia, with installation accompanied by research visits by a PhD student and a postdoc for training and initial trials.

The RFC is a new flotation device and the project is concerned with the countercurrent washing that occurs within an RFC. This cell contains a concentrated bubblyzone, with no froth. Strong wash water fluxes create a positive bias flux that delivers strong cleaning of the concentrate. Experimental systems have been established at the Universities of Newcastle and Queensland, and strong progress made on separating chalcopyrite from silica. The approaches at the two universities are complementary, with Newcastle focussing on counter-current washing on the upgrading of nickel and Queensland on entrainment mechanisms and the rejection of clays. The Research Associate (RA) at Newcastle undertook applied work covering the upgrading of nickel, while at Queensland the RA focused on using reagents to reject clays. A novel approach to benchmark the RFC performance against a conventional mechanical cell has been established.

Hydrodynamics of an emerging froth from a concentrated bubble column

Leader: Prof Geoffrey Evans (UON) Key Personnel: Dr Subhasish Mitra, RA (UON) Dr Peter Ireland (UON) Prof Jan Cilliers, AI (Imperial College) - FLSmidth

Carbon removal from gold ores using novel agglomeration

Leader: L/Prof Kevin Galvin (UON) Key Personnel: Prof Vishnu Pareek (CUR) Prof Anh Nguyen (UQ) - Amira - Jord

Coarsening of flotation froths is a well-known phenomenon but the mechanism is poorly understood. The aim is to better understand the mechanism of froth coarsening through investigation of the molecular structure of the air-water interface, the hydrodynamic properties of thin films, and the bubble-bubble and bubble-particle interactions using a systematic combination of experimental measurements, molecular modelling, and molecular dynamics simulation. Initial work is looking to understand the role of forces, dissolved gases, and salts in the stability of flotation froths and investigate the effect of surfactant charges on the molecular structure of the air-water interface. Experimental work is looking at the effect of salts on the interfacial adsorption and the foamability of Methyl Isobutyl Carbinol (MIBC) solutions.

The emergence of a froth and its stability as it emerges from a rising bubble column is of interest in this project. The work aims to understand the role of hydrodynamics in this critical region of flotation with studies, including quantifying the role of turbulence on bubble-particle collision efficiency; pseudo turbulence generated by a rising bubble and associated kinetic energy distribution; particle detachment from bubble surface in presence of turbulence; effect of surface loading on bubble rise velocity; and enhanced bubble-particle attachment in the presence of cavitation bubbles. To complement the theoretical work, an image processing algorithm has been developed to quantify the bubble size distribution in an RFC, which has been tested satisfactorily in a lab scale bubble column system. Also, Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements were performed on this system to quantify the bubble-induced turbulence. Additionally, several field trials were conducted on a pilot plant scale RFC system to study the hydrodynamics qualitatively. Preg-robbing of gold from leach solutions is a major issue in some gold processing plants. This project looks to use a 3D agglomeration binder developed by the University of Newcastle to separate preg-robbing material and/or tails containing fine-activated carbon from gold ores. Researchers from Curtin University are currently sourcing the required equipment and reagents to develop the project, including sourcing potential preg-robbing ores of interest.

PROGRAM 1: PHYSICS OF NOVEL SYSTEM HYDRODYNAMICS NO

TITLE

LEADER & KEY PERSONNEL

PROJECT SUMMARIES

P1.3 Fine Particle Separation (continued) 26

Ultrafine recovery of precious metals using nano-scale permeable films of oil

Leader: L/Prof Kevin Galvin (UON) Key Personnel: Prof Vishnu Pareek (CUR) Prof Robert Davis, PI (Uni Colorado Boulder)

The capture and separation of ultrafine hydrophobic particles is critical to a number of processes, including improving recovery in flotation and in the removal of competing adsorbents in gold processing. This project aims to develop and analyse a novel agglomeration technology that utilises a concentrated water-in-oil emulsion to act as a hydrophobic medium for capturing ultrafine hydrophobic particles. The project commenced ahead of the Centre as an ARC Discovery Project, hence progress has been strong. The work has involved a theoretical component led by Professor Robert H. Davis from University of Colorado Boulder. The theoretical work confirmed that a permeable interface leads to vastly higher capture rates. Curtin University has been developing the laboratory method for gold processing, while an industrial partner (Jord) signed a licensing agreement to develop the technology. PhD student Gabbi De Iuliis has developed a fundamental understanding of the water permeation mechanism, and a comprehensive perspective of the novel binder covering a broad range of compositions.

Ultrafine gravity separation using inclined channels subjected to different G forces including standard gravity

Leader: L/Prof Kevin Galvin (UON) Key Personnel: Dr Angus Morrison, AI (UQ) A/Prof Aaron Noble, PI (VT) Dr Pablo Brito Parada, AI (Imperial College) - FLSmidth

High flux separations of particles below 0.15 mm is critical to improving flotation and producing tailings that are free draining. The research explores the use of inclined channels in the gravity separation and desliming of these relatively fine particles, initially targeting the domain of flotation. Early work has examined the processing of tailings to concentrate cassiterite and separately, manganese dioxide. Remarkable separations were observed using the cassiterite. The work with the manganese ore will target improvements that arise from using closely spaced inclined channels. The Graviton, which applies g-forces to the inclined channels, is expected to undergo its next phase of commercialisation in 2022.

PROGRAM 1: PHYSICS OF NOVEL SYSTEM HYDRODYNAMICS NO

TITLE

LEADERS & KEY PERSONNEL

PROJECT SUMMARIES 31

P1.4 Solid-Liquid Separation and Dewatering 29

Influence of oscillatory motions on water migration, liquefaction and dewatering

Leader: Prof Kenneth Williams (UON) Key Personnel: Prof Peter Scales (UOM)

Application of G forces in the expression of water from concentrated suspensions

Leader: Prof Anh V Nguyen (UQ) Key Personnel: Dr Liguang Wang, AI (UQ) Prof Roe-Hoan Yoon, AI (VT)

Many mines are moving to pressure or centrifugation-enhanced dewatering to reduce water in their tails streams. In this project, the inter-relationship between chemical choice and dewatering in centrifugation systems is being examined. Fine coal tailing samples and process water were received from two mine sites. Initial experiments with the samples, process water, tap water and pure clay minerals were conducted using column settling testing, lab-scale press filters and a solid bowl centrifuge. Chemical reagents included both low and high Molecular Weight (MW), Anionic Polyacrylamide (APAM), high MW APAM with different charged densities (10% 55%) with similar MW, high MW cationic (CPAM). The dewatering performance (moisture content and water quality) and rheological properties (shear yield stress and stickiness) of filter cakes were determined.

Leader: Prof Peter Scales (UOM) Key Personnel: L/Prof Kevin Galvin (UON) Dr Anthony Stickland (UOM)

The role of shear in enhancing dewatering of suspensions and the liquefaction of particle suspensions is poorly understood. This project looks to simulate these phenomenon. Initial work has used Rocky DEM and DualSPHysics softwares to interrogate the coupling potential between the two. Rocky DEM has an inbuilt liquid bridge model (single phase). DualSPHysics has inbuilt DEM and Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) interaction and coupling capacity without a liquid bridge model, and a restriction in the maximum number of solid particles allowed to be employed. A procedure for one-way coupling between Rocky DEM and DualSPHysics has been established. Preliminary simulations involved a small cylindrical sample (20 mm diameter, 80 mm height) with a particle size distribution 1-6 mm to represent the solid and 100 µm particles to represent the liquid in DualSPHysics.

