Process mineralogy plays a pivotal role in modern mineral processing by offering deep insights into the mineralogical characteristics of ores. This includes detailed information on mineral composition, grain size, texture, and the associations between valuable and gangue minerals. Such knowledge is essential for optimising each stage of the beneficiation process, from crushing and grinding to separation and refining, ensuring that chosen methods are both technically sound and economically viable. By aligning processing strategies with the intrinsic properties of the ore, operators can achieve higher recovery rates, reduce energy consumption, minimise waste, and improve overall plant performance.
As an interdisciplinary field bridging geology and metallurgy, process mineralogy involves comprehensive ore characterisation using advanced techniques such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and automated mineral analysis systems. These tools reveal not only the types and proportions of minerals present but also their liberation characteristics, grain size distributions, intergrowth textures, and associations with deleterious elements. This level of detail is critical for selecting and fine-tuning processes such as comminution, flotation, and leaching. For example, understanding whether valuable minerals are finely disseminated or locked within complex textures helps determine the optimal grind size and separation strategy. Process mineralogy also supports metallurgical troubleshooting, ore variability analysis, and the prediction of processing outcomes, ultimately reducing operational risks and enhancing resource efficiency and profitability.
MEI’s Process Mineralogy Conferences serve as a cornerstone for the global mineral processing community. Since 2012, these biennial events have provided a dedicated platform for professionals, researchers, and academics to exchange ideas and explore the latest advances in process mineralogy. The most recent event, Process Mineralogy '24, was held in Cape Town, South Africa, from November 11-13, 2024.
Organised in consultation with Professor Megan Becker (University of Cape Town) and advised by Professor Alan Butcher (Chief Scientist & Technical Director, Hafren Scientific Group, UK), these conferences attract a global audience. Topics typically covered include quantitative mineralogy using X-ray and electron beam techniques, geometallurgy, ore characterisation, mineral liberation and textural analysis, on-site applications, sampling and statistics, and advanced process control.
The next conference in the series, Process Mineralogy '26, will return to Cape Town from November 16-18, 2026 (note: not in Sitges, Spain, as initially announced).
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The event will continue to focus on the core themes that define this dynamic field, maintaining its reputation as a leading forum for knowledge exchange and collaboration. Early sponsorship has already been confirmed by Promet101, with media support from International Mining and Minerals Engineering. The website is open for abstract submission and to reserve exhibition space.
A full report on Process Mineralogy '24 is available via this thread and selected photos from the event, held at the Vineyard Hotel, are shown below.
Process Mineralogy '26 will immediately precede Critical Minerals '26 at the same venue.
As always, looking forward to the next conference in this series!
ReplyDeleteWell stated - understanding the mineralogy is essential to correct process design - as a bad reminder we have the "fatal flaw" in the Hemerdon design by Wolf Minerals (fatal but reparable) to recover the great part of the £400M investment made by Wolf Minerals and only needs now upper management of TWL to make the changes in the plant.
ReplyDeleteIan Gordon Hall Dun CEO -EMERALD CONSULTORIA, Brazil (via LinkedIn)