2 ECMS researchers receive nearly $1m of successful ARC Linkage grants
Congratulations to Associate Professor Murat Karakus and Professor Nigel Cook, both from the School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering on being awarded ARC funding with a total value of nearly $1 million for their successful Linkage grant proposals.
The Linkage Program promotes national and international research partnerships between researchers and business, industry, community organisations and other publicly funded research agencies. By supporting the development of partnerships, the ARC encourages the transfer of skills, knowledge and ideas as a basis for securing commercial and other benefits of research.
The Linkage Projects grant opportunity supports projects which initiate or develop long term strategic research alliances to apply advanced knowledge to problems, acquire new knowledge and as a basis for securing commercial and other benefits of research.
A/Prof Murat Karakus
School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering
A Machine Learning driven flow modelling of fragmented rocks in cave mining – $516,000
A/Prof Murat Karakus's project aims to develop an integrated method that uses micro scale information to predict block scale behaviour so that a better cave mining design can be established. The role of various mineral composition on the energy storage and fracture properties of rocks will be investigated to examine rock fragmentation for block cave mining. Later Machine Learning based models will be developed to establish various predictive models for Block Scale ross mass behaviour and caveability of ore deposit. Finally, development of a new constitutive model based on a dual damage concept will capture the rock fragmentation and simulate the cave propagation in a large scale mine layout using Smoothed-particle hydrodynamics.
The success of this LP wouldn’t have been possible without the contributions of Associate Professor Giang Nguyen, Professor Javen Shi, Dr Cristiana Ciobanu, Dr Ha Bui, Dr Abbas Taheri, and Dr Chris Chester from OZ Minerals, the Industry Partner for this project.
Professor Nigel Cook
School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering
Critical metals from complex copper ores – $456,000
Prof Nigel Cook project aims to address the critical mineral resource potential of complex copper ores. The research will generate new knowledge on the concentration, distribution, physical form and chemical speciation of critical minerals, including tellurium, cobalt and rare earth elements, in ores and processing streams using innovative approaches and utilising state-of-the-art analytical techniques. Expected outcomes include integrated models for critical element endowments in Australia’s largest copper resource, Olympic Dam (SA). Future recovery of these elements would add significant value to existing operations, providing long-term economic and commercial benefits and would also contribute to Australia’s transition to a low-carbon future