Solid-liquid separation using nano-scale permeable films of oil

Flocculation of tailings streams using high-molecular weight polymeric additives is the mainstay of dewatering and tailings management practice in the minerals industry. The main role of the polymeric additive is to increase the settling rate and hence the permeability of the particulate suspension. This same process increases the strength of the particulate bed and reduces the attainable solids concentration. In short, the minerals industry has always favoured speed of water removal over extent. This project looks to replace the flocculant with an oil where the initial aggregate size is beneficial to the speed of dewatering but later densification allows for high solids, even in high surface-area suspensions. Initial work has developed a model tailings suspension with a range of surface areas and an oil emulsion system (with analogies to road aggregate binders) for aggregation. Initial laboratory trials on aggregation and densification along with interaction modelling have commenced.

Ultrafast particle recovery through formation of small hydrophobic aggregates

Leader: Prof George Franks (UOM) Key Personnel: A/Prof Liza Forbes (UQ) Dr Eirini Goudeli, AI (UOM)

Selective aggregation of ultrafine particles to improve flotation recovery is uncommon but an important aspect of decreasing the loss of valuable materials to waste. Initial work has focused on achieving an understanding of the interaction between commercially available reagents and iron oxide and silica. Commercial reagents, including flocculants and collectors, were sourced from the polymer companies and the optimum dose of cationic polymer to aggregate silica and the optimal dose of anionic polymer to aggregate iron oxide was found, with zeta potential and particle-sizing measurements also undertaken. The flocculated particles were made to attach to bubbles (generated by shaking a jar) with the addition of an appropriate surfactant. A techno-economic assessment of the process has been completed. Additional work included the development of combined DEM-CFD simulations to enable understanding of the growth and breakup of particle aggregates in environments similar to those found in flotation cells. The model takes into account particle-particle and particle-fluid interactions.

SPOTLIGHT ON:

Gold was first found in the 1850s in Helena and by the end of the century the mines of Montana made Helena home to more millionaires per capita than any other city in the world. But my family weren’t rich gold miners, we were poor copper miners from Butte, the country’s largest copper producer, which at that same time was supplying more than 25 per cent of the global demand. The increased demand due to the rising electrical market meant the commissioning of 30 or so underground operations with headframes dotting the five-square-mile landscape, earning us the nickname ‘The richest hill on earth’.

I attended a summer camp at the age of 13, aimed at getting kids interested in resources, but mostly, I think my parents wanted a few weeks to themselves while the weather was nice. The camp, held at the local university, was brilliant. Professors taught us about chemistry and the environment, but most memorable was a trip to a local gold mine where my uncle worked, so I got to drive around in a 250t haul truck, hold a gold bar and detonate a charge in the pit! The mine closed a short time later and made Montana famous again when cyanide contaminated water flowed into the surrounding forest from the site’s poorly decommissioned heap leach.

I am eager to continue our research into identifying the potential for gangue rejection for gold ores, ideally unlocking low-grade deposits while minimising the impact on water, energy, reagents and tails created by processing in our COEMinerals collaborations.

TERESA MCGRATH

I sometimes say “mining is in my blood”, only half joking. When my grandma was a child, Butte’s streetlights were on all day otherwise you couldn’t

After a brief period as a wildlife biologist, I found myself drawn to back into mining. I completed an MS in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from

see the barren landscape due to the thick, black

Montana Tech and, finally, a PhD from the Western

emissions from the three smelters in town. She used

Australian School of Mines at Curtin. My position as

to lie in bed listening to the underground operations

a demand-driven researcher really allows me to focus

I grew up in Montana, the Big Sky

below her at night, pretending she could hear her dad at work. Sixty years later, I would lie in bed

on what I see as the critical changes needed for our industry.

State, the fourth-largest state in the US but only ranking 44th in

listening to the trucks, crushers and mill which were only one kilometre from my house and were now located where my grandma had once lived. The

In my roles as PhD student, researcher and now manager of the Gold Technology Group and the Amira

population. Montana is known

mining company moved them to a new location when her suburb become a giant, open-pit operation

P420 Gold Processing Technology Project, I have had the incredible opportunity to work with and learn from

for things like the Unabomber, the movie ‘A River Runs Through

called the Berkeley Pit. When mining shifted from the pit to a new deposit

the legends of the industry; I could not list them all for fear of missing one or somehow implying one was more important than another.

It’, the series ‘Yellowstone’, and,

(previously the grounds of a well-loved amusement park), ground water was allowed to flow unchecked

I view my job as a translator to some extent; I show

in certain circles, for our mining disasters.

from the old shafts into the abandon Berkeley Pit, carrying toxic heavy metals it had leached along the way. Montana is also known for having one of the

the industry some of the wonderful and important things coming out of research and academia while highlighting the needs of the industry to the brilliant

largest EPA Superfund sites in the country, with my

minds of academia. I love this role, being part of

home of Butte in the epicentre.

the Group and our wider team of staff, consultants,

research partners, students and sponsors with a nearly

40-year history and providing continuity in what is, at

times, a fractured industry.

PROGRAM 2: CHEMISTRY OF NOVEL HYDROPHOBIC AND SELECTIVE INTERACTIONS Research Program Leaders Professor Karen Hapgood, Professor George Franks and Associate Professor Liza Forbes.

Overview 2021 saw significant progress within Program 2 across all three sub-programs. The overall objective of the Program is to support robust, fast and efficient separation technologies that are both selective and hydrophobic. This is achieved by studying the effect of hydrophobic reagents on surface properties of mineral particles. Below are the key highlights for progress made within each of the sub-programs: 2.1: Development of Novel Flotation Collectors The objective of this sub-program is to develop novel reagents to enhance mineral surface hydrophobicity. The key highlights were: • A study that examines the use of oils to enhance flotation recovery of coarse particles has developed a procedure for forming an oil-infused polymer layer on minerals. This technique will be used to provide a planar oil-water interface for initial studies of bubble collisions. • A techno-economic assessment of implementing novel reagents in improving recovery of fine valuable particles has been completed.

2.2: Development of Novel Delivery Systems The objective of this sub-program is to examine new ways of introducing reagent chemistries into mineral processing systems. The key highlights were: • An extensive literature review was conducted to describe the technique for placing collector on surfaces of bubbles (rather than mineral particles) to enhance coarse particle hydrophobicity. • A study into creating stable particle emulsions has identified several promising candidates for emulsification aids including corn starch and lycopodium. • A series of thermo-responsive polymers (PNIPAM-based) via the RAFT (Reversible Addition−Fragmentation ChainTransfer) process have been synthesised for the purpose of replacing surfactant and oil in water-in-oil emulsions. • The adsorption of hydrophobic nano-particles has been shown to provide a stabilising influence on fluid interfaces such as the air/water interface in flotation, and the oil/ water interface in emulsions.

In addition, there has been strong collaboration with Program 3 researchers supporting all three subprograms including: • A range of bespoke RAFT polymers have been synthesised to test functionality and selectivity with model mineral systems. • An initial set of novel peptide flotation collectors and depressants has been developed and tested for metal ion selectivity.

