Expected to be complete in mid-2009, the Mineral Characterisation Research Facility will seek to develop new mineral processing technologies to increase the state’s metal production by 2% and to cut mining electricity needs by 1%.
Commercial mining partners include Xstrata Technology, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Anglo Platinum, JKTech, Cytec Industries Inc and Metso Corporation which are chipping in a combined $10 million in cash and equipment for upcoming research at the centre.
The facility will be sited at Indooroopilly, which is already home to an experimental mine and training centre of the university, the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre.
JKMRC business manager Dr Leith Hayes said the MCRF's chemical flotation and mineral grinding techniques would help companies use less energy to recover more metal and could be applied to most base metals, coal and gold.
The University of Queensland said in a statement the MCRF would aim to increase the state’s mineral exports by $255 million, decrease carbon dioxide emissions from producing electricity for mining by 427,000 tonnes and reap $4.2 million in royalties, all within the next decade.
Previous JKMRC research has already led to recover increases of up to 5% in several of the state’s mines, according to the university.
The Queensland government has put up $6.1 million for the development with the university providing the remaining $900,000.
Indooroopilly is within 10km of Brisbane.
