EGH464 Sustainable Minerals Processing
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | EGH464 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite(s): | EGB264 |
| Equivalent(s): | ENB361, EGB361 |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $1,118 |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $4,680 |
| International unit fee | $5,784 |
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Gardens Point, Internal
| Unit code: | EGH464 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | EGB264 or Admission to EN60 |
| Equivalent: | EGB361 ENB361 |
| Coordinator: | Sara Couperthwaite | sara.couperthwaite@qut.edu.au |
Overview
Professional engineers need to have a sound understanding of how science and engineering fundamental concepts inform sustainable practices and designs. In this unit, you will apply inorganic, physical, organic and analytical chemistry concepts in the operation and design of a range of mineral processing circuits used for extracting metals and minerals required for clean energy technologies. You will build professional and personal attributes around ethics, risks and sustainability by working as a team within a virtual mineral processing plant to evaluate health, safety and environmental aspects of the plant. This unit builds on chemistry from EGB264 Engineering Chemistry.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Deduct the reaction products for engineering chemistry, relating to inorganic molecules at a mastered level.
- Contrast scientific approaches to engineering chemistry, for minerals processing at a mastered level.
- Create a series of engineering tasks to optimise the engineering chemistry for mineral processing at a mastered level.
- Actively participate in effective engineering teamwork for engineering chemistry for minerals processing, at a developed level.
- Evaluate health, safety and environmental aspects of engineering chemistry documenting them for minerals processing at a mastered level.
Content
- Minerals and inorganic materials used in clean energy technology
- Comminution; particle size reduction, screening and classification
- Inorganic reactions; acid-base, neutralisation, redox, precipitation, and complexing
- Hydrometallurgy; chemical equilibrium, thermodynamics and kinetics, purification and concentration, metal separation
- Froth flotation; role of inorganic and organic reagents, physical and chemical surface properties
- Environmentally sound management of chemicals and wastes; recycling, circular economies, sustainable development goals, environmental impact
- Safe work practices, teamwork, and corporate responsibility
Learning Approaches
In this unit you can expect to experience the following timetabled activities:
- Concept Modules are short PowerPoint and/or videos that describe the core theory of mineral resources, sustainable mining, and mineral processing unit operations.
- Interactive Workshops which will give you the opportunity to work collaboratively with your peers and with experienced professional engineers and scientists to solve problems related to applying the different chemical theory to design and operation of mineral processing circuits. You will be using a mineral processing simulation software to demonstrate theoretical concepts presented in online modules.
- Practical Classes in which you will collaboratively plan for and conduct experiments to give you hands on experience with the chemical theory that you are learning, as well as the opportunity to operate key mineral processing equipment at laboratory scale.
- Tutorial Classes provide you with the opportunity to apply the concepts learnt in the Concept Modules to solve a set of basic calculation and short answer problems. You will need to know how to apply these concepts in your Design Challenge and Laboratory Notebook assessment items.
To complement timetabled activities, you can expect to be provided with learning resources on a unit Canvas site that you can access flexibly to complete your learning in this unit. Success in this unit will require you to manage your time to ensure you have focused time each week (beyond timetabled activities).
At the beginning of the unit, you will be made aware of the ways in which you can ask questions or seek clarification from the Unit Coordinator.
You are expected to:
- Engage with timetabled activities on campus and ask questions. You should follow the weekly guide and announcements from Canvas on the online materials that should be completed prior to attending timetabled activities on campus.
- Engage with the online materials for developing your understanding of fundamental concepts in engineering chemistry, mineral processing operations and sustainable mining. These online materials will be self-controlled learning modules, that include videos, text, interactive content and simulations. These will be available on the unit Canvas site. You will receive regular email announcements regarding release of these resources.
- Manage your time to engage with online resources outside of timetabled activities.
- Engage with your peers during the interactive workshops and the teamwork assessment tasks.
- Complete assessment tasks by working consistently across the semester and meeting the due dates that are published via the unit Canvas site.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
During workshops, practicals, and support sessions, you will have the opportunity to share your ideas around interpretation and evaluation of tasks and course content and receive feedback from the teaching team. You are encouraged to view your peers as a learning community and to share and discuss your ideas and your understanding of the unit content and how it relates to professional engineering practice. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to provide feedback to the teaching team about the unit learning activities.
Each assessment submission will be marked against criteria and standards which will be shared with you at the beginning of semester through Assessment Task Descriptions and Marking Rubrics. Marked assessment will include feedback from markers, against the criteria.
