The world’s top international gold companies look to the Gold Technology Group at Murdoch University to tackle problems and explore future opportunities for gold research. The group operates under the umbrella of the Parker Cooperative Research Centre for Integrated Hydrometallurgy Solutions.
Raphael Costa – Vice President Alcoa Operations Australia-Asia
“With the company's future in Western Australia strongly linked to Peel, and with the majority of our employees living in the region, we are pleased that Murdoch University has a strong commitment to the educational and research needs of the region.”
The Manager of Murdoch’s Gold Technology Group, Bill Staunton, said the Parker Centre was one of the largest and most significant research centre involved in hydrometallurgical teaching and research worldwide, and this was reflected in the breadth and depth of international funding it received.
The Parker Centre was formed in 1992 and research is supported by a large number of industry partners.
Broadly speaking the research at the Parker Centre relates to the processing of various ores to how best extract the valuable component using hydrometallurgy, in particular gold, alumina, copper, zinc and nickel.
Mr Staunton said gold industry funded projects like this have been conducted at Murdoch University since 1983, a decade before the Parker Centre was established.
Industry association AMIRA International coordinates these projects including the current gold project – AMIRA Project P420C – which began this year. The three-year project has attracted around $2 million funding from 15 sponsors including four of the five top international gold companies from Canada, South Africa and USA.
Mr Staunton said the research was divided into four modules – two relating to optimising current technology and improving what companies are doing now, and two more fundamental areas examining new technology for the future.
“The research is looking at ways of improving the tools used at processing plants so operations are more effective, and will also be examining sustainable cyanide management,” Mr Staunton said.
“The longer term objective is to look at an alternative to cyanide called thiosulfate, which shows promise, as well as explore ways to cost-effectively treat and extract more difficult gold ores, such as those with high copper levels.”
The research involves a lot of site-based work as well as time spent in the laboratory, which sees researchers visiting sites in Africa and North America.
Murdoch offers degrees in metallurgy and engineering sciences that tap into the expertise of Parker Centre. Visit www.dse.murdoch.edu.au for more details.
