Mining the Pixels: AI Image Processing for Mineral Processing

Artificial intelligence (AI) enabled image processing is rapidly becoming a core measurement layer in modern mineral processing, converting visual process states into quantitative variables for monitoring, optimisation, and, less commonly but most invaluably, closed-loop control. Yet the field remains fragmented: flotation research focuses on froth and bubble interpretation; comminution applications focus on conveyor-based fragmentation and oversize detection; ore sorting emphasises sensor physics (often XRT/HSI) and classification; and mineralogical characterisation leverages microscopy and 3D X-ray volumes for phase segmentation and liberation metrics. 

At MEI's inaugural AI in Mineral Processing '27 conference in Cape Town, Saeed Chelgani, of Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, will present a keynote lecture unifying these streams under a single "industrial AI vision" framework that spans sensors, model classes, deployment constraints and process value pathways.

Saeed will show how current AI vision systems are used at the industrial scale in mineral processing, where they fail in practice; which emerging computer-vision paradigms, mature in adjacent high-technology domains but underused in mineral processing, offer opportunities to improve robustness, generalisation, and interpretability; and how these opportunities can be realised.

Although Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based architectures and standard object detection models remain the dominant approach for mineral processing tasks such as bubble segmentation and particle sizing, their performance often declines when applied across changing ore bodies. In most cases, they also offer limited support for explicitly modeling temporal dynamics or prediction confidence. 

Saeed will suggest that the next leap in industrial performance in mineral processing requires integrating next-generation architectures such as Vision Transformers (ViTs), Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), and foundation and diffusion models. Together, these models offer superior handling of complex texture discrimination and can be retrained and fine-tuned via self-supervised learning to address the lack of high-quality labeled data. By shifting toward generative pipelines for synthetic data augmentation and adopting Bayesian or conformal approaches for safety-critical decisions, the field can move away from fragile, label-hungry models toward more resilient systems that better support operational reliability

Saeed is a professor of mineral processing and the Director of the Swedish School of Mines at Luleå University of Technology. His work primarily focuses on mineral processing, particularly flotation separation, AI modeling, surface chemistry, and the development of materials for both primary and secondary mineral processing. His research spans from fundamental studies on particle-bubble interactions to applied projects in battery recycling, green flotation mechanisms, chemicals, and new reagent development. Currently, he is involved in projects on lithium-ion battery recycling, phosphate flotation in collaboration with LKAB, and AI modeling of industrial units.

#AI27
#MEIBlog

A spectacular journey over the mountains from George to Cape Town

The International Mineral Processing Congress  and MEI's Process Mineralogy '26 and Critical Minerals '26 are only 5 month's away (posting of 18th May) and there will be many for whom this will be a first visit to South Africa and the beautiful Western Cape region.

I hope that you will stay on after any of these events to sample what this amazing country has to offer. Staying on in Cape Town is a good choice, but if you would like to take a truly memorable experience home with you, I can recommend a 6 day (minimum) spectacular drive from George, over the mountains via two scenic mountain passes, the Karoo desert, a quirky old town, and some of the finest wine districts. Barbara and I have travelled this route several times and recommend it as a great South African 'taster'. 

The town of George is 435 km from Cape Town, but there are regular one-hour flights from Cape Town International Airport to the airport at George, and cars can be rented from here. Because of the easily accessible airport, George is often regarded as the start of the famous Garden Route, the N2 motorway taking you east to the resorts of Wilderness, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. This is a favourite tourist route but I find it personally underwhelming as the famous route is mostly just the N2 highway, and large parts are inland, suburban, forested, or commercial rather than constantly scenic ocean views. Over-development has changed the feel in some areas. Locals and environmental groups frequently complain that estate developments, road traffic, and urban sprawl are eroding the old "untouched paradise" image.

Travelling inland from George is, however, an overwhelming experience.

After a first night in George, the drive between George and Oudtshoorn is one of the classic short scenic road trips in South Africa’s Garden Route region. It is only about 60 km and usually takes 45-60 minutes. Heading north on the N12 a gradual climb leads to the Outeniqua Pass, a winding mountain road through the dramatic Outeniqua Mountains, with great viewpoints over valleys and mountains.

Barbara, Amanda and Jon on the Outeniqua Pass, 1982

Then there is a sudden landscape shift to green mountains and the dry semi-desert Karoo leading to Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital of the world. The town built its wealth in the late 1800s and early 1900s on the ostrich feather boom and even today visitors are welcomed to some of the large ostrich farms around the town.

