The first AI-assisted mineral processing book series

I am sure that any mineral processor who uses LinkedIn cannot fail to have noticed the proliferation of books announced every few days by the author Tony Escorcio, a mineral process engineer with more than 45 years experience in the metallurgical and chemical engineering fields. He has an engineering degree from the University of Witwatersrand and has, over the years, filled many roles from plant management, process development, plant design and commissioning to process equipment specialist. Currently, apart from consulting work, he uses his knowledge base to develop courses and books for mineral processors.

Some of the books in the series

Currently there are over 20 books in the series and I asked him how he manages to churn out volumes at such a high frequency. He said that he has an extensive knowledge base spanning 45 years and what would take a single author years to collate and edit he has been fortunate to be aided by some modern tools and apps. "Back in the day", he said, "we would go to a library and peruse dozens of reference books to collate the information, it's different today".

I asked about modern tools and apps and whether this meant AI and he said that this includes AI-assisted tools. He has used these primarily to help organise material, improve structure, develop drafts from his own technical notes and experience, edit language, generate illustrative ideas, and speed up formatting and preparation. He sees these tools as an aid to collation, drafting and presentation, not as a substitute for experience or professional review, the technical judgement, subject matter, examples and final responsibility being his.

He describes the book series as a practical mineral process engineering series aimed mainly at plant metallurgists, process engineers, operations personnel, commissioning teams, project engineers, consultants, and advanced students who want a plant-focused view of the discipline. They are not intended to replace standard academic texts, but rather to complement them by focusing on the realities of plant operation, troubleshooting, project execution, commissioning, ramp-up and metallurgical control.

He says that the intention behind the books is not to present them as academic textbooks in the same category as established, peer-reviewed works such as Mineral Processing Technology. Rather, they are intended as practical, experience-based guides for people working in and around mineral processing plants. The aim has been to capture, in an accessible form, much of the practical knowledge that is often learned only after many years on operating plants, projects, commissioning teams, troubleshooting assignments and plant studies.

At present, Amazon is the main route for obtaining the books. They are self-published, which has allowed the author to move quickly and address practical topics that are not always covered in detail in traditional publishing. There are several volumes either completed, in draft form, or in development. 

The recent books on metallurgical accounting, commissioning and ramp-up, and related subjects are part of a broader practical series covering topics such as plant operations, sampling, mass balancing, flotation, comminution, gold processing, project management, commissioning, ramp-up, and process engineering practice. The books have not gone through the same formal external peer-review process as a conventional academic or publisher-led textbook. They have been reviewed and revised by the author against his own industry experience, and he is open to feedback from practitioners, academics and readers as the series develops and, where necessary, he intends to improve future editions based on constructive comments.

As an author of a mineral processing book it would not be fair for me to analyse or review any of the books in the series but I would welcome views from those who have read any of the volumes. Is AI the future for book authorship?  Personally I hope not, particularly as negotiations are currently in the offing for a 9th edition of Mineral Processing Technology!

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Mining in World History

I have just been re-reading the excellent Material World (posting of 13th March 2025) and noticed this time that the book Mining in World History was cited quite a few times. The author of Material World, Ed Conway, says that this is the best book that he has encountered on the history of mining, on copper but also a panoply of other materials.

Mining in World History was published in 2002 and authored by Martin Lynch, the son of Prof Alban Lynch. 

We are very fortunate to have Martin at Critical Minerals '26, where he will make a presentation arguing that substitution with aluminium may represent the most effective response to looming global copper shortages.

Mining in World History deals with the history of mining and smelting from the Renaissance to the present day, showing the interplay of personalities, politics and technology which have together shaped the metallurgical industries over the last 500 years. 

Martin opens with the invention, sometime before the year 1453, of a revolutionary technique for separating silver from copper, an event that revived the rich copper-silver mines of central Europe and the ruling ambitions of the Habsburg emperors who owned them. The flood of silver from Spain’s newly-conquered American colonies brought about the demise of these mines, and Martin then examines the far-reaching changes brought to mining and smelting by the steam engine and the Industrial Revolution. 

