On Tuesday April 30, over 120 researchers, industry partners, and academic staff members convened at Curtin University’s TL Robertson Library for the inaugural Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer Showcase.
The event provided an opportunity to update stakeholders connected to the Trailblazer on the key achievements of the program to date since Curtin University was named as the first university nationally to receive a share of the $370 million Trailblazer Universities funding through the Australian Government Department of Education.
One such achievement was the launch of the Curtin Venture Studio, announced by Assistant Minister for Education, Senator the Hon. Anthony Chisholm. This $18.6 million initiative will provide researchers and founders with access to capital, talent, market expertise, mentorship and infrastructure to build ‘protoventures’ that will be prototyped as new enterprises based on demand driven research.
Key senior leaders were in attendance for the announcement including Curtin University Chancellor Vanessa Guthrie, Vice Chancellor Harlene Hayne, Trailblazer Directors Rohan McDougall, Rick Valenta, and Ioan Sanislav, members of the Trailblazer board Denise Goldsworthy and Larry Lopez, as well as members of the Curtin Trailblazer team.
Featuring 17 of the 24 research projects funded to date through the Trailblazer, the event was also an opportunity to demonstrate the vast and diverse group of innovative products, services and processes being developed by researchers at Curtin University, The University of Queensland, and James Cook University to advance Australia’s sovereign capabilities in critical minerals downstream processing and resources technology optimisation.
The projects on show included:
- Development and scale-up of a commercial laboratory fluidised bed flotation cell – the JKHFmini
- Trailblazing the Future of STEM Education with the CoRE Academy Pilot Program
- Optimising Extraction of Tin, BoronandSecondary Minerals from Borate Deposits
- Critical Minerals Provenance Verification
- Vanadium Catalyst Recycling
- Froth and pulp phase monitoring for advanced control of flotation
- Extraction of ore body knowledge with deep learning models
- Audio Predicted Failure
- Isotope Fingerprinting
- Builders at the Microscale: Harnessing Microbes for Sustainable Mining Practices
- Geopolymers from recycled mine tailings for applications in mining: towards Net Zero emission goals
- Implementation of low cost, sustainable cement products in the mining industry leading to a reduced carbon footprint
- Removing Cobalt from Hardmetal Tools in Mining, Engineering & Agriculture
- Auto-Optimisation for Maintenance Scheduling
- RapidGraphite
- Upscaling selective separation through High Voltage Pulse Preconcentration
- Commercialising a new integrated pyrometallurgical ISASMELT pilot plant facility to support the recycling of critical metals and processing of complex critical minerals streams and hazardous wastes
- Increasing recovery of Ni smelting at BHP Ni West
- Optimisation of Cu smelting to maximise recycling co-treatment streams at BHP OD plant
- Low carbon concrete and pavement using mining/processing wastes
- Material for next-generation lithium-ion batteries
Further updated about these exciting research projects will be shared soon.