Oudtshoorn

A short detour from Oudtshoorn is to the Cango Wildlife Ranch, renowned for its cheetah conservation, operating one of the world’s largest cheetah breeding centres and maintaining some of the highest survival rates for cubs globally.

The nearby Cango Caves is one of South Africa’s most famous natural attractions. The massive limestone cave system contains dramatic stalactites and chambers and options range from easy guided walks to adventure crawling routes.

Cango Wildlife Ranch and Cango Caves, 1982

I would recommend an overnight stop in Oudtsdoorn and then the next day keep fingers crossed that the R328 to Prince Albert is open as the Swartberg Pass is one of the most famous mountain roads in South Africa, a dramatic gravel pass crossing the Swartberg Mountains. It is widely considered one of the great scenic drives in the country. The southern Oudtshoorn side climbs gradually through red rock formations and then becomes steeper near the summit at 1580m. The northern side descending toward Prince Albert is the most dramatic, with classic zigzags and sheer drops, but despite the exposure, most of the pass is manageable in a normal car in dry weather if driven slowly and carefully.

Swartberg Pass, 1997

Built in the 1880s the pass is considered an engineering masterpiece because it was constructed largely by hand using dry-stone retaining walls, which have survived more than a century of weather, floods, and mountain conditions.

Swartberg Pass, 2008, showing dry stone retaining walls

If the Swartberg Pass is closed due to bad weather, the best alternative from Oudtshoorn is the N12 to De Rust through Meiringspoort, which is also spectacular, and then the R407 to Prince Albert, a great place for a third overnight stop. Prince Albert is known for its well-preserved Cape Dutch and Victorian architecture and has developed a reputation for quality food. There is an abundance of accommodation from historic guesthouses to farm-style cottages and we have always stayed overnight at the Dennehof Karoo Guest House, set in a restored 19th-century homestead.

Prince Albert

The next day is a leisurely 160 km drive from Prince Albert to Matjiesfontein, a classic Great Karoo road trip through some of the most open, quiet, and scenic semi-desert landscapes in the Western Cape, where wild flowers suddenly bloom after heavy rain.

Wild flowers in the Great Karoo

The R407 leads to the N1 motorway and on to the little village of Matjiesfontein, an historic village, known for its well-preserved Victorian architecture and railway heritage. Founded in the late 19th century, it gained prominence as a fashionable health resort and a key stop on the Cape’s main railway line (the famous Blue Train makes its only stop here on route to Pretoria from Cape Town). 

It's definitely worth spending a night here at the historic Lord Milner Hotel in the centre of the village. The Lord Milner is part hotel, part museum-piece, and part old colonial time capsule.

The Lord Milner Hotel, 2008

The London bus village tour and a great pub atmosphere in the hotel

Back on the N1 the drive from Matjiesfontein to Worcester is one of the classic Western Cape transitions, leaving the stark, open Karoo and gradually descending into fertile wine country framed by dramatic mountains.

Wine country near Worcester

Worcester is the gateway to the wine districts and from here you can explore the Robertson, Paarl and Stellenbosch wine routes, but if time is limited I recommend taking the road to Franschhoek, one of the most beautiful towns, with some of the best restaurants in South Africa. One of our favourites is La Petite Ferme, with its stunning views of the Franschhoek Valley, but there are many wine estates with fabulous views and food.

La Petite Ferme, 2008

Lunch at Mont Rochelle Estate, 2009

When you feel the time is right to leave Franschhoek, I suggest a great full day journey back to Cape Town via three short stops. Leave Franschhoek on the R45 towards Paarl then take the R310 towards Stellenbosch, but shortly after joining the R310 drop into Boschendal, one of the country's most famous and historic wine estates, dating back to 1685. Boschendal is a great place to stop for morning coffee, or for wine tasting under the shade of the oak trees.

The Manor House at Boschendal

Wine tasting, 2008

Back on the road, the R310 takes you to the second oldest town in South Africa, Stellenbosch. Founded in 1679, Stellenbosch is best known for its Cape Dutch architecture, oak-lined streets and its main avenue, Dorp Street, which is often called a "museum street" because the architecture and urban layout are preserved so well that the entire street functions like a walk-able exhibition of centuries of town history. It's also a great place to eat before moving on to the last stage of our journey.