The book then looks at the era of the gold rushes and the comprehensive developments in mineral extraction and technology that took place in the United States and South Africa at the end of the nineteenth century, and describes the spread of mass metal-production techniques across the world amid the violent struggles of the twentieth century and the energy crises of the 1970s. 

Mining in World History was the first book to provide an account of how and why change and advance in this global industry have taken place in different eras and locations around the world. Ed Conway's Material World builds on this and the two books are highly recommended not just for those in the minerals industry, but for anyone with an interest in how the world works.

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New book: The Art and Science of the Flowsheet

In this new book, launched at last month's SME Annual Meeting in Salt lake City, John O. Marsden explores the essential visual language of extractive metallurgy, the flowsheet,and the unique intersection where engineering meets art. From the hand-drawn process diagrams of the 19th century to today’s digital simulations, Marsden traces how these schematic representations have evolved to capture the innovation, precision, and creativity that define mineral processing. 

Richly illustrated with more than 190 historical and modern flowsheets, this volume tells the story of how metallurgists, engineers, and draftsmen have translated complex processes into elegant, functional design. Through examples spanning gold, copper, nickel, lithium, and other key commodities, Marsden reveals how each diagram reflects its era’s technology, challenges, and ingenuity and how flowsheets continue to shape the efficiency and sustainability of modern operations.  

Part history, part technical guide, and part visual tribute, The Art and Science of the Flowsheet invites readers to appreciate the discipline as both a craft and a cornerstone of process design.  With more than 200 full color flowsheets and diagrams, this book is a definitive reference for metallurgists, process engineers, and students - those who still sketch ideas on napkins, seek clarity in complexity, and understand that every good flowsheet tells a story.

John Marsden (left) at the SME Bookstore in Salt Lake City

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The Business of Flotation

The late Professor Dee Bradshaw was a strong proponent of the value of international travel and conference presentation for postgraduate students. In conjunction with Dr. Norm Lotter, Dee Bradshaw conceived the idea for ‘The Business of Flotation’ but was unable to see the completion of the book due to a terminal illness. The eBook has now been published, edited by Norman Lotter and Prof. Margeth Tadie and MEI's Process Mineralogy consultant Prof. Megan Becker, with MEI's Comminution consultant Prof. Aubrey Mainza contributing to the chapter on grinding strategies.

With Dee Bradshaw, Norm Lotter and Megan Becker at Process Mineralogy '17

The deliberate choice of the title "The Business of Flotation" underscores the authors’ contention that while flotation is a technological process, its application is fundamentally a business strategy for extracting paymetals from mined ore. This comprehensive, easy-to read book goes beyond the traditional approaches, emphasising asset management optimisation and addressing the performance gap in concentrator operations. The authors employ an integrated method, incorporating sampling, mineralogy, semiconductor theory, electrochemistry, and flotation testing, to provide practical insights for achieving peak plant performance. The final chapters cover statistically designed plant-scale trials, offering a roadmap for implementing improvements and increasing profitability. As the industry faces challenges such as low ore grade and mineralogical complexity, this multidisciplinary approach emerges as a forward-thinking solution for success in paymetal extraction operations: a blueprint that amounts to "the business of flotation".

A portion of the sales from the book will be used to create a travel fund in honour of the late Dee Bradshaw, emeritus professor at the University of Cape Town. The fund will be used to contribute towards the travel costs of international PhD students to attend and present their research at the annual Conference of Metallurgy and Materials (COM) of the Metallurgy and Materials Society of CIM (MetSoc).

One scholarship will be awarded per year to a PhD student for the presentation of a full research paper. The postgraduate student must be currently registered for full time PhD studies at a recognised university outside of Canada. The student cannot be a Canadian and the PhD focus area must be in flotation.

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New book: Liberation Based Energy Efficient Sulfide Flotation Circuits

I met Bill Johnson for the first time at the SME Annual Meeting in Denver in 2017, where he was inducted into the International Mining Hall of Fame.  Later in the year he was in Cape Town to present a keynote lecture at Flotation '17. In 2020 I interviewed him for the blog.

