Department of Mining, Metals and Materials Engineering
The Mining and Metallurgical Engineering department at McGill University has a wide range of research activities from mining, mineral, and metal processing to advanced materials. They solve problems for companies in return for financial support for research activities. Predominant research areas in the mineral processing group, led by three professors with 20 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, include:
Environmental control: application of mineral processing techniques to waste remediation, environmental restoration, secondary metal recovery and recycling. Powder technology: size reduction of rocks and ores, characterization of breakage behaviour. Particulate processing: solid/solid and solid/liquid separations based on physical and chemical properties such as size, density, wettability, magnetic and dielectric properties, etc. Surface chemistry: investigation and modification of surface properties of particulate systems for varied applications, such as fibre optics, biosensors and bioseparations. Process control: development of sensing techniques and control strategies for process optimization.
Company Details
Company Information
Jim Finch
Title:
Professor
Telephone:
(514) 398-4755
Fax:
(514) 398-4492
Email:
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Zhenghe Xu
Title:
Manager
Telephone:
(514) 398-4755
Fax:
(514) 398-4492
Email:
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Robin Drew
Title:
Chair person
Telephone:
(514) 398-4755
Fax:
(514) 398-4492
Email:
Click Here
Products
Environmental Products And Services
The Ambient Temperature Ferrite Process.
Metalliferous mine and other industrial waste effluents are frequently contaminated with base and heavy metals. To prevent groundwater contamination, lime addition is commonly adopted to neutralize the acidic effluents and remove contaminates through metal hydroxide precipitation. This approach, however, creates a secondary hazardous waste loaded with heavy metals that may release back to groundwater if storage conditions change (e.g. pH decreases).
A novel process called the ambient temperature ferrite process was developed by researchers at McGill University to eliminate hazardous heavy metals both to protect the environment and recover marketable resources from acid mine drainage (AMD) and other industrial waste effluents.
The ambient temperature ferrite process produces stable magnetic solids that can be readily removed/recovered from the liquid by magnetic separation; the product has potential applications in paint pigments, recording tapes, magnetic fluids, magnetic markers, and feeds for steel making. Compared to the conventional ferrite process, McGill's process has the following advantages:
low processing cost (no need to heat up effluent as in another ferrite process); short reaction time with one-step process; unlimited applicability for various industrial effluents containing iron.
Services