First Calls for Abstracts for Hi-Tech Metals '20 and Process Mineralogy '20

Hi-Tech Metals '20 and Process Mineralogy '20 will run back to back in Cape Town in October, immediately preceding the IMPC 2020, also in Cape Town.

Less than half a century ago the rare earth elements were classed as minor metals - who had even heard of neodymium, now essential in the production of powerful rare earth permanent magnets, used in wind turbines and many other applications?

Lithium was essentially a curiosity, the third element in the Periodic Table, and the lightest metal. Now, of course it is in high demand for light, powerful batteries, and the increasing prevalence of electric cars will increase the demand for this once minor metal, as well as for cobalt and nickel.

The rare earths and lithium are primary mined, but some of the once minor metals, such as gallium, germanium and indium, which are essential for our modern way of life, are by-products of base metal mining.

Developments in the Processing of the "Hi-Tech" Metals (Hi-Tech Metals '20), October 12-13, sponsored by ZEISS, with International Mining as a media partner, is MEI's second international conference dealing with the mineral processing and extractive metallurgy of these crucial metals from primary and secondary resources, and the environmental problems that are often associated with their extraction.

Delegates at Hi-Tech Metals '18

Process Mineralogy '20 (October 14-15) is the 6th International Symposium on Process Mineralogy and is sponsored by ZEISS, FLSmidth, Bruker and Thermo Fisher Scientific, with International Mining as media partner.

Developing from MEI’s previous conferences, Process Mineralogy '20 will deal with the following topics:

• Quantitative mineralogy, including both X-ray and Electron Beam Techniques
• Geometallurgy
• Ore characterisation
• Mineral Liberation and Textural Analysis
• Application of process mineralogy on site
• Sampling and Statistics
• Advanced Process Control

Delegates at Process Mineralogy '18

If you would like to present papers at these events, there are calls for short abstracts, which should be submitted to me (bwills@min-eng.com) by the end of June. If accepted, draft papers will be required. These will form the unrefereed Proceedings, which will be available to delegates on a USB stick at the conference.

Final papers should be submitted as soon as possible after the conference. These will be refereed, and, if accepted, published immediately in the first available regular issue of Minerals Engineering, and included in the Virtual Special Issue of the conference on ScienceDirect.

We look forward to seeing you in Cape Town in October at our beautiful venue, the Vineyard Hotel.

The latest updates can be found at #HiTechMetals20 and #ProcessMineralogy20.

@barrywills