In over 50 years in minerals processing, Bill has made outstanding advances to the treatment of complex ores. He pioneered the use of the paradigm of size-by-size mineral liberation-class behaviour, and is a masterful user of this approach to drive major improvements to mineral processing plant design and performance. He was pivotal to the development of flowsheets and new processes for McArthur River, Mount Isa, Hilton and George Fisher, and has provided highly skilled technical support for a global array of operations. culminating in the development of the IsaMill technology and the Jameson Cell.

His educational and training experience includes teaching undergraduates and supervising postgraduate research together with running “in house” courses on advanced topics for technical staff. Bill is a respected mentor and widely known for his success in developing the professional skills of many minerals processing engineers during his time in the corporate sector and academia.

Bill Johnson is a Principal Consultant with Mineralis who has recently published what will be a very important book Liberation Based Energy Efficient Sulfide Flotation Circuits (Including Regrinding and Cleaner Flotation Technology Improvements since 1970).

In this book Bill distills his 50 years of internationally recognised experience in the treatment of complex ores into one publication. He discusses the significant developments in regrinding and cleaning technologies that have taken place from 1970 to 2020 and provides some future directions for primary grinding, roughing, regrinding and cleaning in sulfide flotation circuits to decrease the energy required for grinding in the total system. The decreased energy consumption can be achieved by performing the final stages of liberation of the valuable sulfide minerals mainly in regrinding where the tonnages of solid being processed are lower than in primary grinding.  

He uses data and real-world examples to effectively communicate the complexities of the sulfide mineral flotation process. Also included are discussions on the importance of the chemical conditions inside a regrinding mill and the relationships between these chemical conditions and the separation performance of the associated cleaner system.

Ample examples from industry are included to assist the reader, along with over 160 references. A must volume for anyone involved with sulfide mineral flotation.

New book: Biological Metal Recovery from Wastewaters

This book, edited by Sabrina Hedrich, of TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany and Oliver Wiche, of Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, Germany, reviews the latest research on innovative and sustainable biotechnologies for metal recovery from various process streams, emphasising the fundamentals and applications of biosystems. 

Divided into 7 chapters, it clarifies many topics including biological iron and aluminum recovery from wastewaters, precious metal recovery (Pt, Pd, Au, Ag), algal-based metal recovery, selenium and tellurium recovery, phytoextraction options, and arsenic removal by sulfate-reducing bacteria. 

Expert contributors explore microbial metabolisms such as iron oxidation, sulfate/sulfur reduction, and selenite reduction through the lens of environmental sustainability. The book contains various case studies and commercial applications of these biotechnologies. Particular attention is given to combinations of biological systems with electrochemistry to enhance metal recycling from complex and diluted streams.

The book is a valuable resource for researchers in the field of environmental biotechnology, and scholars of environmental science, chemical engineering and microbiology.  Waste management and resource recovery professionals will benefit from the insights provided. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in sustainable solutions for critical metal supply within a circular economy framework.

Material World by Ed Conway

Critical minerals, such as lithium, copper, cobalt, graphite, nickel, manganese, and rare earth elements, are indispensable to the low-carbon energy transition, driving a global surge in demand that shows no signs of abating. Paradoxically, the foundation of clean energy lies in the mining industry. While the raw value of these minerals is significant, their true impact emerges through refinement and integration into high-value technologies, fueling markets worth billions. Electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, and solar photovoltaics demand significantly higher quantities of minerals and rare earth elements compared to their conventional counterparts. 

However, the extraction processes alone generate billions of tons of CO2 emissions, comparable in some instances, such as lithium mining, to the carbon footprint of coal mining. Virtually every industrial process produces carbon, or at the very least is very energy intensive, which makes attaining net zero such a challenge. 

If there is one book that I would recommend in order to understand the intricacies of the modern world it would be Material World by Ed Conway, in which he explains the scale of the environmental problem and the irony of new demand created by efforts to wean ourselves off oil on to batteries. In 2019 more materials were extracted than in the years to 1950 combined and this is the story of the modern world (and a bit of our history and some glimpses into the future) told through the eyes of the materials we couldn't do without. 