Our Objectives for 2022 • • •

2.3: Hydrophobic Interactions in Dewatering

•

The objective of the third sub-program is to exploit mineral surface properties to improve suspension dewatering. The key highlights were: • A team of researchers covering molecular dynamics and density functional analysis, RAFT polymerisation, surface physics, and novel beneficiation has looked at the recovery and concentration of rare earth elements. • The idea that conventional polymers and surfactants can be used to selectively aggregate mineral particles and make those aggregates hydrophobic for selective recovery via froth flotation has been demonstrated.

•

Investigate how pre-aggregating fine particles influences the amount of hydrophobic binder required to agglomerate and recover those particles. Initial comparison of the influence of collector addition either through the solution phase (conventional) or through the gas phase (novel). Conduct systematic investigation of the selective aggregation of hematite from silica. Investigate the aggregation of copper bearing minerals with novel polymers sourced from Program 3. Studies of bubbles attaching to oil-coated minerals using an oil-infused polymer layer as a planar oil-water interface for initial studies of bubble collisions.

Program Personnel who Commenced in 2021 • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Dr Josh Willott^, University of Newcastle, Research Associate Dr Isabella Verster, University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Junyu Wang, University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Unzile Yenial Arslan,University of Queensland, Research Associate Dr Nilanka Ekanayake, University of Melbourne, Research Associate Dr Bo Fan^, Monash University, Research Associate Dr Amir Beheshti^, University of South Australia, Research Associate Dr Piotr Pawliszak^, University of South Australia, Research Associate Miss Candice Brill, University of Queensland, PhD Miss Thao Thi Phuong Nguyen, University of Queensland, PhD Mr Yunzhou Qian, University of Melbourne, PhD Mr Yuxi Liu, Monash University, PhD Dr Joshua Brown, University of Newcastle, Research Assistant

^ Also involved in Program 3

PROGRAM 2: CHEMISTRY OF NOVEL HYDROPHOBIC AND SELECTIVE INTERACTIONS (HAPGOOD, FRANKS, FORBES)

NO TITLE

LEADERS & KEY PERSONNEL PROJECT SUMMARIES

P2.1 Flotation Collectors

Application of oils to enhance adhesion contact Leader:

with coarse particles exhibiting low surface

Prof David Beattie (UniSA)

liberation

Key Personnel:

Prof George Franks (UOM)

A/Prof Marta Krasowska (UniSA) Prof

San H.Thang (MON)

- Amira

This project aims to use oils and other reagents to enhance the recovery of coarse particles with low surface liberation in flotation. The effect of a biopolymer on bubble interactions with a graphite surface was chosen as an initial model where the work was concerned with the interaction between a bubble and a polymer-coated mineral. The methodologies refined will be used in studies of bubbles attaching to oil-coated minerals. In addition, a procedure for forming an oil-infused polymer layer has been developed and will be used to provide a planar oil-water interface for initial studies of bubble collisions. This new substrate will be tested prior to studying bubble interactions with surfaces upon which an oil film has formed naturally by droplet attachment and spreading under the influence of a surfactant (the first surfactant to be tested will be tallow diamine).

PROGRAM 2: CHEMISTRY OF NOVEL HYDROPHOBIC AND SELECTIVE INTERACTIONS

NO TITLE

LEADER & KEY PERSONNEL

PROJECT SUMMARIES

P2.2 Novel Delivery Systems

Ultrafine particle deposition and adhesion with

permeable hydrophobic surfaces

Leader: Dr Roberto Moreno-Atanasio (UON) Key Personnel: Prof Grant Webber (UON) Dr Susan Brito e Abreu (UQ)

A range of options exist for the recovery of ultrafine particles, including selective agglomeration and/or adhesion to hydrophobic surface. The project aims to explore the latter mechanism. Preliminary experiments, scoping a range of potential organic particle emulsion stabilisers – cellulose, potato starch, corn starch and lycopodium – were completed. Emulsions of varied solvent ratio were prepared using water and sunflower oil, with varied amounts of stabiliser added. Corn starch and lycopodium proved to be the most promising stabilisers, with emulsions formed at a range of conditions.

Binder adhesion of hydrophobic flocs

Leader: Prof George Franks (UOM) Key Personnel: Prof Peter Scales (UOM) L/Prof Kevin Galvin (UON)

Increasing the speed at which solids can be removed from tailings is advantageous to industry, as water recovery and dry-stackable tailings are both an economic and environmental positive. Previously, a novel hydrophobic binder developed by Professor Galvin and his co-workers at the Newcastle node has been used to agglomerate fine particles so they can be rapidly separated from other minerals and water. This project will investigate pre-aggregating the particles with polymeric flocculants then making the flocs hydrophobic so they will attach to the binder. The aim is to determine if the pre-aggregation, which should reduce the surface area of the system, will enable collection with reduced amounts of binder compared to non-aggregated particles. Comparison of efficiency of the binder to systems flocculated with both conventional flocculants and temperature responsive polymers will be investigated.

Development of novel bespoke hydrophobic

Leader:

materials having large specific surface area to

Prof Karen Hapgood (Deakin)

support selective separations

Key Personnel:

Prof San H. Thang (MON)

Dr Ellen Moon (Deakin)

Prof Steve Armes, PI (Sheffield)

Influence of hydrophobic particles on interfacial Leader:

stability of emulsions and foams

Prof Erica Wanless (UON)

Key Personnel: Prof Karen Hapgood (Deakin) Prof Chun-Xia Zhao (UA) Prof Steve Armes, PI (Sheffield)

Investigation of direct reagent addition to bubble Leader:

surfaces via the gas phase on hydrophobic

A/Prof Liza Forbes (UQ)

particle recovery

Key Personnel:

Prof Zhenghe Xu, PI (SUST)

The use of very high surface area oil emulsions inclusive of selective additives to aid agglomeration of ultrafines is being explored. Initial work has involved the synthesis of a series of thermo-responsive polymers – Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based – via the Reversible Addition−Fragmentation Chain-Transfer (RAFT) process for the purpose of replacing surfactant and eventually oil in the conventional water-in-oil emulsion. Emulsions replicating conventional water-in-oil emulsions were successfully prepared using the polymers and reduced quantities of surfactant and/or oil. Many of these emulsions showed improved agglomerative properties (as compared to a conventional emulsion) for our model mineral system. However, developing a replicate-emulsion using polymer alone was not successful. The adsorption of hydrophobic particles provides a stabilising influence on fluid interfaces such as the air/water interface in flotation, and the oil/water interface in emulsions. The team focused on establishment of techniques at each node (Newcastle, Adelaide and Deakin). One output included exploring the effect of nanoparticle adsorption at fluid interfaces; the nanoparticles having been synthesised by Saul Hunter in the group of University of Sheffield Partner Investigator Professor Steve Armes. This project explores the addition of reagents in the gas phase. Initial literature and experimental design work has been completed. 59

PROGRAM 2: CHEMISTRY OF NOVEL HYDROPHOBIC AND SELECTIVE INTERACTIONS NO

TITLE

LEADER & KEY PERSONNEL

PROJECT SUMMARIES

P2.3 Understanding the Influence of Hydrophobic Interactions in Dewatering 42

Thermodynamic guidance of RAFT polymerisation to control hydrophobicity at mineral surfaces

