:: Comminution Researcher Wins 2003 JKMRC Conference and Ian Morely Prize

It's always tough to pick a winner of the annual JKMRC conference, a conference designed to provide JKMRC postgraduate students with the practice and training in presenting their work to their peers, senior researchers and industry representatives. Chief adjudicator Peter Munro and his fellow judges John Rayner and Don Hunter gave Priyanthi Hapugoda an honourable mention for her presentation 'Application of Image Analysis Techniques for Rapid Measurement of Heavy Minerals in Wet Plant Streams'. Runner up was Marco Hilden for his paper 'A Method of Scaling Granular Processes'.

Taking out the major award was comminution PhD research scholar Mike Daniel for his paper 'Particle Bed Compression Comminution using a Piston-die to Predict the Performance of HPGR'.

The aim of the research is to determine if it is possible to predict the performance of laboratory scale HPGR units using a piston-die device in which a bed of particles is subjected to inter-particle comminution. These results could then be used to predict the performance of large-scale industrial HPGRs.

Mike said another thrust behind the paper was to look at compressed bed comminution efficiency, as in high pressure grinding rollers, against ball milling energy. He expects that his research may lead to the development of an energy-breakage standard test for HPGR performance. He said his paper was also a vehicle to get across the important message of energy reduction in comminution. Winning the award means that Mike will be given the opportunity to present his research overseas at an international conference.

2003 conference winner Mike Daniel

The world's best and brightest invited to Brisbane

The next JKMRC conference will be held on 6-7 September 2004 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, marking the first time this event will be open to national and international student researchers. It will also be the first occasion that the JKMRC will run a conference at a venue other than at the JK Centre. Sponsoring this event will be Minerals Engineering International.

Mike's winning double

Comminution researcher Mike Daniel recorded a rare feat by taking out the Ian Morely prize and the JK conference award in the same year. From left are Ian Morely's grandson Sam Morely, 2003 prize winner Mike Daniel, and the prize trustees Os Blau, Mal Rose and Professor Alban Lynch.