Conway traces the history of humanity and also its potential future through the remarkable stories of six essential substances, which built our world and will transform our future: 

Sand, the world's most mined commodity, at around 50 billion tonnes per year, the foundation of the modern world, the silicon substrate from which we make glass, concrete and ultra pure single crystals of silicon for our computers.

Salt, the chemical without which life couldn’t exist. An enormously underrated material which still provides the backbone for much of the chemical, agricultural and pharmaceutical world today.

Iron, the skeleton of the built world, from which we make steel.

Copper, from which the electrical networks of the world are made. It is hard to overemphasise how much copper matters, especially given we are steaming towards a green energy transition which will depend largely on intensive electrification.

Oil (and gas) - even in today’s world, we still depend enormously, massively, on oil and gas. The world is still mostly propelled by oil. Oil products are in our batteries, in our plastics, in pretty much every consumer product.

Lithium, the element without which nearly all of the world’s most advanced batteries would not work. 

According to the author, these are the six most crucial substances in human history. They took us from the Dark Ages to the present day. They power our computers and phones, build our homes and offices, and create life-saving medicines. But most of us take them completely for granted. As we wrestle with climate change, energy crises and the threat of new global conflict, Conway shows why these substances matter more than ever before, and how the hidden battle to control them will shape our geopolitical future. 

In the course of three years’ research Ed Conway travelled the globe - from the sweltering depths of the deepest mine in Europe, to spotless silicon chip factories in Taiwan, to the eerie green pools where lithium originates - to uncover a secret world we rarely see. Revealing the true marvel of these substances, he follows the mind-boggling journeys, miraculous processes and little-known companies that turn the raw materials we all need into products of astonishing complexity.

The book combines history, technology, analysis and vibrant description of the virtuosity of the materials geniuses that have laid the foundations for the world we live in. It also reminds the reader constantly of the interconnectedness of everything, how different commodities and manufactures combine to create the objects that make modern life what it is. The striking thing about the world we live in today is just how far and wide we range across the periodic table. The earliest circuit boards contained 11 elements, those in modern smartphones contain more than 60.

Humans have become extraordinarily good at turning seemingly simple substances into products of amazing intricacy and effectiveness, such as silicon chips containing billions of transistors. each smaller than a virus and literally invisible, and this is why Ed Conway’s Material World is such an important and fascinating read.

Green Flotation Depressants

Depression is used to increase the selectivity of flotation by rendering certain minerals hydrophilic, thus preventing their flotation. They are key to the economic flotation of many ores. They are generally classed as inorganics, small organics, and organic polymers. The use of polymeric depressants has the attraction of being less hazardous than the more widely used inorganic depressants, such as cyanide, which are widely used in sulphide systems. 

Biodegradable depressants are becoming more important due to environmental concerns and the need for environmentally friendly processes. They can replace or assist inorganic and toxic reagents in various flotation conditions.

Green Flotation Depressants, authored by Saeed Chehreh Chelgani et al, is a new publication on biodegradable depressants, delving deep into their performance, intricate structures, and adsorption mechanisms. The book describes diverse minerals and materials where these depressants have been used for their upgrading. Encompassing the entirety of current research, it is aimed at industry professionals and researchers in the field, especially on courses centered around froth flotation and recycling. From starch-based solutions to the diverse array of gums and the intriguing polyaspartate and tripolyphosphates each section unfolds a rich tapestry of knowledge, providing a holistic understanding of biodegradable depressants and their pivotal role in mineral processing.

Addressing the skills shortage- catch 'em early!

In my recent postings on the skills shortage in the minerals industry (postings of 25th August and 9th September) I highlighted the need to encourage young people to join the mining industry by recruiting young scientists at school leaving age.

But mine surveyor Jake Harris has taken a different approach, with the publication of two books aimed at young children, taking them on rhyming adventures in underground and open-pit mines, educational journeys that help explain the machines and processes behind mining operations. 

The books are perfect for those working in the industry, or those wanting to educate their children on where metals and minerals come from.

Working Deep Down Underground, the first of the two books, is the product of just over 14 months of work between Jake and the popular mining animators, Mining Boom. The words were penned by Jake during flights back and forth to his mine site in Western Australia. 

