ARC Centre of Excellence: COEMinerals

From separation to dry stacking: Comparative dewatering and handling of clay-rich tailings using solid bowl centrifugation and press filtration Catastrophic tailings dam failures in mining industry do urgently call for sustainable tailings management strategies. Dewatering followed by dry stac…

New Research

From separation to dry stacking: Comparative dewatering and handling of clay-rich tailings using solid bowl centrifugation & press filtration

The paper provides a knowledge base for development of an efficient & #sustainable #tailings management strategy

📖 tinyurl.com/3c8fy3nf
🧑‍🔬

Elephant Curve animation: Adapted and animated by COEMinerals' UOM node team (and AI) Elephant Curve Animation: a cool adaption of a classic chart showing mineral processing challenges and advances With thanks to, and acknowledging the efforts of, our University of Melbourne-based team, we’re happy to share a short animation of the ​‘Elephant Curve’ with our community. Feel free to use this graphic, noting COEMinerals as source. The animation helps ​‘brings to life’ how science-based innovations are improving mineral particle recovery, by ​‘lifting the trunk’ of the elephant on the graph. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals (COEMinerals) is improving recovery of fine and coarse mineral particles, helping to facilitate the Centre aims of reducing energy and water used in mineral processing, as well as improving recovery of valuable resources. Some context on the graphic and the animated version: * The animated version we share here was created by our University of Melbourne team using Grok (AI program) - hereby acknowledging your talent and creativity Tareq Mohammed Al-Shami * The Elephant Curve (adaptation) is well known to, and well-used in, the mineral processing industry - you'll find it in many papers, posters and presentations showing particle recovery, and particle losses, during mineral separation processes * We know that the 'elephant curve' was shared by Gerald Luttrell at Virginia Tech as part of his Mining and Minerals Engineering teaching, and was published in papers in 2018 (Improving coarse particle flotation using the HydroFloat™ (raising the trunk of the elephant curve); Improving fine particle flotation using the StackCell™ (raising the tail of the elephant curve)). Students and organisations refer to it today too. * Originally known as the Lakner-Milanovic graph, or the global growth incidence curve, the elephant analogy on a graph was first used to illustrate the unequal distribution of income growth for individuals belonging to different income groups (2013) If you know more about the history of the elephant curve - we'd love to know! Please contact us via the email link on our website www.coeminerals.org.au

Here's a fun one! 🐘
Sharing a short animation of the classic 'Elephant Curve' graph that brings to life how science-based innovations are improving mineral particle recovery & lifting the trunk & tail of the elephant tinyurl.com/4f8bjwed
Created by @CoeMinerals team at Uni of Melbourne & Grok (AI)

Bubble detachment from patterned solid surfaces: Roles of wettability contrast and domain geometry Bubble detachment from solid surfaces plays a vital role in technologies such as electrolytic hydrogen production for clean energy and flotation recov…

Research Alert
Congrats to our @coeminerals.bsky.social/UQ node authors on the 𝐁𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬:𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭 & 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲 paper in Chemical Engineering: tinyurl.com/3vw8yneu 🧪
Learn more about it in this LI post: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

We're 'all in' when it comes to shaping the future & driving change in the mineral processing industry💪
From workshops, keynotes, presentations, panels, posters & advocating for cleaner technologies @coeminerals.bsky.social members + industry partners were there at #flotation25

Chalcopyrite–quartz mineral surfaces: controlled wetting and spreading by xanthate-tallow diamine emulsions This study investigated emulsions formulated with water-soluble xanthates, including potassium amyl xanthate (PAX) and a novel α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 400 succinate xanthate (TPGS-X), combine...

Research alert 🧪
@coeminerals.bsky.social researchers have found a clever way to help tiny, copper-rich particles stick better & separate more efficiently during #flotation separations:
Research papers: tinyurl.com/3zuj3xhk

Read an explainer, and researcher insights here: tinyurl.com/4e892syu

🧪Research alert 👩‍🔬

Congrats @coeminerals.bsky.social researchers/authors Jackquline Eardley (PhD), Dr Will Ng & Prof George Franks on a new paper:

Quantifying entrapment in selective flocculation-flotation: Model and measurement method

➡️https://tinyurl.com/y5fsc3jz

#mineralprocessing #minerals

Research alert 🧪👩‍🔬
Congratulations to our PhD Regina Medeiros and all authors on your newly published research:
Formation and breakage of chalcopyrite aggregates produced by anionic polyacrylamides: Influence of polymer molecular weight and shear conditions
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Trailblazing technology that’s delivering global impact Emeritus Professor Graeme Jameson AO pioneered a lucrative minerals processing technology that has pumped billions of dollars into Australia’s economy and achieved global commercial success.

