Chemistry of uranium extraction - studies on the dissolution of uranium ores in a complex solution matrix. Olympic Dam is the world's largest uranium deposit. With a planned massive expansion of the mine's operations, it could generate more than $10b per year. The mineral ores found there, however, are highly complex and poorly understood. This project will investigate and determine the detailed characteristics and chemistry of the mineral ore and offer process improvements that will increase th ....Chemistry of uranium extraction - studies on the dissolution of uranium ores in a complex solution matrix. Olympic Dam is the world's largest uranium deposit. With a planned massive expansion of the mine's operations, it could generate more than $10b per year. The mineral ores found there, however, are highly complex and poorly understood. This project will investigate and determine the detailed characteristics and chemistry of the mineral ore and offer process improvements that will increase the productivity and improve the economics of extraction of the ore. This project will also address the serious deficiency of researchers in this field by creating a sustainable skills development program in mineral extraction and separation technology.Read moreRead less
Titanium Electrochemistry in Minerals Processing. Australia is on of the world's largest producers of titanium minerals for industrial and consumer products. This project aims to improve the efficiency of the Sulfate Process which is used to convert the titanium containing ore ilmenite into pure titanium dioxide pigment. The impovements expected include a decrease in the cost of production for the relevant industries, as well as a reduction in the volume of waste materials generated by the proce ....Titanium Electrochemistry in Minerals Processing. Australia is on of the world's largest producers of titanium minerals for industrial and consumer products. This project aims to improve the efficiency of the Sulfate Process which is used to convert the titanium containing ore ilmenite into pure titanium dioxide pigment. The impovements expected include a decrease in the cost of production for the relevant industries, as well as a reduction in the volume of waste materials generated by the process. Read moreRead less
Enhanced metal recovery from a modified Caron leach of mixed nickel-cobalt intermediate concentrate. Nickel metal production from lateritic deposits involves dissolution in acid followed by purification and selective alkaline precipitation of the nickel and cobalt as hydroxide phase. Hydroxides from several plants are transported to a central refinery where the hydroxide is redissolved in ammoniacal solutions and nickel and cobalt are separated and reduced to metal.
This project will examine t ....Enhanced metal recovery from a modified Caron leach of mixed nickel-cobalt intermediate concentrate. Nickel metal production from lateritic deposits involves dissolution in acid followed by purification and selective alkaline precipitation of the nickel and cobalt as hydroxide phase. Hydroxides from several plants are transported to a central refinery where the hydroxide is redissolved in ammoniacal solutions and nickel and cobalt are separated and reduced to metal.
This project will examine the effect of preparation conditions and aging of the hydroxide precipitate on the refining process.
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