Working Deep Down In The Pit is the second installment of the book series and it explores what goes on in open pit mining. Jake worked in Kalgoorlie's open pits in the early 2010's and this helped him write the book.

New Book: Critical Materials and Sustainability Transition

The growing demand for critical minerals is primarily driven by the energy transition and the rapid expansion of technologies such as smartphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels. As societies transition towards cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions, the need for these minerals has intensified. However, the extraction and processing of many critical minerals often involve complex geological conditions, high environmental impact, and challenges in terms of supply chain reliability.

As the demand for critical minerals increases, so do concerns about their environmental and social impact. The extraction of these minerals often involves practices that can harm ecosystems and local communities. Efforts are being made to develop more sustainable mining techniques and recycling processes to mitigate these impacts.

MEI's Critical Minerals '24 in Cape Town in November will explore innovative methods and flowsheets for processing critical minerals from primary and secondary sources and by recycling, particularly from waste electrical and electronic equipment, the most challenging aspect in aiming for a circular economy.

The importance of critical minerals is highlighted in a new book Critical Materials and Sustainability Transition, edited by Arda Işıldar, Eric D. van Hullebusch and Donald Huisingh, which investigates various aspects of critical mineral governance in the context of sustainability transition. Perspectives around the critical metal requirements of sustainability transition in a forward-looking manner are given and the following questions are discussed:

• What role do the critical raw materials play in the transition to a sustainable economy and energy systems transformation?
• What are the bottlenecks in achieving a sustainable critical material supply?
• How do the critical minerals enable renewable energy transition and sustainable development? What is their role in the sustainability transition?
• How is mineral criticality assessed? And how critical are minerals? What are some regional differences in terms of critical mineral availability, processing capacity, and the supply chain?
• What strategy should be followed in deciding between primary raw materials and secondary raw materials in supplying critical raw materials for the transition to a sustainable economy?
• What is the (known) critical material budget, and how does it fit with the climate pledges?

The authors of the chapters of this book take a multi-perspective approach and provide insights from industrial ecology, environmental engineering, and sustainable management of natural resources. The information provided will help readers to understand critical metal requirements of present and future key technologies and will help societies to develop and implement sustainable supply strategies.

#CriticalMinerals24

February Cornish Mining Sundowner and news of a new book on Cornish tin mining

Despite the atrocious weather around 15 Cornish mining folk made it to the sundowner last night, the first of the year at Falmouth's Chain Locker.

All but one of the attendees were 'locals' from West Cornwall, so it was good to see East Cornwall's representative Alex Newns, Minerals Technology Manager at Imerys Minerals Ltd. Imerys specialises in the production and processing of industrial minerals and operates the china clay mines in the St. Austell area of East Cornwall. Last year Imerys acquired an 80% stake in British Lithium, based in the same area, the transaction bringing together Imerys's lithium mineral resources, found in the micas in the china clay residues, and British Lithium’s technology and state-of-the-art lithium pilot plant, which is now producing battery-grade lithium carbonate.

The resources give sufficient confidence to target a life of mine exceeding 30 years at a production rate of 20,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent per year, potentially enough to equip 500,000 electrical vehicles per year by the end of the decade, meeting roughly two-thirds of Britain’s estimated battery demand by 2030 when all UK car manufacturers convert to electric vehicles. It was good to talk to Alex about the latest developments, and to hear that he was at CSM in my class within the MSc course in mineral processing in my final year in 1996.

Alex Newns (4th left) with me, Dean Eastbury, KP van der Wielen, Pat Foster and Nick Clarke

There was no major mining news from West Cornwall this month, but a new book might be of interest- Tin mining in Cornwall 1900 to 1950 - decline, fall and resurrection. 

In histories of the Cornish Tin Industry, the period after the death of Queen Victoria often receives scant attention and is treated as a mere tailpiece. This omission is now significantly remedied by Roger Burt's history of the first half of the twentieth century. The book provides a new analysis of this era which examines its successes and failures both generally and through major players. East Pool, Geevor and South Crofty. There are also portraits of several key individuals. This is an important original work from an author who has made an extensive study of metal mining with particular reference to Cornwall, and a major addition to the story of Cornish Tin. It also provides interesting perspectives on the problems facing any revival of Cornish mining now or in the future.