Assessment
Overview
Assessment in this unit has been designed to give you an opportunity to show your learning against the unit learning outcomes, and to apply engineering chemistry concepts to engineering problems in the context of mineral processing circuits. These assessments will require you to demonstrate your understanding of fundamental concepts in engineering chemistry and process engineering in the context of sustainable mining for minerals and materials. You will submit three pieces of assessment where you will be assessed on your knowledge of engineering chemistry concepts, sustainable mining practices in mineral processing, and skills associated with being a professional engineer.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: In-class Design Challenge
During the Week 6 in-class Workshop, your group will be provided with a scenario that requires a section of a mineral processing plant to be designed based on a set of design criteria. The design challenge will combine concepts from Weeks 1 - 6. As a team, you will need to apply knowledge from the concept modules, tutorials and workshops to create a design solution in the 3hr Workshop session. Your group will need to submit the design developed for the criteria provided with calculations and explanations at the end of the Workshop.
Assessment: Laboratory notebook
Throughout the semester you will be required to participate in the collection of data from laboratory experiments and demonstrations as a group.
As an individual, you will need to solve and respond to a number of problems related to the laboratory work and associated concepts demonstrated. Prior to the commencement of each laboratory session, you will be required to submit answers to your pre-laboratory questions. Your laboratory notebook will contain your notes and observations from the laboratory sessions and your answers to the post-laboratory questions.
Assessment: Presentation to the Board
You will need to find a mine tailings that has the potential to become a secondary prospect for critical minerals based on an evaluation of its chemical and physical properties. You will then need to develop a conceptual process design for the recovery of the critical minerals and other potential by-products to improve the economic and environmental aspects of reprocessing the tailings. You will need to present your conceptual process design in 5mins to a mock board of a financial investment group who is looking to invest in sustainable mining practices.
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.
Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Requirements to Study
Requirements
For the laboratory session you will need a lab coat and safety glasses.
Resources
- The unit website on QUT's Canvas (learning materials that support timetabled activities and assessment tasks)
- QUT Library Databases
- QUT Cite| Write: You can access QUT cite/write online (Free download from QUT library)
Textbooks listed can be accessed through QUT Library database: Knovel science and engineering ebooks
Resource Materials
Recommended text(s)
Title: SME Mineral Processing & Extractive Metallurgy Handbook
Editor: Robert C. Dunne
Publication date: 2019
Publisher: Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration
Title: SME Mineral Processing & Extractive Metallurgy Handbook
Editor: Robert C. Dunne
Publication date: 2019
Publisher: Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration
Title: Mineral Processing Design and Operations An Introduction
Author: Ashok Gupta, Denis Yan
Publication date: 2019
Publisher: Elsevier
Title: Wills' mineral processing technology : an introduction to the practical aspects of ore treatment and mineral recovery
Author: Wills, Barry A., Finch, James A.
Edition: Eighth edition.
Publication date: 2016
Publisher: Amsterdam, Netherlands : Butterworth-Heinemann
Safety and protective equipment
You will need a lab coat, safety glasses and enclosed footwear for practical classes.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.EN01 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
- Make decisions ethically within the social, cultural, and organisational contexts of professional engineering practice.
Relates to: In-class Design Challenge - Display leadership, creativity, and initiative in both self-directed and collaborative contexts of professional engineering practice.
Relates to: ULO3, ULO4, Laboratory notebook - Manage projects to solve complex engineering problems, using appropriate information, engineering methods, and technologies.
Relates to: ULO3, Laboratory notebook - Engage with and apply regulatory requirements relating to safety, risk management, and sustainability in professional engineering practice.
Relates to: ULO5, In-class Design Challenge, Presentation to the Board - Demonstrate coherent knowledge and skills of physical, mathematical, statistical, computer, and information sciences that are fundamental to professional engineering practice.
Relates to: ULO1, Laboratory notebook - Demonstrate a thorough understanding of one engineering discipline, its research directions, and its application in contemporary professional engineering practice.
Relates to: ULO2, In-class Design Challenge, Presentation to the Board
EN60 Graduate Certificate in Communication for Engineering
- Demonstrate and apply specialised knowledge and technical skills in at least one Engineering discipline.
Relates to: ULO1 - Critically investigate real world engineering issues and solve complex problems drawing on specialised creative skills, analysis, evaluation and synthesis of discipline knowledge, theory and practice.
Relates to: ULO2, ULO3, ULO5, In-class Design Challenge, Laboratory notebook - Employ effective written and oral professional communication skills across social, cultural and discipline domains.
Relates to: ULO2, ULO3, ULO4, ULO5, Laboratory notebook, Presentation to the Board - Exercise responsibility and accountability in applying knowledge and skills for own learning and effective practice including working independently, ethically and collaboratively.
Relates to: ULO3, ULO4, ULO5, In-class Design Challenge, Laboratory notebook, Presentation to the Board