Dorp Street, Stellenbosch

Take the R44 south from Stellenbosch to Somerset West and then exit toward Lourensford Road to the Vergelegen Wine Estate, one of the standout destinations in the Cape Winelands. It is famous for its heritage gardens and preserved Cape Dutch architecture and for its fine wines.

Vergelegen

From Vergelegen it is only about 30-40 minutes to Cape Town International Airport, and to Cape Town itself a further 30 minutes or so, along the N2. The end of a fantastic journey, which I am sure you will never forget. I rate it the best road journey in South Africa, but if you have other ideas please let us know.

#MEIBlog

May Cornish Mining Sundowner, with welcome guests from the North

There was a good turnout for the May Cornish Mining Sundowner last night, with around 25 represented at Falmouth's Chain Locker.

A surprise guest was a CSM student from half a century ago, Sam Wood, who had travelled the 350 miles from his home in Buxton just for the sundowner.

Sam Wood 2nd right

And from the opposite side of the Pennines it was good to see Laura Smith again, from the School of Earth, Environment & Sustainability at the University of Leeds. She attended the May sundowner last year, when she was visiting Cornwall as her group of social scientists was conducting research on UK sourcing of critical materials in the context of the energy transition and was developing case studies of Cornwall's lithium and tin as well as Aberdeenshire's nickel. 

This year the group has two mining-related projects, the first a piece of research looking at the dynamics of tungsten mining in Europe, with Hemerdon mine (Tungsten West) in Devon and Salau mine in France as case studies. Laura would like to speak to a range of stakeholders about the past, present and future of Hemerdon Mine. If anyone is interested please email Laura: L.e.smith1@leeds.ac.uk. Luckily last night she got the chance to talk to Klaas (KP) van der Wielen, consultant with Ausenco, who was plant metallurgist at Hemerdon from 2015-17.

Laura and KP

The other project is ‘Grounded Engagement’ and is a participatory film project, bringing together mining stakeholders to create stories about the revival of mining in Cornwall. This will involve geologists, anthropologists, community groups and sustainability consultants coming together to talk about community engagement during mineral exploration and how creative methods can help us better understand people’s experiences and perspectives. The workshop will take place in Redruth on June 3rd and 4th, and Laura would like to hear from you if you are interested in getting involved.

The price of tin has risen 45% this year, to $55,000 per tonne and China has a stranglehold on supplies so it was good to see Cornish Metals featured in an article in The Times last week. Cornish Metals' South Crofty mine in Camborne struggled after the tin price collapsed to $4000 per tonne in 1985, where it remained for two decades.

Hopefully the mine will start production again in two years time, producing 4,700 tonnes/year at an operating cost of $13,400/tonne. Pumping water from the mine is well under way and mining permits are agreed until 2071. It is hoped that the project could directly employ up to 300 people and bring more than 1000 jobs into this deprived area. There is a strategic need for more tin supplies outside of Asia and a future market expected to drive demand for tin, a critical metal, an essential ingredient in the solder required for nearly all electrical equipment.

The next Cornish Mining Sundowner is on Thursday June 18th at the Chain Locker from 5.30pm.

#MEIBlog

Reactions to blog posts

We really appreciate all the interaction that we get to postings on the blog, mainly via LinkedIn. All the blog postings are listed chronologically on LinkedIn via the hashtag #MEIBlog. Clicking on this hashtag shows the postings and all their likes, reposts and comments.

Our most active recent hashtags are #PhysicalSeparation26 and #MineralProcessingCircuits26 where postings on Physical Separation '26 and Mineral Processing Circuits '26  from LinkedIn members are compiled.

There have also been comments directly to the blog since the last update:

Return to Nchanga, Zambia's greatest copper mine
Season's greetings from MEI
Advancing the minerals industry through collaboration: Capstone Copper and Promet101
Memories of Minerals Engineering '91- Singapore
The crucial importance of process mineralogy
2025 MEI Young Person's Award to Túlio Moreira Campos
The life of a Cornish miner in perspective
Geopolymerisation and the pyramids

If you do not have a Google account, the simplest way to add a direct comment is by selecting 'anonymous' as your profile, but please leave your name and affiliation in the comment. Alternatively, email your comment directly to bwills@min-eng.com.

If you would like a weekly email alert to postings on the blog, please subscribe here.

