CRC ORE Program:

 Program 3: Extract (P3-008)

ORE

 
Grinding system designed and built to replicate plant mill performance at a laboratory scale

 PhD Topic:

Interactions of grinding media and process water on media wear and downstream operations during gold ore processing

 Institution:

Curtin University

 Research
 Supervisors:

Prof Jacques Eksteen

 Expected
 Completion:

August 2017

 Meet Alireza Rabieh:

ORE

Alireza has over eight years’ experience in the mineral processing industries. He has worked in metallurgical consulting, engineering, plant operations and process development. 
Alireza has undertaken metallurgical and economic studies and participated in detailed plant design, metallurgical test work and development. Projects and studies have involved the treatment of gold, silver and copper ores. 

Alireza recently graduated from Curtin University with a PhD degree in Metallurgical Engineering and is currently working in the gold technology group as a Postdoctoral researcher.
His PhD project was studying the interaction of grinding media, process water and gold ores.

Now Alireza has completed his PhD, he hopes to continue to work in the mineral processing industry and to develop his engineering skills.

 Focus area:

Interactions of grinding media and process water on media wear and downstream operations during gold ore processing.

Alireza’s PhD project was studying the interactions between mineral-water-grinding media, and the role of grinding chemistry on subsequent leaching and flotation. The work concentrated on the case of gold associated with pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite and pyrite, three minerals that are commonly found in gold ores.

The interactions with various grinding media (forged steel, low chromium and high chromium steel and ceramic media) were investigated and the galvanic effects are explored, as well as the effect on flotation and leach chemistry in conventional cyanide leach systems.