Application of responsive synthetic and biopolymers through reversible switching from hydrophilic to hydrophobic conformations

Leader: L/Prof Kevin Galvin (UON) Key Personnel: Prof San Thang (MON) Prof Bill Skinner (UniSA) A/Prof Alister Page, AI (UON) Prof Cyril O’Connor (UCT) Leader: Prof George Franks (UOM) Key Personnel: Prof Erica Wanless (UON) Dr Eirini Goudeli, AI (UOM)

This project aims to apply RAFT polymerisation to develop novel collectors to beneficiate critical minerals including the rare earths. The selectivity of a polymer to a mineral surface of high value versus others of low value has a thermodynamic basis that is also dependent on the presence of counterions. A unique team of researchers was assembled for this project, covering molecular dynamics and density functional analysis, RAFT polymerisation, surface physics, and novel beneficiation. Initial work looked at the recovery and concentration of rare earths from a source that has minimal radioactivity. The project will explore whether the introduction of responsive synthetic and/ or biopolymers into tailings allows for selective altering the surface properties of particles, particularly hydrophobicity, either by temperature, pH or other environmental conditions. University laboratories across four nodes have been optimising the use of several instruments and techniques in preparation for polymer synthesis in 2022.

PROGRAM 3: NEW ENGINEERED BIOPOLYMERS AND SYNTHETIC POLYMERS Research Program Leaders

Overview

All these new small molecules can be synthesised in large scale and incorporated various functional groups (e.g. xanthate, phosphoric acid, hydroxamic acid, etc.) to target various types of minerals. Furthermore, novel stimuli-responsive biomolecules, synthetic molecules and polymers have been designed responding to change in pH, temperature or light, which can result in altered surface properties for polymer-coated minerals and therefore lead to altered process outcomes.

Program 3 aims to use the knowledge of how biomolecules and synthetic polymers interact with minerals, coupled with novel synthesis concepts from chemistry and biochemistry, to design mineral processing chemicals that give unrivalled performance in recovering valuable minerals, whilst also allowing the recovery of as much water as possible.

Some of the biomolecules have been trialled as alternative cationic collectors to control froth properties. The biomolecules exhibited good potential to produce hydrophobicity and flotation recovery comparable to dodecylamine. Their promising performance was dependent on the specific peptide sequence and structure adopted to control molecular surface activity.

Professor Chun-Xia Zhao, Professor San Thang and Professor David Beattie.

To improve selectivity of valuable mineral recovery, a new phage display platform has been developed and validated for screening peptides for specific binding with mineral particles. A series of peptide sequences have been identified for binding to various mineral particles, with very high binding affinity observed. Also, new synthetic molecules based on cashew nutshell oil and Vitamin E have been designed and synthesised as potential novel collectors for improving froth flotation processes.

Our Objectives for 2022 • • • • •

Achieve fundamental understanding of designed peptides and proteins for controlling foaming stability and its stimuliresponsive properties compared to traditional surfactants. Design biomolecules, synthetic molecules and polymers for agglomeration and flotation. Develop cheaper production processes for making stimuliresponsive biomolecules and synthetic polymers. Confirm adsorption and adsorbed layer characteristics for peptides and synthetic polymers on target and model mineral surfaces. Determine the impact of adsorbed layers of polymers on timescale and extent of bubble-surface attachment.

Program Personnel who Commenced in 2021 • • • • • • •

Dr Chris Ritchie, Monash University, Chief Investigator Dr Tina Hsia, Monash University, Research Associate Ms Sonia Khandaker, University of Newcastle, PhD Miss Li Yang, University of Queensland, PhD Mr Danesh Perera, Monash University, PhD Mrs Weththige Fernando, Monash University, PhD Mr Venkatachalam Pitchumani, Monash University, Research Assistant

Opposite page: Project 37, Ultrafine particle deposition and adhesion with permeable hydrophobic surfaces, led by Prof Grant Webber and Dr Susan Brito e Abreu, is seeking to develop a novel emulsion binder that uses significantly less petrochemical-based ingredients than existing formulations. In 2021 a 4th Year Chemical Engineering Research Project student at the University of Newcastle, Jayden Tredinnick, assessed the efficacy of various organically derived particles to stabilise sunflower/water emulsions. Shown here are optical micrographs of sunflower oil droplets stabilised by (A) cellulose particles, (B) corn starch particles and (C, D) lycopodium particles. Stable emulsions were formed with each particle, though further work is required to prepare the preferred high-internal phase water-in-oil emulsion.

PROGRAM 3: NEW ENGINEERED BIOPOLYMERS AND SYNTHETIC POLYMERS (ZHAO, THANG, BEATTIE)

NO TITLE

LEADER & KEY PERSONNEL

PROJECT SUMMARIES

P3.1 Engineering of Selective Polypeptide and RAFT Polymers

Development of biopolymer collectors for

Leader:

selective flotation of specific minerals - Part 1

Prof Chun-Xia Zhao (UA)

Key Personnel: Prof David Beattie (UniSA) A/Prof Marta Krasowska (UniSA) Dr Susana Brito e Abreu (UQ)

Development of RAFT polymer collectors for

Leader:

selective flotation of specific minerals - Part II

Prof San H.Thang (MON)

Key Personnel: Prof Erica Wanless (UON) A/Prof Liza Forbes (UQ)

Peptide-based collectors present an opportunity for high levels of specificity in flotation. A phage display platform has been developed and validated in the UQ team for screening peptides for specific binding with mineral particles. A series of peptide sequences have been identified for binding to silver, gold, silica, hematite, and magnetite particles. The binding affinity of the peptides to particles have been investigated, and very high binding affinity observed. The identified peptides have been shared with the UniSA team. Biopolymer adsorption and action studies were undertaken at UniSA, using graphite and polysaccharide polymers. These studies were undertaken to finalise the methodology and approach to be used in studies of peptide adsorption. The work will also include substrate development for analysing adsorption by quartz crystal microbalance. New reagents based on cardanol (from cashew nutshell oil) and a-tocopherol (Vitamin E) as potential novel collectors for improving froth flotation processes are being investigated. All these new small molecules can be synthesised in large scale and incorporated various functional groups (e.g. xanthate, phosphoric acid, hydroxamic acid, etc.) to target various types of minerals. A small-scale qualitative experiment using cardanol-xanthate gave good results for copper powder flotation. In addition, both cardanol and a-tocopherol can be converted into hydrophobic monomers, allowing the RAFT copolymerisation with functional and hydrophilic monomers to form novel polymer-based collectors for selective flotation of specific minerals.

