:: Backing for AMIRA P260E tops $A6million

Backing for AMIRA project P260E, Improving Sulphide Mineral Flotation, has now topped A6million.

This figure includes support from nine major sponsors, support from five case study sponsors, grants from the Australian Research Council and in-kind support from four supplier sponsors, as well as University of South Australia inputs.

Corporate sponsorship for the project, which builds on the work of earlier P260 programs, has always been strong, but the total was boosted last year by the addition of a $A475,000 ARC grant and in kind sponsorship from Intellection, Magotteaux and other sponsors.

Bruce Fraser, the AMIRA Research Director co-ordinating the project, said the continually growing support was an indication of the value sponsors attached to the project findings.

The Ian Wark Research Institute, which is the key research body, also announced the appointment of several key staff and eight new research students to work under their supervision on specific concurrent aspects of the program.

Major sponsors are BHP Billiton (Nickel West), BHP Billiton (Escondida), Boliden, CVRD Inco, Magotteaux, Ok Tedi Mining, Outokumpu Technology, Oxiana and Teck Cominco. Five companies, Anglo Platinum, CVRD Inco, Phelps Dodge, Rio Tinto and Somincor (Eurozinc), are sponsoring specific case studies while four supplier companies COREM, Intellection, Magotteaux and Xstrata Technology are offering in-kind support.

Onsite work for case study sponsors has been conducted at the Clarabelle concentrator of(CVRD Inco in Sudbury, Kennecott Copperton operations (Rio Tinto)in Utah, Bagdad operations (Phelps Dodge)in Arizona and Somincor concentrator (Eurozinc) in Portugal. The P260E team are planning the next site for Anglo Platinum.