Emeritus Prof Graeme Jameson is a Chief Investigator in our Centre, where he collaborates with researchers & industry to improve mineral processing
⬇️Read a case study about E/Prof Jameson's inventive work
🧪 tinyurl.com/szyvfhfb

Learn about @coeminerals.bsky.social at www.coeminerals.org.au

According to some, gold may on track to become Australia's second-largest export earner, but it can be very challenging to recover from ore. COEMinerals scientist, Associate Professor Boris Albijanic (pictured) who is based in COEMinerals' Curtin University node / Kalgoorlie campus (Western Australia) is working closely industry to research new ways to recover gold and other minerals. He provides a brief insight into his work and approach in this video - URL link is: https://youtu.be/aXmcCRWvDWs?si=CTdxwsog1nmhPO5R Learn more about COEMinerals' wide ranging work to improve mineral processing at: www.coeminerals.org.au

#Gold is a hot #mineral & commodity, but it can be tricky to extract from ore 🧪
@coeminerals.bsky.social scientist A/Prof Boris Albijanic - @curtinuniversity.bsky.social Kalgoorlie - is researching new ways to recover gold and other minerals. Gain an insight into his work: tinyurl.com/593jkfkh

Cancer researchers unlock ‘DNA code’ of critical minerals The critical minerals industry has received a helping hand from cancer researchers.Researchers based at the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiat...

🗞️ We are thrilled to on-share a feature story about our @coeminerals.bsky.social #peptide based discovery and related innovation relating to critical minerals/rare earth recovery in Australian Mining Review Magazine:
australianminingreview.com.au/issue/2025/1...

🧪👩‍🔬 #REE #Criticalminerals #Minerals

Improved suspension dewaterability using a novel pelleting flocculation device The decline in ore grades and increasing clay content in ore bodies present significant dewatering challenges for the mining industry, as finer grindi…

🧪Research Alert
A new research paper in the Journal of Minerals Engineering provides insights into the potential of a novel technology for #dewatering being developed by @CoeMinerals: Improved suspension dewaterability using a novel pelleting flocculation device:
tinyurl.com/5n7k8m7k
Congrats team!

As pictured: COEMinerals Chief Investigator Professor George Franks, and researchers Dr John Lu and Dr Wei Sung (Will) Ng are applying froth flotation methods to separate out graphite from metal oxides in ‘black mass’ (a mixture that is produced when lithium-ion batteries are ‘shredded’ in readiness for recycling). Researchers recently visited Envirostream Australia Pty Ltd - an Australian battery recycling company / a subsidiary of Livium Ltd - which recycles retired Lithium-ion batteries (sourced from cars, powerwalls, power tools and more). Researchers toured facilities and presented a research update: thank you to Mark Griffiths for hosting!

Thanks to Envirostream for hosting @coeminerals.bsky.social researchers, who are exploring the potential of applying mineral-from-ore separation techniques to recover #graphite and valuable metals from recycled Lithium-ion batteries
🧪 @coeminerals.bsky.social
#circulareconomy #recycling #minerals

A novel vitamin E-based xanthate collector for chalcopyrite-quartz mineral flotation In this study, a novel vitamin E-based xanthate, α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 400 succinate xanthate (TPGS-X) was compared with potassium amyl xan…

🧪Research Alert
We're pleased to share @coeminerals.bsky.social researcher #PhD student Azeez Aregbe's 2nd paper, published in Separation and Purification Technology: A novel vitamin E-based xanthate collector for chalcopyrite-quartz mineral flotation
Congrats to authors!

tinyurl.com/2hduyrn3

The Hon Ms Sharon Claydon MP, Member for Newcastle, Deputy Speaker Chair Standing Committee on Procedure - Parliament of Australia - holds a copy of the @coeminerals.bsky.social '25 Annual Report alongside Centre CI Prof Chun-Xia Zhao.
Read about our work here www.coeminerals.org.au/about/annual...

#chemeca2025 #hazardsaustralasia #chemicalengineering #processsafety #engineeringleadership #registernow | Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) 🌏 Only 5 weeks to go! 🌏 Join us at Chemeca 2025 and Hazards Australasia in Adelaide this September. We’re excited to feature three incredible keynote speakers for Chemeca 2025: 🔹 Associate Profes...