Development of biopolymer reagents for

Leader:

achieving hydrophobic flocs from hydrophilic

Prof Grant Webber (UON)

clays

Key Personnel::

Prof Chun-Xia Zhao (UA)

Prof George Franks (UOM)

Development of RAFT polymer reagents for

Leader:

achieving hydrophobic flocs from hydrophilic

Prof San H.Thang (MON)

clays

Key Personnel:

Prof Grant Webber (UON)

Prof George Franks (UOM)

Agglomeration of clays is notoriously difficult and uses a large quantity of reagents. This project aims to utilise novel biopolymer molecules as replacements of conventional reagents. Baseline experiments using kaolinite and montmorillonite clays and two commercial flocculants – flocculants polyacrylamide (PA) and poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) – have been completed so as to benchmark performance of new reagents. Whilst there are a number of projects that look to utilise novel reagents in agglomeration and flotation, this project focusses on the synthesis of these reagents. Work has included synthesis of polymer-based collectors by RAFT polymerisation aiming to improve the separation efficiency of the conventional froth flotation. A series of copolymers with different molecular weights containing hydrophobic cardanol units, a phenolic lipid derived from cashew nutshell, and hydrophilic units with functional xanthate group were successfully synthesised. Preliminary studies show that these polymer-based collectors can effectively bind to copper surface and separate copper micro-particles from silica particles by a simple shaking experiment. Contact angle measurements were performed to investigate properly the mechanism of action. It was found that the polymeric collectors could significantly increase the contact angle of water droplets on the chalcopyrite surface by 30-40 degrees, and polymer with molecular weight around 5,000 g/mol performed better compared to those with higher molecular weights. 65

PROGRAM 3: NEW ENGINEERED BIOPOLYMERS AND SYNTHETIC POLYMERS (ZHAO, THANG, BEATTIE)

NO TITLE

LEADER & KEY PERSONNEL

PROJECT SUMMARIES

P3.2 Hydrophobic-Hydrophilic Switching of Proteins and Synthetic Polymers

Development of stimuli responsive biopolymers

Leader:

for controlling froth stability

Prof Chun-Xia Zhao (UA)

Key Personnel: Dr Susana Brito Abreu (UQ) Prof David Weitz, AI (Harvard)

A series of peptides and proteins have been designed for making stimuli-responsive foams and emulsions. The stimuli-responsive functions of the peptide surfactant molecules have been systematically studied for controlling froth stability. The new small peptides and proteins allow not only stimuli-responsive functions, but also low production cost, essential to their practical application. The aim is to produce the new protein molecules using recombinant DNA technology. New and simple non-chromatography purification method will be developed to purify these proteins thus significantly reducing their production cost. Initial work has synthesised novel stimuli-responsive fluorescent unnatural amino acids.

Development of stimuli responsive RAFT

polymers

Leader: Dr Chris Ritchie (MON) Key Personnel: Prof George Franks (UOM) Prof Yongjun Peng (UQ) A/Prof Seher Ata (UNSW)

The design and preparation of several novel small molecules containing the pH and light-responsive flavylium core structure has been completed. Conversion of the small molecules to monomers for RAFT polymerisation is underway in addition to their photophysical characterisation, which will provide valuable insight concerning their suitability as collectors for the target mineral systems. Preliminary discussions are underway with Dr Ben Muir from CSIRO regarding the utility of the Rapid Automated Materials and Processing (RAMP) platform for the production of a library of polymers that will represent the initial sample set for investigation.

Development of stimuli responsive RAFT

polymers for controlling froth stability

Leader: Prof Yongjun Peng (UQ) Key Personnel: Prof San H. Thang (MON)

The project aims to trial new collectors in flotation to replace traditional collectors that generate overly stable froths. It is envisaged that they will be used with traditional collectors to adjust the frothability. In initial experiments, relevant baseline conditions including flotation and grinding procedures have been established. Some peptides have been trialled as alternative cationic collectors to control froth properties and compared to dodecylamine (DDA) during flotation. The biomolecules exhibited good potential to produce hydrophobicity and flotation recovery comparable to DDA. Their promising performance was dependent on the specific peptide sequence and structure adopted to control molecular surface activity. 67

SPOTLIGHT ON: DR CUONG NGUYEN  I started my research career in 2011 by undertaking a PhD in Chemical Engineering that focused on the molecular structure of the air/liquid interface at Curtin University, under the supervision of Dr Chi Phan and Professor Ming Ang.

I was curious about the behaviour of interfacial species, such as surfactant and water molecules and metal ions, and hence applied a combination of experiment, modelling, and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation techniques to gain insights into their molecular arrangements, adsorption/desorption, and intermolecular interactions. After finishing my PhD in 2016, I returned home to resume my teaching-focused lectureship at the Academy of Logistics in Hanoi, Vietnam. I returned to Curtin in 2019 as a research associate for a project funded by the Australian Academy of Science, which aimed to recycle valuable metals from spent lithiumion batteries using selective solvent extraction.  I joined Professor Anh Nguyen’s group at the University of Queensland in early 2020 as a research fellow, where I have had opportunities to further develop my fundamental research and apply my knowledge to many mineral processing challenges and participate in COEMinerals. Surface-specific techniques, such as the vibrational sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy, have been intensively employed with the support of molecular modelling and MD simulation to interpret and visualise the performance of mining chemicals in the presence of salt ions, which plays a critical role in optimising the recovery of valuable metals and remediating the impact of water salinity and quality. My active participation in COEMinerals’ scientific activities, like the Signature Lectures and the Outreach Program, have enabled the improvement of my fundamental and practical expertise, and enhanced my network and collaboration with many experts and talented students in mineral processing.

Particularly, the enthusiastic support of my supervisor, Professor Nguyen, PhD students, and group members have allowed for the extension of my lab-scale research to innovative solutions for the mining industry via projects funded by the Centre and the Australian Coal Industry Research Program (ACARP).  The declining grade of the accessible minerals and the growing complexity of mineralogy require the development of transformational technologies for increasing resources recovery while reducing environmental footprint, and energy and water consumption. As a responsive researcher, my ambition is to collaboratively work with my group members, Centre experts, and researchers across the globe to further uncover the mystery of surface and interface chemistry of macromolecules, salt ions and metal ions, and transform this fundamental knowledge to technologies and solutions that contribute to environmentally sustainable mining practices, decarbonisation efforts, and the success of the Australian net zero by 2050 mission.

OUR PERFORMANCE • 2021 Highlights

• Signature Lecture & Seminar Series

• Outreach Overview

• Celebrating the Success of Women in Our Centre

• Training

• Publications

• Financial Statement

• COEMinerals 2022 Plans

2021 HIGHLIGHTS

24 media stories for a global reach of 7,896,670

19 new PhDs

COEMinerals online launch on 16th September

Two promotions

12 committee memberships

250 Twitter mentions for a global reach of 368,803

Four fellowships and recognitions

10 journal editorships

Strategic Planning Day in May

Two technology licences with Jord

4 Government rep visits and Four Internodal visits

Two-day online COEMinerals Annual meeting in September

Eight Awards

9 Public Signature Lecture Series & 19 Seminar Series speakers

Mentioned in publications in Australia, Ghana, India, Italy, Switzerland

Future Leaders Committee (PhDs & ECRs) commenced

SIGNATURE LECTURES & SEMINAR SERIES

2021 has been the first full year for our Centre’s lecture and seminar series of presentations. Each month, we invite an eminent scientist or industrialist from around the globe to deliver the prestigious Signature Lecture Series. These are public lectures where our members – including Investigators, Centre staff and students, Partner Organisation staff and others we think may be interested – can be enlightened and entertained by the best speakers in our research field from around the world. The person delivering the lecture is a well-respected, internationally acclaimed speaker. The lectures generally are big-picture presentations about important concepts and trends in mineral processing research and industrial operation. The lectures are pitched so they are accessible to people not intimately knowledgeable about the deep scientific and technical aspects of the topic. The aim is to provide a forum to the public to educate them about the issues and opportunities related to mineral processing, in particular about activities which aim to improve the sustainability of mineral processing. These charismatic speakers provide inspiration to the Centre researchers and students to direct their research effort in a direction which will both advance knowledge in the field and have an impact on the industry. The lectures are generally about 45 minutes in length, followed by 15 minutes of discussions and questions, although the discussion often continues past the hour.