The next Cornish Mining Sundowner will be on Thursday 21st March from 5.30pm at the Chain Locker, Falmouth.

New Book: The Engineering Science of Mineral Processing

I am pleased to announce a new book, which will be published in 2024, authored by the late Fernando Concha (posting of 11 August 2022) and Osvaldo A. Bascur (posting of 3 July 2017).

The Engineering Science of Mineral Processing: A Fundamental and Practical Approach emphasizes the fundamentals of mineral processing to provide readers with a deep understanding of the science and phenomena that occur during the processing of ores. It also offers guidance on contemporary process implementation through practical industry applications. It includes examples of dynamic simulations and practical execution of advanced software to guide operating plans to ensure optimal conditions that predict process constraints. The book:

• Focuses on the science of mineral processing, including particulate systems, hydrodynamics, and physical chemistry.

• Discusses modeling, rheology, comminution, classification, flotation, and solid-liquid separation.

• Includes practical examples from real-world industrial applications.

• Provides information on dynamic process simulations and the application of digital twins in mineral processing plants to improve management and efficiency

• Details the future of mineral processing in the digital era.

Offering a balance between fundamentals and applications, this book will be of interest to researchers and industry professionals working to optimise mining, mineral and chemical processing plants. It will also be of value to advanced students taking mineral processing and chemical engineering courses.

New Book: Handbook of Recycling

This is the 2nd edition of the Handbook of Recycling, published this month and edited by Christina Meskers, Ernst Worrell and Markus A. Reuter. 

The first edition was winner of the International Solid Waste Association's 2014 Publication Award and is an authoritative review of the current state of recycling, reuse and reclamation processes commonly implemented today and how they interact with one another. 

Fully updated to cover recent developments in the field, this second edition has also been restructured to cover General Aspects of Recycling, Applications, Technology, Recovery and Collection, Economics, Governance and Policy. Several new chapters on global recycled material flows, sludges, reinforced plastics, and landfill mining have been added. It concludes with a review of the policy and economic implications, including the impact of recycling on energy use, sustainable development, and the environment.

This book is a crucial aid to students and researchers in a range of disciplines, from materials and environmental science to public policy studies.

Good news from Steinert and TOMRA- leaders in the development of sensor-based sorters

It is ironic that sorting, once a major method of concentrating ores by hand, became effectively redundant, but is now enjoying a very strong resurgence thanks to high speed computers which allow pre-concentration of ores at very high rates, reducing comminution energy and water costs. 

Not too long ago little thought was given to water conservation, apart from recycling where possible, and although it was well known that mineral processing, particularly comminution, was a massive consumer of energy this was just accepted as a fact of life and no real efforts were made to attempt to minimise consumption. Now it is realised that conservation of water and energy is not just desirable, but is essential, and every effort is being made to mitigate consumption in these areas. 

Rejection of gangue at as coarse a size as possible is critical and pre-concentration within the crushing circuit aims at reducing the amount of material fed to the energy-hungry grinding circuit. Heavy medium separation has been used for years on ores which are amenable to this, such as tin and lead-zinc ores, and coal. The range of ores which can be pre-concentrated has been dramatically increased in recent years with the development of sensor-based electronic sorting, a completely dry process originally used for the concentration of diamond ores, but now being used in many other areas, due to modern sensors which can rapidly detect a range of physical properties, including grade of particles.

Sensor-based electronic sorting thus has a major role to play ins sustainability, and we welcome one of the leading players in this field, Steinert, who provide not only electronic sorters, but, since 1889, magnetic and eddy current separators, as a sponsor of Sustainable Minerals '23.

Current Sustainable Minerals '23 sponsors

TOMRA Mining also designs and manufactures sensor-based sorting technologies for the global mineral processing and mining industries, and a new, free-to-download publication outlines the different ways today’s advanced digital sorting data services can help mining operations stay in control at all times, take quicker action when necessary, and build a stronger collaboration across teams and departments.