#Chemeca2025 is fast approaching
@coeminerals.bsky.social has 2 x speakers sharing our Centre's approach to building connections via our #GEDI (Gender #Equity #Diversity and #Inclusion) strategy & program 🧪👩‍🔬

Learn more: tinyurl.com/nhcum3t2

#WomeninSTEM #AustralianResearchCouncil #engineering

White Paper: Flipping the Paradigm - If Australia’s minerals industry is to be world leading and sustainable we need to move beyond our comfort zone

If Australia’s minerals industry is to be world leading and sustainable we need to move beyond our comfort zone

A thought leadership piece by Kevin Galvin argues for the need to leverage knowledge and technology advances with a much stronger lever for effecting change: tinyurl.com/2s39u9c4 👨‍🔬🧪

Pictured: Professor Karen Hapgood is an Associate Investigator with COEMinerals and is the Deputy Vice Chancellor Research Swinburne University of Technology, Research, Melbourne, Australia. She is pictured holding a copy of COEMinerals' 2024 Annual Report (FY 2024). You can read this and other Centre Annual Reports here: https://www.coeminerals.org.au/about/annual-reports

🟡 How good is our bright yellow Annual Report cover?! 🟡

Prof Karen Hapgood (Centre Assoc. Investigator & Dep. VC Research Swinburne Uni of Tech) holds the printed version during catch up with @gingerjar.bsky.social in Melbourne.
www.coeminerals.org.au/about/annual...

#WomeninSTEM #STEM #GEDI 🧪👩‍🔬

CSIRO's Andrew Jenkin is pictured - he was a guest lecturer on 30 July 2025 as part of the COEMinerals Signature lecture series.

@csiro.bsky.social's Research Director #MineralProcessing Andrew Jenkin recently delivered a guest lecture to our team as part of our Signature Series, providing insights into CSIRO's Mineral Resources Group program, projects & capabilities.
Watch this guest lecture here ➡️ tinyurl.com/ya4u34sr
🧪

COEMinerals shared a game-changing scientific breakthrough in the recovery of critical and rare earth minerals and metals today. Led by Centre researcher Professor Chun-Xia Zhao (pictured alongside Dr Guangze (Daniel) Yang) from the University of Adelaide’s School of Chemical Engineering, the Centre's research team has applied learnings from multiple scientific disciplines to mimic how a cancer-targeting drug finds cancer cells – but in this case finding a one-in-a-billion peptide molecule targeting a given mineral or metal. This advancement has the potential to unlock the equivalent of a ‘DNA code’ for every mineral and metal on planet Earth and revolutionise mineral processing. It also heralds environmental benefits. See www.coeminerals.org.au for more info

@coeminerals.bsky.social shares a game-changing scientific breakthrough in the recovery of critical and rare earth minerals and metals. Hear Prof. Chun-Xia Zhao explain the peptide/mineral recovery innovation in this video👇
drive.google.com/file/d/1IJeF... 🧪👩‍🔬
More info at www.coeminerals.org.au

Want to do a #PhD at Uni of South Australia working to solve fine graphite processing challenges alongside @coeminerals.bsky.social rock stars?
Act fast! Apps close 27 July
Details and how to apply can be found here👇https://unisa.edu.au/research/degrees/adv-recovery-graphite-complex-ores

Centre Director Laureate Professor Kevin Galvin - University of Newcastle - receives AUD$1.5m AEA Innovation grant to boost world-leading mineral processing technology

Congrats @coeminerals.bsky.social Director Laureate Professor Kevin Galvin, Uni of Newcastle, on receiving a $1.5M Australian Economic Accelerator (AEA) Innovation grant to boost development of world-leading #mineralprocessing technology👏🧪
Learn more at: tinyurl.com/bmfpfud4

www.coeminerals.org.au

おめでとう omedetō (congrats!) to our PhD Lequan Zeng on receiving the 𝑩𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑷𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑨𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 at the Int. Conf on Discrete Element Methods (DEM10) in Japan👏

🫧Particle aggregation & aggregate-bubble interactions can significantly enhance the recovery of fine valuable #mineral particles in froth #flotation 🧪

Pictured: COEMinerals Centre Director Laureate Professor Kevin Galvin recently visited our University of Melbourne (UOM) node, spending time with members and learning more about a new technology under development - the 'HPDR Mk-II' The HPDR-II is a novel solid–liquid separation device designed to address the challenges of dewatering mineral tailings, particularly those with fine particles. A new research paper published this week overviews the design, proof of concept (phase 1) and safe and continuous steady state operation (phase 2) of the device: 'High pressure dewatering rolls Mark-II: A novel dewatering technology for mineral tailings': https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0892687525003802?via%3Dihub "Kevin’s visit gave us the opportunity to show off the novel High Pressure Dewatering Rolls (HPDR) technology (pictured), which is a continuous clothless filter that combines vacuum, compression and shear dewatering mechanisms. The dewatering rolls have been demonstrated to achieve comparable or better moisture reduction and throughput per unit filter area to conventional filter presses," Centre Chief Investigator Prof. Stickland shared.

