Mintek targeting global flotation research recognition, PGM Industry Day hears

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a global leader in process and laboratory measurement technology, offering a broad portfolio of instruments, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation. South Africa's national mineral research organisation Mintek is targeting global recognition as a minerals flotation researcher, the State-owned organisation emphasised at its recent platinum group metals (PGM) event. Mintek's flotation group is viewed as being well positioned to expand its impact through several strategic opportunities, which range from sustainable mining to industrial support and the circular economy. "We're aiming to become a globally recognised centre of excellence in flotation research through technology partnership and industrial implementation," Mintek post-doctoral research fellow Dr Mandla Chabalala declared at the PGM Industry Day. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.) Mintek makes no bones about its aspiration to become a world-class scientific research organisation with practical industrial solutions that support safer, more efficient and environmentally sustainable minerals processing. In partnership with various stakeholders, it is looking into expanding its global footprint as well as its standing as a global minerals and metallurgical innovation leader. Chabalala, who was one of one of a dozen Mintek managers, engineers and scientists who presented in the auditorium of this 92-year-old State-owned research organisation situated at 200 Malibongwe Drive in Randburg, said: "I'm available for technical discussions around how we can work together and become of service to you." His group falls under Mintek's minerals processing division: "We're a team of about 14 to 15, but given the work we do, you'd think we numbered about 100. "We see ourselves as laboratory pilot and plant scale flotation experts. We specialise in process development and optimisation, and we strive to excel in technology implementation and troubleshooting. "Our core capabilities lie in the space of process development and scale up, where we start from the bottom and see you all the way up to your processing in the plant. "We also look at reagent synthesis and engineering, where we can develop new reagents or look at what's currently being used and then modify it, depending on what you're looking for in the ore type that we're treating," Chabalala outlined during his end-to-end flotation solution presentation that extended beyond PGMs into the likes of copper flotation and rare earth elements. Pursuits include: circuit development and optimisation to maximise efficiency and improve strategies;plant support, industrial applications and coming on site to do audits, identify problems, and propose solutions; anddata modelling and digital analysis, a recent assignment proving to be "quite useful". What can one expect when engaging Mintek on flotation? Outlined was baseline laboratory test work informing process design as well as implementation around concentrate grade optimisation. "We don't just do lab work and leave it there. We go all the way up to saying let's upscale and see what we can get and what we need to adjust to maximise efficiency and recoveries when we go to the plant," Chabalala explained during the presentation covered by Mining Weekly. Current projects go beyond PGMs into copper flotation and even the effect of microorganisms, living things so small that they can only be seen with a microscope. "We know that microbes can be used for beneficiation and we want to see how we can use microbes to assist our flotation efficiencies and then also to look into contaminated PGMs such as spillages, or other contaminants in the plant." Treating tailings and mine waste, rare earth elements, and the circular economy are on the wanted list of Mintek, which goes beyond working with the mining industry alone. "We have a wide range of partners, which include universities and research institutions,...