Flotation '13 only a week away

Only another week to go!  Next Monday I will be welcoming around 250 delegates from 27 countries to the wonderful Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town, for the 6th MEI Flotation conference.

Barbara, Jon, Amanda and I leave for Cape Town at the end of the week, and throughout the conference I will be updating daily on the blog and Twitter (@barrywills).

It's going to be a great event, and it is still not too late to register!

Camborne School of Mines 125th birthday party

This year marks the 125th anniversary of the Camborne School of Mines (CSM), one of the world's foremost mining and minerals engineering institutions (see also MEI Online).

Professor Frances Wall, Head of CSM, said: "We are all very excited about celebrating this landmark occasion with the most important part of our history: our staff, students, alumni, collaborators and supporters. CSM has grown from fairly humble beginnings to now be regarded, quite rightly, as one of the best multidisciplinary mining schools anywhere in the world. Our achievements over the past 125 years are a source of pride, inspiration and motivation for everyone who is part of the CSM community, past and present. We are sure that the celebrations will highlight just what we have achieved together so far, and also our plans for the future."

2013 is also the 20th anniversary of CSM's association with the University of Exeter. It is now located in purpose-built facilities on the Penryn Campus, only a few kilometres from the MEI Office, and last night Barbara and I attended a celebratory party on the campus.

CSM has changed dramatically since my early days in the 1970s, particularly in the high proportion of female students. The first woman graduated in 1984, 96 years after the School's foundation, and Julie Holl opened the gates for many more female graduates, although when I left CSM in 1996 there had never been a female lecturer- now the Director is a woman and female minerals industry graduates are now commonplace around the world.

The all male final year dinner of 1977

I began my career at CSM in 1974, and, with colleagues Jim Turner, Roger Parker, Victor Phillips and Bob Barley, helped develop the degree course in Mineral Processing Technology, its first students graduating in 1979. In the 'first graduates' photo below I am seated next to the late Vic Phillips, Jim Turner, the late Roger Parker and Bob Barley.

It was disappointing that only one of my 1970s contemporaries, Dr. Tony Batchelor, attended last night's party, which was very well supported by current students and staff. Tony was a lecturer in mining when I started, and later became head of CSM's Hot Rocks Geothermal Energy Project.

Tony Batchelor with Sally Pine and Denise Pascoe

Current staff Rob Fitzpatrick, Gavyn Rollinson and Ian Bailey

However, it was good to see Dr. Richard Pascoe and his wife Denise. Richard joined the mineral processing staff in the 80s and is still lecturing at CSM. He is pictured below with Dr. Mark Jordan, one of my stalwarts in the CSM cricket team in the 1980s. He graduated in Mineral Processing Technology in 1989, and then left with a PhD in 1994. He then took up school teaching, but unfortunately had to retire early due to ill health.

With Richard Pacoe and Mark Jordan

No one did more to make CSM a modern Institution than did Dr. Peter Hackett, who was Principal from 1970-1993. His legacy will be modern degree courses and post-graduate research programmes, as well as the successful association with the University of Exeter. Prof. Keith Atkinson, who took over from Peter as Director until 2002 unfortunately did not attend the party, but his successor Prof. Bob Pine (2002-2008) did, as of course did the present Director Dr. Frances Wall.

Peter Hackett, Bob Pine and Frances Wall

I feel immensely proud and privileged to have been part of CSM for over 22 years, and wish the School every success for the future. Unfortunately I have already made plans and so will not be able to attend the 200th Anniversary celebrations, but might just make the 150th!

Nominations invited for MEI Young Person's Award 2013

We are now inviting nominations for the 3rd MEI Young Person's Award, for outstanding contribution to minerals engineering by a young person in 2013.

Nominations for persons under 35 years of age at December 31st 2013, should be submitted by email to bwills@min-eng.com by 9th February 2013 and the name of the recipient will be announced at the end of that month.

Nominations should include the name, age and affiliation of the nominee, and reasons for the nomination.

The recipient will receive an engraved award, a certificate and a complimentary registration to any MEI Conference in 2014/15, with the option of presenting an MEI Award lecture.