Sensor-based sorting machines inspect every single piece of material that passes through the processing line, collecting a wealth of data. The digitalization of sorting-related services is opening up a world of new possibilities. The new e-book, titled ‘The Benefits of Data-driven Quality Control’, which can be downloaded free-of-charge, focuses on how to efficiently produce high-quality product with maximum control and minimum waste.

From a quality management perspective, every sensor in the sorters is a valuable source of information about the products that pass through them. Today’s sorting data services turn sorters into connected devices and provide a secure, near-live monitoring dashboard for the mine’s sorting lines. Mining processors are able to continuously monitor and optimize the sorting line’s output quality. 

On-site observation, manual sampling and time-consuming reporting and communication become a thing of the past:  the sorter itself provides a constant feed of information based on continuous product sampling on every object. The standard approach of regularly checking metrics on individual machines provides ‘snapshots’ of the situation at specific moments in time, but do not provide a complete overview. The continuous access to quality data across machines, lines, processes and plants put mineral processors in control all the time. Machine operators are able to move fast as required, responding to changes in material composition on the line to ensure consistently high quality of the product. 

A modern sorting data platform can be a powerful quality management tool by turning the data into actionable information by processing, enriching and visualizing it in easy-to-read graphs, creating customized reports and comparisons that provide valuable insights. Automatically recorded, remotely accessible, objective data sets are available on any computer or mobile device, easily accessible by all members of the team, streamlining information sharing and collaboration. Managers can monitor remotely distant or difficult-to-reach mining sites from their offices, enabling them to make operational and business decisions based on experience and hard facts, also comparing and benchmarking data from different sites. 

All these features enable mineral processors to optimize their decision-making and efficiency, ultimately increasing the profitability of their operation. These benefits are accessible through TOMRA Insight, the cloud-based data platform available to TOMRA machine users as a subscription-based service. 

New book: Biomining Technologies: Extracting and Recovering Metals from Ores and Wastes

It is a pleasure to announce that MEI's Biomining '23 consultant, Chris Bryan, is co-editor of a new book which explores the biology, diversity and ecology of microorganisms involved in biomining processes. Fellow co-editors are Barrie Johnson, Michael Schlömann and Francisco Roberto. 

Multiple chapters focus on engineering design and operation of biomining systems. Several industrial case studies from China, Chile, Peru, Russia/Kazakhstan and Finland are included, which emphasises the practical approach of the book. The reader not only learns more about the biology, diversity and ecology of microorganisms involved in biomining processes, but also about microbial biomolecular and cultivation tools used in the biomining industry. Special emphasis is put on emerging biotechnologies enabling the use of biomining for recycling metals from e-wastes, waste streams and process waters. Finally, the future impacts and direction of biomining towards sustainability in a metal-demanding world are also highlighted.

The book is aimed at an interdisciplinary audience involving operators and researchers working across disciplines including geology, chemical engineering, microbiology and molecular biology. This is reflected by the content of this book, as well as by its authors, who are all leading practitioners and authorities in their fields. 

#Biomining23
#SustainableMinerals23

New book: Hydrometallurgy: 2nd edition

This revised, new edition, by Michael L. Free, of the University of Utah, USA,  retains its class-tested coverage of how metals behave in water while updating and expanding information about metals processing methods. The book further retains its emphasis on predicting and engineering the way metals are extracted from ore sources, separated from unwanted entities, recovered as metals, and purified using water based processing. 

The transformation of minerals to metals requires hydrometallurgical processing for nearly all of the nonferrous metals we use. This book elucidates the associated fundamentals and processing applications as well as related tools to assess processes and performance. The new edition further includes additional photographs, updated drawings, supplementary data, updated descriptive information, and new detail on rare earth elements processing as well as recycling and byproduct recovery of metals.

New book: Dry Mineral Processing

This new book, by Saeed Chehreh Chelgani, of the Luleå University of Technology, Sweden and Ali Asimi Neisiani of Yazd University, Iran, introduces and explains all existing dry processing methods, drawing from larges studies on these techniques in both the academia and industrial sectors. 

