:: Business Booming for MLA System

One of the world's most advanced mineral technology tools - the Mineral Liberation Analyser - is experiencing a boom period, adding value to mining operations around the world.

The analyser is a development of the University of Queensland’s JKMRC and is commercialised through JKTech Pty Ltd.

Manager of JKMineralogy, Mr Eugene Louwrens, said significant growth in MLA export sales is expected in 2005 with installations already scheduled for this year in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and South Africa.

Until this year, MLA units had been installed at research centres attached to major international mining companies including Anglo Platinum in South Africa, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton in Australia, Newmont Mining in the USA and Inco in Canada. Mr Louwrens said that during 2005, and for the first time in its relatively short existence, an MLA unit will be installed at an operating mine site - Richards Bay Minerals in South Africa, one of the world's largest producers of heavy minerals.

The Mineral Liberation Analyser

The MLA is an automated mineral identification system combining electron microscopy with X-rays and high resolution imaging to identify minerals inside extremely small rock particles.

"Without an instrument like the MLA, routine determination of mineral properties would still be conducted using slow and labour-intensive mineral identification techniques, with a high probability that mineral particles may either be missed or not correctly identified," Mr Louwrens said.

"With an MLA, the mineral identification and quantification process can be handled more efficiently, more accurately, and potentially more information can be obtained about the minerals being mined and processed, thereby improving the efficiency and profitability of mining operations."