JKMRC Friday Seminar 2025: Some Considerations for the Comminution of Ores

Speaker:
Dr Randolph Pax

Abstract:
Comminution is a very important operation for most mineral processing applications. Because of the extreme environment inside the unit operations, such as tumbling mills, it is difficult to measure the internal optimum operating conditions for the breakage of ore. Instead, considerable effort has been expended over many years to elucidate internal mechanisms using empirical and physics-based models together with actual plant survey data. This approach has had a significant degree of success, within constraints and the use of proxies for desirable operation. In contrast, this presentation will introduce and discuss the use of microphone arrays to explore the internal real-time dynamic operation of a mill and some of the new findings that challenge current thinking.

Bio:
Randolph Pax has a PhD in Physics specialising in Solid State Physics/Materials Science. After graduating he joined Lysaghts (BHP) as a Research Scientist where he developed image processing, AI and signal process techniques for the determination of real time process operation. Before Joining the JKMRC in 1998 he had academic interests at Australian universities, Aerospace (US) and the Australian sugar industry. Randolph has specific interests in Mathematical modelling of processes and measurement, spectroscopy, and control. Whilst at the JKMRC he was part of and led projects in mineral sands beneficiation and comminution. He has pioneered the use of non-contact acoustics for the determination of in-mill measurement.

About JKMRC Friday Seminars 2025
Welcome to the 2025 Series of the JKMRC Friday Seminars. The list of presentations will aim to cover a range of topics related to the minerals sector from decision making in exploration, new mineral processing technologies, social licence to operate and mine closure.

The JKMRC Friday Seminars will be presented often in person, at the Indooroopilly Mine Site Lecture Theatre, and also as a webinar. Registration for the webinar is required and can be made via the registration link in each seminar overview.

A large number of past webinars can be accessed on the SMI website: https://smi.uq.edu.au/webinars

Previous seminars have been uploaded to YouTube via the following link:    / smiuq