The newly established African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) GeoMetallurgy Research Chair will be active between 2023 and 2027 and is shared 50:50 between Stellenbosch University's Department of Earth Sciences and Department of Process Engineering. Its aim is to achieve an equitable, diverse, and inclusive research enterprise creating excellent, innovative and impactful research in the inter-disciplinary field of Geometallurgy, with specific focus on research and research training for the benefit of the southern African mineral resources industry. The Chair in Geometallurgy is devoted towards developing knowledge, workflows and models which focus on value generation through understanding the 3D ore body characteristics (e.g., mineralogy, grade, distribution of deleterious elements, envisioned processing behaviour) in a context of the full mine value chain (i.e., geology, mining, comminution, and beneficiation). Development of such an 'unsiloed' approach is key towards driving enhanced competitiveness in the mineral resources sector, and will result in graduates who are adaptable, have multiple complementary skillsets, and are capable of broad systems thinking. This emerging field is gaining increased prominence in the southern African mining sector since it is understood that an ore resource's full value can only be truly unlocked through inter-disciplinary and collaborative understanding.
Contact:
Dr Bjorn von der Heyden and Dr Margreth Tadie