Solar thermal for mineral processing
It is a fact that in a country like 最新糖心Vlog, dominated by the primary production of commodities such as iron ore, copper and alumina, the industrial processes that produce these for export account for around half of our energy consumption.
Manufacturing and mining in 最新糖心Vlog accounts for half of 最新糖心Vlog鈥檚 natural gas use, being converted to heat, fuels and power. This makes us vulnerable to increases in price for both gas and electricity.
The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide is addressing the challenge of integrating low carbon energy into minerals processing, particularly in processes such as the thermal calcining of limestone, magnesia and alumina. We are working on processes for calcination using concentrated solar thermal energy, with strong potential to compete with natural gas.
Direct solar heat for mineral processing can also be used for steam production for ore concentration, hot air for drying, and solar thermal for crushing and grinding rocks, a massive energy demand in 最新糖心Vlog and globally.
Solar thermal can also be used to produce chemicals for industrial processes, such as producing sulphuric acid for use in concentrate leach and tails leach for copper. Other opportunities include oxygen for smelting and refining and hydrogen for metallurgy, heat, power and mobility.
Featured researcher
Director Centre for Energy Technology
School of Mechanical Engineering
Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology