The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) is backing two mining technology projects–from mDetect and EQ Resources–that are utilising cosmic rays and hyperspectral imaging for safety and access to strategically important materials.
The first project is from mDetect, a Swinburne University spinout specialising in astrophysics research into muons, a type of subatomic particle that results from the Earth’s atmosphere being hit by cosmic rays, which fall harmlessly and constantly down on us.
The company has commercialised telescopic devices and software in a system that uses muon behaviour to monitor and map tailings dams, providing real-time information on stability of the critical infrastructure in mining operations.
Assisted by $248,191 in co-funding from AMGC’s Commercialisation Fund, mDetect has
trialled its muography-based imaging system at Oz Minerals (now part of BHP).
It has also leveraged key partner Swinburne to assist with development, documentation, design for manufacture, production automation and other inputahead of scale manufacture.
“Thanks to AMGC, we’ve gone from idea to impact, developing our product for commercial sales, securing key agreements, and developing our design for scaling manufacturing – it has by far been our best government-funded program experience,” said co-founder of mDetect, Dr Jerome Donovan.
The project is expected to lead to $7.7 million in revenues in the fifth year after completion and has already resulted in new jobs at the growing company.
The second project is from EQ Resources, the owner of the formerly dormant Mount Carbine Tungsten Mine in North Queensland.
The company has innovatively devised a method to identify and extract tungsten from waste sources, following its discovery at the site in the year 1895.
Today tungsten is used to toughen steels for the space, defence and renewable energy sectors and is found in many products such as lighting and heating elements.
An estimated 85 per cent of global supply is currently derived from China.
AMGC supported EQ Resources (EQR) through $600,000 in co-investment to support a project to recover tungsten from a mine waste stockpile and low-grade deposits.
“Early co-investment form AMGC allowed EQ Resources to accelerate the commercial development of our technology, furthermore it gave us the credibility to apply for follow-on programs and secure a $6 million grant from the Critical Minerals Accelerator Initiative to move from pilot to operational scale,” said CEO of EQ Resources, Kevin MacNeill.
“EQ Resources’ hyperspectral imaging technology demonstrates that there is still significant life in historical mines where waste piles are mountains of opportunity – in this case 130-year-old piles of tungsten containing waste.”
The project linked EQR with Mt Carbine Quarrying Operations, Plotlogic, Tomra, Cronimet, and the University of Queensland. It has created an extra 20 jobs, upskilled 30 employees, and helped deliver an additional $3.6 million in revenues since completion of the project.