Giant miner Rio Tinto has announced the establishment of a new £6 million research center for the development of advanced mining and mineral processing techniques.
The center, which is being formed in partnership between Rio Tinto and Imperial College London, will promote the development of innovative mining technologies and techniques to improve the extraction of minerals, while diminishing negative environmental impact.
Minerals used to produce valuable metals such as copper or nickel are becoming increasingly hard to recover using traditional mining methods. Thus, this area has become a critical focus for mining research.
The Rio Tinto Center for Advanced Mineral Recovery will develop a range of new mining technologies that use less energy to mine more minerals from almost inaccessible places deep within the earth.
Among other studies, scientists will be developing more efficient techniques for block caving. This method exploits the natural fractures in rocks so that they break under gravity rather than by using explosives, making the mining process cheaper and safer.
Research will be undertaken to develop a deeper understanding of the fundamental science of rock fracturing so that mines can be developed and operated with increased confidence.
Lead scientist, Professor Jan Cilliers, Rio Tinto Chair in Mineral Processing at Imperial’s Department of Earth Science and Engineering, notes that in a world where resources are dwindling, research carried out by the Center will lead to improvements in mining methods.
He states: “If we found copper close to a major city tomorrow then the associated environmental and social concerns would make it impossible for us to mine this resource. However, research to be developed by the Rio Tinto Center for Advanced Mineral Recovery could make this a reality without any adverse impacts to the environment.”
Imperial College’s Rector Sir Richard Sykes states: "This long-term research and development collaboration is a great example of how industry and academia can work together to drive economic competitiveness and to benefit the environment. Imperial and Rio Tinto have different but complementary strengths. By pooling them in this way we can develop innovative technological solutions and implement them speedily."
