Extractive Metallurgy

The sustainable production of valuable minerals and metals from ore (or metal-containing waste material) is critical for a prosperous and safe world. Ore is typically a complex raw material, requiring a wide variety of treatment processes (physical and chemical) in intricate flowsheets to unlock valuable minerals and metals. Extractive metallurgy encompasses the fundamental concepts and application of such treatment processes.

Key challenges in extractive metallurgy include changing raw material characteristics (e.g. diminishing mineral/metal content as easy-to-access ore bodies are depleted); energy use minimization (to minimize carbon footprint); water use minimization (to reduce impact on scarce natural resources); as well as effectively dealing with the emergent complex behaviour from intricate flowsheets and heterogenous, multiphase raw materials.

Important research areas in extractive metallurgy at the Department of Chemical Engineering include:

1. Hydrometallurgy
2. Pyrometallurgy
3. Physical processing
4. Surface chemistry
5. Flowsheet design
6. Monitoring for abnormal events, process control and economic optimization

Researchers

The researchers listed below all form part of the Extractive Metallurgy group. Follow the link to their individual profiles to find out more about their research interests and activities.

Professor | Mineral & Waste Processing

Distinguished Professor | Extractive metallurgy, metal recycling & machine learning

Dept. Chairman | Professor | Hydrometallurgy, metal recycling & process modelling

Senior Lecturer | Geometallurgy, Electrochemistry/Electrometallurgy, Tailings Management & Processing

Lecturer | Hydrometallurgy, PGM recovery & metals recycling

Explore Other Research Fields

Bioresource Engineering
Extractive Metallurgy
Separations Technology
Waste Valorisation
Water Technology
Machine Learning