Signature Lectures for 2021 • 3 February – Andrea Sedgwick, NAIT Industry Solutions, Alberta Canada, Oil Sands Tailings Management and Associated Challenges • 3 March – Robin Batterham, Univ. of Melbourne, The mine of the future: it’s all about a state of mind • 31 March – Rohan Yoon, Virginia Tech, USA, Surface Forces in Flotation • 28 April – Jenni Sweet, Anglo American, South Africa, Gangue management: How conventional flotation can help us to achieve our Sustainable Mining Plan stretch targets • 23 June – Ronel Kappes, Newmont, USA, Mineral Processing Research and Development – Challenges and Opportunities. • 3 August – Hongbo Zeng, Univ. of Alberta, Canada, Hydrophobic Interactions in Water and “Hydrophilic” Interaction in Oil of Polymers, Minerals, Emulsions and Bubbles • 1 September – Kathryn Hadler, Imperial College London, UK, Mineral processing on the Moon: Why it is necessary and what we can learn • 29 September – Martin Rudolph, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg, Germany, It’s all in an ever-changing cycle - (mineral) fine particle processing in times of circular economy and energy transition • 24 November – Silvia Franca, Centre for Mineral Technology, Brazil, Challenges for mineral technology to meet the demands of the low carbon economy RD&I Projects of the Centre for Mineral Technology – CETEM (Brazil) and cooperation opportunities

Internal Seminar Series Additionally, each month, offset from the Signature Lecture series by a fortnight, is the internal Seminar Series. Shorter presentations (about 20 minutes) generally of a more scientific or technical content, these seminars are given by our Centre researchers, including Chief Investigators, Research Associates and PhD students. The goal of the seminars is to update the Centre members on the progress of the various research projects, and thus contain deeper technical details of the projects than the Signature Lectures and generate lively scientific debate about the research presented. Presentations are delivered online, typically via Zoom. Professor George Franks from the University of Melbourne coordinates the lectures and seminars and acts as MC. • 17 February– Anh Nguyen (UQ) and Erica Wanless (UON) • 17 March – Graeme Jameson (UON) and Anthony Stickland (UOM) • 14 April – George Franks (UoM) and David Beattie (UniSA) • 12 May – Karen Hapgood (Deakin) and Vishnu Pareek (Curtin) • 9 June – Sabhasish Mitra (UON)and Yongjun Peng (UQ) • 7 July – Kym Runge (UQ) and Moshen Yahyaei (UQ) • 18 August – Peter Ireland (UON) and Grant Webber (UON) • 13 October – Simon Iveson (UON) • 27 October – Susana Brito e Abreu (UQ) • 10 November - Bo Fan (MON) • 8 December – Teresa McGrath (Curtin) and Erica Avelar (Curtin)

OUTREACH OVERVIEW School Education Science Kits

Science & Engineering Challenge

Additional Centre Outreach

The COEMinerals School Outreach Team commenced their activities in mid-2021, supervised by Associate Professor Ellen Doroodchi UON, with a mission to promote and showcase the Centre’s research activities to school students, teachers, and parents through a range of engaging STEM activities.

Towards the end of 2021 a small group was formed to assist to develop an activity for the Science and Engineering Challenge (SEC). SEC ‘is a nationwide STEM outreach program presented by the University of Newcastle in partnership with communities, Rotary clubs, universities and sponsors. Through the SEC, students experience aspects of science and engineering which they would not usually see in their school environment’.

Despite our limited ability to engage with people directly these past two or so years, outreach has continued to be a primary focus for COEMinerals, through the increased use of digital technology and teleconferencing.

As part of this mission, our School Outreach Team is developing STEM experiment kits to demonstrate the underlying science and engineering concepts in minerals processing and beneficiation. The focus of these experiments is currently on flotation and agglomeration, the two main concepts underpinning the separation processes commonly encountered in minerals beneficiation. The experiments in these kits require household items, making them widely accessible to all, including those in regional and rural schools. The kits will include simple, easy-to-follow instructions, as well as worksheets with discussion questions and links to the Centre’s research activities.

Overseen by Professor Mohsen Yahyaei (UQ), the aim for the group over 2022 will be to develop an activity set within the SEC activity boundaries, to accommodate a challenge for year 6 to year 10 students, which is scorable, easy to coordinate, teamwork friendly, portable & robust, cost-effective. The activity aims to familiarise participants with the science of beneficiation of minerals developed in research projects at the Centre. The group will definitely have fun with a challenging activity!

Upon completion the electronic version of the materials along with engaging demonstration videos will be posted to the COEMinerals website to reach a wider audience. The Chickpea image is one part of the primary school experiments using everyday kitchen items to visually demonstrate the underlying science of flotation process, a method of particle separation commonly encountered in mineral processing industries. Specifically, the image shows selective attachment of bubbles from sparkling water to the hydrophobic (water repelling) surface of uncooked chickpeas in a mixture of cooked and uncooked chickpeas. In the context of minerals processing, cooked chickpeas represent rocks, and the uncooked chickpeas represent valuable minerals. The uncooked chickpeas are then separated from the mixture by floating to the surface, a simple demonstration of what the recovery of valuable minerals in a flotation cell entails.

Given the Centre’s focus on gender equity and diversity, the following are some outreach activities we engaged in through 2021 particularly worthy of highlighting. 21 January - 2021 Girls’ Focus on Mining: Dr Erica Avelar of Curtin University took 24 high school-aged female students on a day trip to visit South32 mine and refinery in Boddington, Western Australia. Part of the 2021 Girls’ Focus on Mining camp, which aims to attract women to mining, the day trip gave Dr Avelar the opportunity to talk to the girls about her role at COEminerals and research career. 19 May - HunterWiSE chemical engineering demonstration: As part of the HunterWISE program, which establishes mentorship avenues for women in STEM in the NSW Hunter region, PhD Student Meolla Yvon demonstrated an experiment on the flotation of silica in the denver cell at the University of Newcastle for girls from Muswellbrook High School. 24 June - HunterWiSE seminar: In honour of International Women in Engineering Day, Professor Karen Hapgood gave a Zoom seminar entitled ‘Engineering Impact: Leadership and Legacy’. The seminar was a reflection on Professor Hapgood’s personal impact, leadership style and commitment to progress. 24 August - National Science Week interview at Ruyton Girls’ School; As part of National Science Week, Evelyne Bai (a Year 2 student from Ruyton Girls’ School) interviewed Dr Tina Hsia via Zoom to share Dr Hsia’s story as a scientist and the work she has conducted through COEMinerals. The interview was shared on social media and presented at school assembly.