Reducing water consumption and pollution in all industrial sectors is an essential issue globally and is one of the critical issues in the mining industry. Mineral processing plants are highly dependent on water, and water scarcity poses a significant risk to the industry. 

In selecting dry or wet processing, an in-depth understanding of the various possible methods is required and this book should be of interest to professionals and researchers.

New book: Mine Wastes and Water, Ecological Engineering and Metals Extraction

This recently published book, edited by Margarete Kalin-Seidenfaden and William N. Wheeler, reviews past and present mine waste management processes. It estimates global water consumption by major mining resources per annum. This consumption will lead land use resources (agriculture and water) to collide with mining interests in the near future. With the application of novel metal extraction processes and the adoption of ecological engineering as an approach to waste and water management, a reduction in water and land consumption can be achieved. Using these methodologies would make mining more sustainable. Together with ore and metal recycling, mining methods can be brought into the 21st century.

The book describes natural weathering processes and the microbiology of extreme environments, such as mine sites. The role of microbes in weathering and remediation is emphasized, along with case studies of the enhancement of various ecological processes which curtail weathering and transform pollutants, creating ore bodies of the future.

This book has been written as an extension to a contribution to the Oxford Research Encyclopedia. It adds depth and many examples from 40 years of multidisciplinary work with experts from geology, hydrogeology, geomicrobiology and algal physiology and chemistry, items too extensive for the Encyclopedia.

We hope to hear more of these topics at Sustainable Minerals '22 in July. The deadline for abstracts for this online conference is the end of this week. 

New Book: Electronic Waste: Recycling and Reprocessing for a Sustainable Future

MEI's 7th International Symposium on Sustainable Minerals (Sustainable Minerals '22) takes place online in July, and there is currently a final call for abstracts, with a deadline of the end of this month. 

The recycling of electronic waste is likely to feature heavily in the final programme, so it is a good time to announce a new book on the subject edited by Maria E. Holuszko, Amit Kumar and Denise C.R. Espinosa. 

In Electronic Waste: Recycling and Reprocessing for a Sustainable Future a team of expert sustainability researchers examine methods for extracting value from electronic waste while aiming for a zero-waste scenario in industrial production. The book discusses the manufacturing and use of materials in electronic devices while presenting an overview of separation methods for industrial materials. There is also a global overview of various national and international regulations related to the topic of electronic and electrical waste. 

This is a useful resource for scientists and engineers working in the production and development of electronic devices, the authors providing comprehensive overviews of the benefits of achieving a zero-waste solution in electronic and electrical waste, as well as the risks posed by incorrectly disposed of electronic waste. 

We hope to see the editors and contributors to this book represented in July at Sustainable Minerals '22.

#SustainableMinerals22

New book: Practical Ore Mineralogy

I am pleased to see a new book on ore mineralogy published, as MEI's 6th Process Mineralogy conference will be held this November in Sitges, Spain.

Practical Ore Mineralogy aims to assist mineral processing engineers who have received minimal training in identifying minerals during their degree. It presents simple techniques to identify minerals in hand specimens not requiring sophisticated instruments. There is also a description of the main ore mineral groups and their mineral associations. 

The author of the book is Mike Wort, who trained as a Mining Geologist at the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College in London, and his first job was at Bibiani, an operating underground gold mine in Ghana. In 1965 he joined CRA Exploration, and spent two years in Papua New Guinea and the Solomons, with most of his time spent at the Bougainville copper deposit.

In 1968 he completed an MSc in Mineral Process Design and then returned to Australia to work as a mineralogist and mineral processing engineer, gaining experience at AMDEL in Adelaide, Mount Isa in Queensland, and the heavy mineral sands industry south of Perth. In late 1976 he returned to Imperial College for PhD studies on the magnetic properties of altered ilmenite, returning to Australia in 1980 to gain further experience with a range of companies including BHP, WMC, Greenbushes Tin, the WA Mines Department and Rio Tinto. In recent years he has focused on plant design and feasibility studies, chiefly for the iron ore and gold industries, with some consulting for the lead-zinc industry around the world.

The book's content draws on Mike's research over the last 50 years and mineral industry experience from around the world and includes information from both the fields of Mining Geology and Mineral Technology.