Previous award winners were Peter Amelunxen (Chile) in 2011 and Randall Zahn (USA) in 2012.

Peter Amelunxen at Process Mineralogy '12

Randall Zahn at Physical Separation '13

A likely candidate for International Mining's Hall of Fame?

Around 10,000 people descended on Falmouth Cricket ground last night to celebrate an event that took place over 400 years ago. The annual 5th of November bonfire night was just one of thousands taking place in towns and villages all over the UK (and many other countries too) to mark the anniversary of the thwarted attempt by Catholic conspirators to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. One of the conspirators was Guy Fawkes, chosen because of his explosives and mining experience. It was Fawkes who was found in the cellars of Parliament, and named his co-conspirators only after extreme torture under the orders of King James I.

It's a shame that the forthcoming Mining Hall of Fame does not have an explosives category, as surely Guy Fawkes would be honoured? At least we can say that he is probably the only person ever to have entered the Houses of Parliament with honest intentions!

Biohydromet '14 and SRCR '14 - Final Calls for Abstracts

The end of December is the deadline for abstract submission for two MEI conferences running back to back in Falmouth, Cornwall, UK.

MEI conference delegates in Falmouth

Biohydromet '14, June 9-11, 2014

This is the 7th International Symposium on Biohydrometallurgy and is sponsored by FLSmidth and International Mining.

The 3-day conference will focus on the latest developments in the field of biohydrometallurgy:

• the development, optimisation and application of integrated biomining process operations for mineral ores, including low grade and complex ores;
•  the microbiology of biomining and the application of biohydrometallurgy to novel resources (such as mine and electronic wastes) and the (bio)remediation of mining-impacted environments.

Keynote lectures will be presented by two of the most highly respected researchers in this field. Prof. Barrie Johnson, of Bangor University, UK, will present "Biomining in reverse gear: using bacteria to extract metals from oxidized ores", and Dr. Corale Brierley, an internationally recognised consultant from USA will present the 2nd keynote, entitled "Integrating biohydrometallurgy in contemporary mine production".

The last conference, Biohydromet '12 was attended by over 80 delegates from 22 countries (see posting of 21 June 2012 for a full report). As before, the conference dinner will be held in the Mediterranean biome of Cornwall's iconic Eden Project.

Biohydromet '12 delegates at the Eden Project

SRCR '14, June 12-13, 2014

This will be the 3rd International Symposium on Sustainability through Resource Conservation and Recycling, sponsored by Ecoseed and Industrial Minerals. The scope of the conference can be found on MEI Online.

The keynote lecture at this 2-day event will be given by Prof. Markus Reuter of Outotec, and an Adjunct Professor at Aalto University, Finland. He will present "Metal Recycling; opportunities, limits, infrastructure". The last SRCR conference was held in Falmouth in 2011 and a full report can be found on the posting of 14 May 2011.


Presentation of a paper at either of these conferences gives you a unique opportunity of presenting your work to an international audience and also having your final paper peer-reviewed for possible inclusion in special issues of Minerals Engineering. It is also an opportunity to visit Cornwall, one of the world's most beautiful areas, steeped in mining history. Although it is the most remote area of England, the journey from London to Falmouth is a fascinating one, travelling on the famous Great Western Railway, one of the world's great train journeys (see YouTube video).

Special Process Mineralogy Issue of Minerals Engineering Published

Although it has been available electronically for some time, the hard copy of Volume 52 (October 2013) of Minerals Engineering is now available. This volume contains 21 selected papers from last year's Process Mineralogy '12 conference in Cape Town. The full set of draft papers are available from MEI Online.

The Process Mineralogy series of conferences are now attracting strong international audiences with major corporate support. Already next year's event in Cape Town has the support of internationally renowned companies FEI, Carl Zeiss and FLSmidth, with media support from International Mining.  If your company would like to sponsor or exhibit at the event, please get in touch with us.

Prof. Bernd Lottermoser, of the University of Exeter, UK, will provide a keynote lecture for the technical programme. We invite you to submit abstracts if you would like to present a paper at the event.