Professor Jan Cilliers, Rio Tinto Professor of Mineral Processing, presents his Inaugural Lecture: ‘Foam, Froth and Flotation or…how bubbles buoy up the world economy’.
Abstract: There is a direct correlation between the demand for minerals and the growth in world GDP. This is reflected also in the demand for copper metal. The price of copper in the past few years has increased dramatically, primarily as a result of the large and rapid growth in the economies of China and India. With this surge in demand for copper, it is worthwhile reflecting on the source of this base metal and how it is produced from its ores.
This lecture will show the relationship between metal demand and economic growth. Following this, the nature of copper ores and mines will be highlighted, and an illustrated walk through the copper production process, from the mine to the metal, will be described.
Taking a more detailed look, the talk will focus on the first and key mineral separation stage, froth flotation, where individual copper-containing particles are selected, attached onto bubbles and removed as a froth. We will then venture into the more exciting aspects of froth flotation, describing the latest research on the role of the froth, how it can be modelled and manipulated, novel measurement techniques, and the potential improvements that can be made to the separation.
Finally, this will be brought back to economics, and consideration will be given to the financial value of such manipulation, the value of current research developments and the impact on world copper production.
Biography: Jan Cilliers is the Rio Tinto Professor of Mineral Processing in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London. His research investigates the characterisation, modelling and control of froths and foams, in particular dynamic systems that include flow, bubble coalescence and bursting.
Professor Cilliers leads the Froth and Foam Research Group that focuses its work on making significant improvements to mineral separation by flotation through understanding of the role of froth.
Professor Cilliers is a Chartered Engineer and Scientist, and Fellow of the IMMM and IChemE. Before moving with his research team to Imperial College London, he worked at the University of Manchester with the Ted Woodburn. His PhD is from Cape Town and BSc(Eng) and MSc degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand, studying under Peter King. He holds an MBA from Manchester Business School.
Professor Cilliers has published more than 50 papers on froth flotation, and foam systems modelling and measurement. He also holds numerous patents in froth characterisation and manipulation methods.
A pre lecture tea will be served in the Senior Common Room, Sherfield Building, from 16.45.