Research Alert
@coeminerals.bsky.social Director L/Prof Kevin Galvin is pictured with University of Melbourne members and novel technology: High Pressure Dewatering Rolls (HPDR) Mark-II, a new dewatering technology for mineral tailings

See latest research paper for insights: tinyurl.com/htedp6yu 🧪

Measurement of gas dispersion parameters in a reflux flotation cell Performance of mineral flotation process in terms of grade and recovery is critically dependent on achieving the optimal gas dispersion in a flotation…

Research Alert
Sharing a new research paper that explores the 'Measurement of gas dispersion parameters in a REFLUX flotation cell': tinyurl.com/by2sycpv
The #RFC is a #mineralprocessing technology invented by Centre Director Laureate Prof Kevin Galvin; commercial partner #FLS
Congrats all authors 🧪

We have some of the most incredible Women in Engineering in our research team. Today, as it's World Women in Engineering Day, we join with others to celebrate them! COEMinerals PhD students had the task of taking photos at events today, and we share one of their team photos featuring multiple Chemical Engineering PhD students from the UNiversity of Newcastle. Event: A co-hosted a free event by HunterWiSE and Engineers Australia and Newcastle University Women in Engineering (NUWiE) showcasing the experiences of engineers Who attended? Joining the wider Engineering community were representatives of our Centre including multiple Centre Chief Investigators, Early Career Researchers, Higher Degree Researchers including multiple PhD students.

It's Women in Engineering Day #INWED2025 and we're celebrating our members and others who are re-shaping the future of #Engineering
Messages heard at events today:
🏃Stay motivated - keep pushing on
🫵Believe it's possible
👏Be inspired by others
👩‍🔬Inspire the next generation of women in engineering

FLS’ future solutions empowering mines FLS is taking a holistic view of the entire metallurgical process to unlock value across recovery, efficiency and sustainability.

The Centre's collaborative work with FLS to develop game-changing technology got a shout-out in Australian Mining Magazine: www.australianmining.com.au/fls-future-s...

🧪 #mineralprocessing #Australianscience #ARC #noveltechnology @coeminerals.bsky.social

Photo of COEMinerals Chief Investigator Prof. Erica Wanless presenting a Plenary Lecture at the 14th International Colloids Conference in San Sebastian, Spain this week, including insights from her ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals (COEMinerals) research to improve mineral processing. She (literally) put our University of Newcastle node 'on the map' (the screen shot behind Prof. Wanless is a map of Australia with NEWCASTLE in large letters).

COEMinerals researcher Prof Erica Wanless has presented a Plenary Lecture at the 14th International Colloids Conference in Spain, featuring @coeminerals.bsky.social research. We love how she (literally) put our home base of Newcastle on the map as a world-leading colloids science👏
#WomeninSTEM 🧪👩‍🔬

Do you have a mineral named after you?
Dr Kathy Ehrig - Olympic Dam, BHP does!
Kathy recently spoke to our team about 'Critical minerals, the mining industry, and career opportunities'
You can listen to this and other Signature Series guest speakers here
www.coeminerals.org.au/outreach/cat... 👩‍🔬🧪

Research Alert
Congratulations all authors on a new paper: Reprocessing of Sulphide Flotation Tailings for Copper Recovery: Characterisation
The paper presents a detailed characterisation of flotation tailings from a selected copper processing plant 🧪
www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/15...
#MineralProcessing

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling the Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals (COEMinerals) family extends across nine Australian universities, including The University of Queensland (UQ). As pictured: Centre Director Laureate Professor Kevin Galvin recently spent time with our UQ team, which is based across the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) and the St Lucia campus: sharing insights, talking with members about their research discoveries, novel technology development, industry engagement and the next steps to ensure Centre work is well placed to transform the minerals sector in Australia. UQ Node leader Dr Susana Brito e Abreu shared: "We enjoyed sharing the great work we are doing with Kevin, as well as the fruitful discussions."

Centre Director L/Prof Kevin Galvin recently spent time with our #UQ based team, talking with our members about their research, novel technology, industry engagement and next steps. Thanks for the collaboration team 👏

@coeminerals.bsky.social extends across nine Australian universities 🧪