Copper industry to reap billions in added value from new research hub Friday, 09 October 2015

A new research hub in South Australia will find ways to make copper processing more efficient, adding billions of dollars of value to the copper industry.

The copper industry in Australia is currently worth $6 billion a year, but could reap major cost savings and profits by improving its copper processing capabilities to be more efficient and cost-effective.

The newly established Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Hub for Australian Copper-Uranium, based at the University of Adelaide, aims to do just that: its goals include finding new ways of removing non-target metals from copper concentrates – while ensuring these new methods can be applied on an industrial scale.

Australia holds around 6% of the world’s economic copper resources, and ranks fifth in production volumes. A major copper resource is the Olympic Dam copper-uranium-gold deposit in South Australia, followed by the Mount Isa copper-lead-zinc deposit in Queensland.

According to Professor Stephen Grano, Director of the new Research Hub, the quality of the copper deposits in South Australia poses a challenge during the processing stage.

“Much of South Australia's copper deposits are actually very fine intergrowths of a range of different metals and minerals. This introduces additional technical challenges for industry, which needs to achieve high-purity copper concentrates ready for market,” Prof Grano explained.

Currently, the mined ore is crushed and ground into fine particles, and then technically-advanced processes are used to physically separate the copper from the unwanted host rock. This process requires a lot of energy.

Following the physical separation, chemical separation via hydrometallurgy or pyrometallurgy may be needed to separate out finely-dispersed non-copper elements from the mineral assemblage. These processes require the use of harsh chemicals and/or high temperatures. In some cases, all three separation processes may be used in a integrated approach.

“Being able to find cost-effective ways of removing other metals from copper concentrates will provide a boost to the industry's economic prosperity, as well as its environmental sustainability,” Prof Grano said. “This work will help to ensure Australia is a world leader in copper production and associated technology.”

To help establish the research hub, the Australian Research Council awarded $2.52 million to the University of Adelaide. Other industry partners are contributing a further $5.55 million in cash and in-kind support over five years.

South Australian Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis welcomed the new ARC Research Hub, saying it will boost one of South Australia’s most significant commodities.

“One of our key economic priorities is to unlock the full potential of our mineral resources,” Koutsantonis said. “The State Government is contributing $500,000 over four years towards the testing and commercialisation of safe and cost-effective ways of separating uranium from copper concentrates.”

“As one of the world’s largest copper producers, maximising the value of copper ore is of enormous benefit to the State’s economy.”

The ARC Research Hub for Australian Copper-Uranium is led by the University of Adelaide’s Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources. It is funded by the Australian Government through the ARC’s Industrial Transformation Research Hubs scheme.

Partners include mining companies BHP Billiton and OZ Minerals, the Department of State Development, Defence Science and Technology Group, Environment Protection Authority South Australia, Flinders University, Monash University, University College London (UCL) Australia, and the University of Queensland.