20 September - Early Career Women in STEMM Paper and Grant Writing Workshop: COEMinerals sponsored this early career researcher (ECR) grant and paper writing workshop, which was designed for women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) – aimed specifically at strengthening the scientific writing, critical thinking and communication skills of Australia’s next generation of scientists and academics. 30 September - Focus on mining expo: Dr Erica Avelar and Bernard Selasie Agbenuvor gave presentations of density separation using heavy liquid to high school students and teachers visiting Curtin University, while Bernard also discussed the application of the presentation on his PhD project. 6 October - ACES Research Event: ACES (Association of Chemical Engineering Students, Curtin) organised an event for fourth-year students to meet research project supervisors. Dr Erica Avelar gave a presentation aimed at attracting undergraduate science and engineering honours students to pursue research opportunities at COEMinerals in 2022. 1 December - Women in Mining PERU: Associate Professor Seher Ata delivered a keynote talk on tailings reprocessing as a part of this Women in Mining, Chapter Peru (WIM PERU) event. The event was opened by the Australian Ambassador to Peru, Ms Diana Nelson, and was held via videoconference, featuring simultaneous interpretation for the Peruvian audience.

CELEBRATING THE SUCCESS OF WOMEN IN OUR CENTRE Research has shown that female academics have faced disproportionate work-life balance challenges during the pandemic and are more likely to have reduced their research hours than men. Despite 2021 being another pandemic-impacted and, for many, lockdown-affected year, women in our Centre have had many successes that deserve to be celebrated.

All-Female Research Team Project P40, “Influence of hydrophobic particles on interfacial stability of emulsions and foams” team of 2021 truly delivered on the maxim “you cannot be what you cannot see” – a key barrier to increased participation by women in the minerals industry. With a Chief Investigator team of three female Professors in Erica Wanless, Karen Hapgood and Chun-Xia Zhao, we readily recruited a female research associate, Negin Amini, and a female final-year project student, Lillian Boerst. While COVID-19 limited the experimental advancement, the team environment provided the training opportunity that led to Lillian completing her combined BEng(Chem)/BSc(Chem) degree with Distinction and being competitively recruited into the Glencore graduate program as a process engineer. This rare, all-female team views quotas and KPIs as invaluable, but knows that visibility, training opportunities and respect are critical to achieving a more diverse workforce.

Grants

COEMinerals’ female researchers led the way with awarded grants in 2021 to an approximate value of: $2.918M. Professor Chun-Xia Zhao was awarded several grants in 2021 with the most prestigious being an NHMRC Leadership fellowship with $2.248M funding support for five years (note that the success rate of women for this L1 leadership fellowship is 6.5%), focusing on ‘Novel nanotechnology strategies towards a new paradigm of precision nanomedicine’. Designer biomolecules (peptides and proteins) have a wide variety of applications, including as surfactants or collectors in mineral processing (ARC COE project), for self-assembled nanomaterials for drug delivery (NHMRC Investigator project ($2.248M), cell manufacturing (ARC Discovery Project, $545k), as well as for space nanomedicine (DIGI+FAME strategic funding $100k). Dr Nilanka Ekanayake was awarded a CBE Accelerate Grant, which is an internally competitive grant offered by the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Melbourne ($5k). This grant was provided to ten selected research fellows from chemical engineering to advance the research activities within the current project. The funding will be used to analyse mineral suspension sedimentation.

PhD Student Siân Parkes from the University of Newcastle (supervised by Laureate Professor Kevin Galvin) was successful in securing a 2021 grant from the Australia-Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme ($20k). This scheme is highly competitive with the project being one of 28 projects selected from the Australian Universities for the round. The aim of the scheme is to provide financial support with travel and living expenses associated with collaborative research between Australia and Germany. Siân will travel to the Helmholtz Institute in Freiberg, Germany to collaborate on an area within her PhD on flotation with the topic “Ion Flotation of Critical Minerals using the Reflux Flotation”.

Awards and Fellows Professor Karen Hapgood was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology (ATSE). This is a rare honour, with only 25 new Fellows elected each year, who are elected “on the basis of excellence, accomplishment, and fit with a modern and futurefacing Academy, always ensuring they will contribute to the Academy’s mission of helping Australians understand and use applied science, technology and engineering to solve the complex problems facing our nation in a fast-changing world”. As a Fellow, Professor Hapgood has been recognised as an “Australian trailblazers with global impact”, which is acknowledgement of her engineering powder particles, which are used by pharmaceutical industries throughout the world to enhance “manufacturing processes for new drugs”. Karen is now applying her particle engineering skills to minerals processing in the Centre and in her new position as DVCR at Swinburne University of Technology from March 2022.

Professor Erica Wanless won the University of Newcastle’s 2021 Inspiring Excellence Academic Award, recognition of her outstanding mentorship. Specifically, the award acknowledged Erica’s “record of effective mentoring, exceptional skills in the provision of support and the sharing of knowledge and respect for the development of colleagues as individuals”. Presented at the University’s annual Excellence Awards, Erica’s nomination read: “Professor Wanless is an inspiring mentor with a wealth of knowledge and kindness. Erica has been generously sharing her time and extensive expertise to mentor hundreds of researchers - from early career researchers to more established career academics - going well beyond standard expectations for senior academics. Erica’s sustained guidance and her dedication to honest, respectful, and impactful mentoring fully deserves recognition.” Siân Parkes was awarded the University of Newcastle’s Dr Tan Chin Nam and Colleen Innovation Award, recognising extraordinary academic performance from Honour students who contribute unique innovation in their chosen field. Siân also received the Faculty Medal, which is awarded to graduating undergraduates who achieve a cumulative weighted average mark of 85 or above and competed 50 per cent of their enrolled program.

PUBLICATIONS B. Fan, J. Wan, Y. Liu, W.W. Tian, S.H. Thang, Functionalization of liquid metal nanoparticles via the RAFT process, Polym. Chem. Vol 12 (2021) 3015–3025 B.T. Lobel, C.A. Thomas, P.M. Ireland, E.J. Wanless, G.B. Webber, Liquid marbles, formation and locomotion using external fields and forces, Advanced Powder Technology. Vol 32 (2021) 1823–1832

TRAINING In 2021, training within COEMinerals focused on both technical knowledge and professional-skill development. In a series of online workshops, Chief Investigators delivered technical training in their areas of expertise to provide students and researchers who are new to mineral processing with the necessary background knowledge. Topics included Surface Chemistry in Minerals Processing, Flotation Fundamentals and Practice, and Dewatering and Tailings Management. Two professional skills workshops were also delivered, one focused on communicating to diverse audiences, and the other, a Research to Industry Translation workshop designed to ‘build foundational knowledge on the role of industry engagement as pathway towards creating research impact’. Looking ahead to 2022 and beyond, the Researcher Development Committee has consulted with different cohorts within the Centre and developed tailored training plans for the PhD students, the ECRs and all other members, which will be delivered over the coming years.

