Lincoln Minerals has released a revised pre-feasibility study for its Kookaburra Graphite Project 35km north of Port Lincoln in South Australia. Described as the newest mine to market in Australia’s graphite industry after the Uley Mine in SA closed in 2017, the study proposes open-pit mining and a simple floatation process to produce a graphite…
Monash University engineers have developed and tested EDTA-aided loose nanofiltration (EALNF), a new method enabling direct lithium extraction from lithium-rich saltwater sources which are untappable using current methods. With some predicting global lithium supply could fall short of demand as early as 2025, the innovative technology sets a new standard in lithium processing, according to…
Round 16 Cooperative Research Centres Project (CRC-P) grants totalling approximately $55 million have been awarded to 23 projects, involving companies including junior mining explorer Impact Minerals, medical test maker ZiP Diagnostics, drone mapping specialist Emesent, and hydrogen storage company Rux Energy. In a statement on Tuesday, industry minister Ed Husic said one grant for almost…
The federal government has announced a $5 million grant to Australian Strategic Materials (ASM), covering up to 50 per cent of a project to identify “alternative, capital efficient and nearer term options” for producing rare earth elements at its Dubbo Project. The funding announced by resources minister Madeline King (pictured in middle) on Tuesday is…
Aluminium chemicals company Alpha HPA’s pilot Stage 1 factory at Gladstone, Queensland is producing 1,200 kgs of battery precursor materials per week even as the company advances construction of its adjacent $550 million high purity alumina plant (pictured). The large scale plant utilises the latest in process control systems and automation in a facility capable…
As shown in @AuManuracturing News’s Towards 3% R&D editorial series, Australia’s innovation effort is tanking, with a lack of national policy co-ordination a key issue. Here Dr John H Howard, puts the case for a National Innovation Council. In an era where innovation drives economic growth and global competitiveness, Australia’s fragmented approach to industrial strategy…
By Michael Anenburg, Australian National University Extinct volcanoes are hard to study – we never see them erupt. Using a unique experimental technique, we were able to recreate a certain type of extinct volcano in a lab, learning more about the magma these volcanoes produce. We found that some rare magma types are surprisingly efficient…
By Peter Roberts The emerging pattern of Australia digging up the critical minerals while others finance the construction of value adding processing in their own markets is repeating itself in battery material manganese, with Element 25 securing lucrative US government support. Element 25, which is developing the Butcherbird manganese deposit in Western Australia’s Pilbara, has…
Following @AuManufacturing’s questioning of Australia’s progress in developing critical minerals, Joe Kaderavek says now is the time to invest in mid-stream refining in Australia. Commodity prices move in deep cycles, causing mining boom and bust periods. Many critical minerals markets are suffering from over-supply following a phase of over-investment after nearly a decade of low…
What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to @AuManufacturing were reading. 5) AIM Defence opens new anti-drone laser factory Laser-based anti-drone system maker AIM Defence has expanded into a 4000 sqm facility to support the manufacture and export of AIM’s Fractl Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems (C-UAS) laser. The new facility will house a skilled…