Imperial College London opens £6M mining research centre

Imperial College London has partnered with Rio Tinto mining company to open a ₤6 million research centre to optimise mining and mineral processing techniques in order to extract minerals from below the surface of the Earth with minimal impact on the environment.

Recovery of minerals using conventional mining techniques is difficult. The collaboration between Rio Tinto and Imperial will focus on the development of improved cheap, safe and energy-efficient mineral extraction techniques.

One method will avoid the use of explosives in block caving and exploit natural rock fracturing using the force of gravity. Another energy-saving technique will involve the use of acid to dissolve underground metals which can then be pumped above ground and extracted. The new research centre will also develop increased efficiency froth flotation techniques which separate valuable minerals from waste rock with less energy expenditure.

Research at Imperial’s Department of Earth Science and Engineering will also be geared towards developing sensing technologies able to measure underground areas containing minerals, as well as the size and shape of deposits.

Jan Cilliers, Rio Tinto Chair in Mineral Processing at Imperial's Department of Earth Science and Engineering, said: “If we found copper close to a major city tomorrow, then the associated environmental and social concerns would make it impossible for us to mine this resource. However, research to be developed by the Rio Tinto Centre for Advanced Mineral Recovery could make this a reality without any adverse impacts to the environment.”

Richard Sykes, Rector of Imperial College, said: “This long-term research and development collaboration is a great example of how industry and academia can work together to drive economic competitiveness and to benefit the environment. Imperial and Rio Tinto have different but complementary strengths. By pooling them in this way we can develop innovative technological solutions and implement them speedily.”

John McGagh, Head of Innovation at Rio Tinto, said: “The alliance with Imperial College is a key element in delivering the Rio Tinto mine of the future. This approach is based around optimising all stages of the mineral extraction process, resulting in maximum recovery rates while minimising the mining footprint. We aim to work with the best research groups in the world and Imperial College are an obvious partner in the field.”