S. Mitra, M. Mainul Hoque, G. Evans, A.V. Nguyen, Direct visualisation of bubble-particle interactions in presence of cavitation bubbles in an ultrasonic flotation cell, Minerals Engineering. Vol 174 (2021) 107258 C.V. Nguyen, E. Dinh, A. Doi, T.V. Nguyen, A.V. Nguyen, Accurate, fully automated determination of the initial settling rate of flocculated suspensions, Minerals Engineering. Vol 164 (2021) 106823 P. Pawliszak, B.H. Bradshaw-Hajek, C. Greet, W. Skinner, D.A. Beattie, M. Krasowska, Interfacial Tension Sensor for Low Dosage Surfactant Detection, Colloids and Interfaces. Vol 5 (2021) 9 P. Pawliszak, V. Ulaganathan, B.H. Bradshaw-Hajek, R. Miller, D.A. Beattie, M. Krasowska, Can small air bubbles probe very low frother concentration faster?, Soft Matter. Vol 17 (2021) 9916–9925 G. Sahasrabudhe, G. DeIuliis, J. Davy, K.P. Galvin, Selective and ultrafast agglomeration of chalcopyrite by a water in oil emulsion binder, Minerals Engineering. Vol 167 (2021) 106900 A. Wang, M.M. Hoque, R. Moreno-Atanasio, E. Doroodchi, G. Evans, S. Mitra, Effect of bubble surface loading on bubble rise velocity, Minerals Engineering. Vol 174 (2021) 107252 S. Xu, M. Zanin, W. Skinner, S. Brito e Abreu, Surface chemistry of oxidised pyrite during grinding: ToF-SIMS and XPS surface analysis, Minerals Engineering. Vol 170 (2021) 106992 G. Yang, Y. Liu, J. Teng, C.-X. Zhao, FRET Ratiometric Nanoprobes for Nanoparticle Monitoring, Biosensors. Vol 11 (2021) 505 M. Zanin, E. Chan, W. Skinner, Modelling the fluidised bed in HydroFloat™ for improved process control, Powder Technology. Vol 388 (2021) 241–250 G. Sahasrabudhe, G. DeIuliis, K.P. Galvin, Hydrophobization of minerals by sorbitan mono oleate (Span® 80): Selectivity of a novel agglomeration process, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, Vol 630 (2021) 127460

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Carry Forward

INCOME 2021

$6,268,617

ACTUAL

ARC Grant Funds

$5,181,620

NSW Government RAAP Grant

SA Government - RCSF

$100,000

University Contributions

$1,427,487

Industry Contributions

$480,000

Total Income

$7,189,107

Opposite image: Sandstone CL image showing clear evidence of low temperature quartz Submitted by Colin MacRae (CSIRO) 82

EXPENDITURE 2021

ACTUAL

Personnel

$3,127,270

Equipment

$62,441

Maintenance

$238,789

Travel

$50,488

Other

$110,406

Total Expenditure

$3,589,395

Carry Forward 2021

$9,868,329

Financial Statement Notes: •

ARC Grant Funds include annual indexation

•

NSW Government (RAAP Grant) was paid in advance in 2021.

•

University Contributions incorporate, University of Newcastle, University of Queensland, Deakin University, University of South Australia, Monash University, University of Melbourne, Curtin University and University of NSW.

•

Expenditure was lower in 2021 due to COVID-19 lockdowns: this caused 5 Nodes based in Victoria and NSW to have limited access to conduct laboratory research; PhD recruitment due to international border closures; lack of travel from national border closers; conference cancellations or changes to conference date until 2022.

IN-KIND 2021

University of Newcastle

$792,692

University of Queensland

$820,499

Deakin University

$112,796

University of SA

$120,046

Monash University

$110,780

University of Melbourne

$261,312

Curtin University

$175,645

University of NSW

$69,446

Total in-kind

$ 2,463,217

COEMinerals 2022 PLANS Advisory Board

• •

Advisory Board meeting to be conducted bi-annually International Advisory Panel to be conducted bi-annually

COEMinerals Administration

• •

Review COEMinerals Plans and create/update correlating policies Revise the Centre’s Key performance indictors and resubmit to ARC

Committees

• •

Future Leaders Committee involving PhD students and Early Career Researchers which is to be conducted at minimum monthly Form the Gender Equity Diversity & Inclusion (GEDI) Committee with a representation of diverse group members across all nodes

Engagement

•

Continue industry engagement

Inter-Collaborations & Industry Site Visits

• • • •

Visit from Chief Operations Officer to all Nodes in early half of 2022. Inter-collaborations with lab visit across varies Nodes (Deakin/UON, MON/Deakin, UOM/UQ, UQ/Deakin, UQ/MON, UQ/UniSA, UOM/MON, UOM/Deakin, Curtin/UON). Various industry site visits from Curtin, UOM and UQ Major European delegation visit to UON Node for international collaboration on Reflux Flotation Cell.

• • • •

Promote discoveries, events and achievements through our online platforms. Revise the Communication strategy and create correlating policy for the Centre. Develop a series of long-form stories exploring both the Centre’s research and people via either podcast or rich-media platform. Develop a basic guide for all Centre members regarding social media use and promotion.

• •

Organise mentoring sessions with industry and academia Engage in, in-house mentoring sessions through Future Leaders Committee

Media & Communications

Visit from UQ COEMinerals members to UON Node in May 2021

COEMinerals 2022 PLANS (Cont) Outreach

•

Education • Continue schools’ education/science kits; creating professional videos and related documentation • Work with Science & Engineering Challenge team to create new activity • Commence initial plan for the E&D inclusiveness induction for 1st year STEM Degrees

•

Public • Participate in outreach events at local and/or state level • Attendance at International Women’s Day events • Participate in talks both to government and industry on research capabilities of the Centre

Recruitment

•

Continue national and international PhD recruitment

Reporting

•

Project reports due quarterly

Training

• • •

Finalise the Training Plans which will incorporate specific and/or tailored technical and professional training for ECR, PhD and COEMinerals members Gender Equity Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) training Research to Industry Translation Workshop for supervisors, ECRs and PhD students

Webinar Series

• •

Hold the monthly online Signature Lecture Series, with eminent scientists or industrialists invited from around the globe to speak Continue delivering the internal lecture series on scientific or technical content by our Centre researchers

Workshops & Conferences

• • •

Engage in at least 18 international and national conferences Deliver several Industry series workshops throughout the year at Curtin and UQ Presentations at COEMinerals annual face-to-face conference in July

Visit from Dr Alan Finkle AC (Special Adviser to the Commonwealth Government on Low Emissions Technologies).

L/Prof Kevin Galvin and COEMinerals students meet with Dr Finkle to discuss COE and technologies

OUR CENTRE CELEBRATES ITS CULTURAL DIVERSITY THROUGH LANGUAGE BY TRANSLATING THE COEMinerals TAG LINE ‘MINERALS FOR OUR FUTURE’. Khoáng chất tương lai của chúng tôi

Glossary:

ARC

Australian Research Council

UoU IC VT UCB UoS SUST UBC UCT HVD

University of Utah Imperial College Virgina Tech University of Colorado Boulder University of Sheffield Southern University of Science & Technology University of British Columbia University of Cape Town Harvard University

L/Prof Prof A/Prof ECR MCR CI PI AI RA PhD

Laureate Professor Professor Associate Professor Early Career Researcher Mid Career Researcher Chief Investigator Partner Investigator Associate Investigator Research Associate Doctor of Philosophy

UON UQ UOM Deakin MON UniSA CUR UNSW UA

University of Newcastle University of Queensland University of Melbourne Deakin University Monash University University of South Australia Curtin University University of New South Wales University of Adelaide

Left image: Visit from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Richard Marles MP, Member for Newcastle Ms Sharon Claydon MP, and Senator Tim Ayres to find out more about research activity in nationally significant areas, such as critical minerals separation and flotation recovery technologies. They meet with L/Prof Kevin Galvin and COEMinerals UON team.

Right image: L/Prof Kevin Galvin presenting at Business Hunter Lunch on the topic ’Transformational Technologies for the Mining Industry’.