Cape Town: a hub for mineral processing in 2026

Cape Town is the place to be this year if you are a mineral processor. MEI's two smallest conferences, Physical Separation '26 and Mineral Processing Circuits '26, were held at Cape Town's beautiful Vineyard Hotel last month, and now there is a five month gap in which we look forward to three major conferences in South Africa's spring, the best time to be in Cape Town.

The XXXII International Mineral Processing Congress will be one of the most influential global gatherings in mineral processing, hopefully bringing together over 1000 professionals and academics from more than 50 countries, including leading universities, major mining companies, and global technology providers. Hosted at the Cape Town Convention Centre in the City Bowl, with its iconic view of Table Mountain, the congress creates a platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and the latest innovations shaping the future of the industry.

If you are a first-timer to South Africa, this IMPC video will show you what to expect from this wonderfully diverse country and particularly its jewel in the crown, Cape Town, and the South African section of the blog might whet your appetites for ideas for staying on after an event.

MEI is an IMPC media partner and we will be represented at the congress by Amanda, Will and me. Barbara and I, and Will and his girlfriend, have decided to remain after the IMPC finishes and base ourselves at Green Point, close to the Cape Town Waterfront. A wonderful place to spend some time, as there is so much to see and do in Cape Town, with its multitude of high quality restaurants, and Ubers are never more than a few minutes away to whisk you to the world's most beautiful wine estates, beaches and mountain hikes.

Just over 3 weeks after the end of the IMPC, as the early summer warms Cape Town, we move to the other side of the Mountain for MEI's Process Mineralogy '26 and Critical Minerals '26, with the full MEI team in attendance.

Table Mountain from the Vineyard Hotel

Process Mineralogy '26 is the 8th in this popular series and there is now a final call for abstracts. We invite you to submit your abstracts for review by the end of this month.

Critical Minerals '26, the 2nd in the series, immediately follows Process Mineralogy '26 and abstracts are invited by the end of the month.

A lot to look forward to in the Mother City later in the year!

#IMPC26
#ProcessMineralogy26
#CriticalMinerals26
#MEIBlog

Critical Minerals ’26: Copper Demand, Substitution, and the Future of Processing

Critical Minerals ’26, the second in the series, is shaping up very well, with abstracts already submitted covering a broad range of critical minerals, including both recycling and primary processing routes.

Copper remains one of the most important critical minerals. Modern society is deeply dependent on it, as it sits at the centre of how we generate, transmit, and use electricity and heat. It is essential for electric grids, electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, data centres, and emerging AI infrastructure. Electrification alone significantly increases copper intensity, electric vehicles typically using two to three times more copper than conventional petrol vehicles. At the same time, grid expansion and the rapid growth of AI-driven data centres are adding sustained, long-cycle demand (see also posting of 22 September 2025).

While forecasts vary, the overall direction is clear; copper demand is expected to continue rising annually in the near term. Longer-term projections indicate a substantial structural supply gap unless new mining capacity is brought online at an accelerated pace. However, supply is increasingly constrained by declining ore grades, long development timelines for new mines, often 10 to 20 years, ESG-related delays, and operational disruptions due to mine outages.

We are pleased to welcome Martin Lynch to his first MEI Conference. The son of the legendary Alban Lynch, Martin will present a thought-provoking paper arguing that substitution with aluminium may represent the most effective response to looming global copper shortages. He will highlight evidence suggesting that, of the copper consumed globally in 2023, approximately 70% could have been replaced by alternatives, including aluminium wiring, cabling, and tubing, without significant performance penalties. He will further argue that the principal barrier to substitution is not technical feasibility, but rather copper’s entrenched reputation for quality and the reluctance of manufacturers and consumers to adopt alternative materials, even in applications such as building wiring, air conditioning heat exchangers, and renewable energy cabling, where substitutes have been shown to perform effectively.

The conference will also feature two high-profile keynote lectures. Professor Chun-Xia Zhao of the University of Adelaide will explore whether peptides could enable a new mineral processing paradigm (see posting of 8th September 2025). Professor Jacques Eksteen of Curtin University will discuss circular hydrometallurgy approaches aimed at more sustainable processing of critical minerals (see posting of 9 November 2025).

Finally, we extend our congratulations to Professor Eksteen, who was awarded the 2026 Alan Taylor Award for Innovation in Metallurgical Processing at the annual ALTA Conference awards dinner earlier this month.

#CriticalMinerals26