1 September 2018: This month we meet University of Newcastle PdD student, Callan Lowes. Callan is completing important research for CRC ORE’s Program 3: Extract (P3-005) being run through Curtin University. This research is being undertaken as part of the AMIRA P420F Gold project.
Callan Lowes calibrating the REFLUX Classifier fluidisation during a recent run |
This article was published in CRC ORE News - September 2018
By Suzi Moore, Communications Coordinator
Callan’s PhD topic is “Recovery and Concentration of Gold Ores by Coarse Particle Gangue Rejection in a REFLUX Classifier”.
Callan has been investigating the potential for applying the Reflux Classifier as a strategy for achieving rejection of relatively coarse gangue as part of a pre-concentration strategy in mineral processing. This could bring significant benefits in reducing water and energy consumption. The work is challenging given the density difference between those particles that contain high value metal and the gangue can be relatively small. The goal is to recover the vast majority of the high value metal, while rejecting the vast majority of the barren ore, thus reducing the amount of grinding and water losses through tailings.