A University of Queensland commercialisation company is the first in the world to sell leading-edge mineral analysis technology to the booming Chinese market.
will export a mineral liberation analyser (MLA) to Jinchuan Group Ltd, China鈥檚 largest producer of nickel, cobalt and platinum.
JK Tech Managing Director, Dr Geoff Gault, said the instrument and software package sold to Jinchuan would be a centerpiece of a Minerals Engineering Research Institute being established by Jinchuan.
鈥淭his is the world鈥檚 most sophisticated analyser of its type,鈥� Dr Gault said.
鈥淚t derives quantitative mineral analysis from a scanning electron microscope, and will take outdated manual mineral identification in China into the new realm of automation and quality assurance used in Australia, North America and southern Africa.
鈥滼inchuan technologists will use the MLA to analyse products from the Jinchuan mineral concentrators and to evaluate ore deposits.
鈥淪taff at JKTech鈥檚 Brisbane headquarters will train them in this technique early in 2006.
鈥淭his opens the door for further applications of MLA technology in the world鈥檚 fastest growing economy,鈥� Dr Gault said.
The sale flowed from a visit to Australia by Jinchuan Chairman, Mr Li Yong-jun, and Jinchuan Director of Science and Technology, Madam Xiao-xia Yu, in July 2004.
Price Waterhouse Coopers partner and leader of its China strategy, Mr Tom Seymour, said: 鈥淭he MLA technology provides a good practical example of a Chinese mining company and an Australian technology provider working together.鈥�
Mr Seymour said that as Jinchuan is one of China鈥檚 significant state-owned mining companies, its presence in Australia would also indicate it is one of the more advanced Chinese state-owned enterprises.
The MLA鈥檚 entry into China marks a continued rapid expansion of the system鈥檚 world-wide reach.
There are 25 MLA systems installed around the globe, compared to only six systems in 2002.
More installations are planned for early 2006. These include deployments by: Mexico鈥檚 largest miner, Penoles; the world鈥檚 largest mineral sand mining operation, Richards Bay Minerals in South Africa; and the Geological Survey of Finland, which will analyse material from Europe鈥檚 greatest and one of Earth鈥檚 deepest holes in its crust.
鈥淔rom 1996 to 2000 we were in development mode under the direction of Dr Ying Gu (Manager, MLA Group), so in just nine years we have taken a system design concept to a position of undisputed world leader in the field 鈥� and we continue to expand,鈥� Dr Gault said.
For more information contact:
Dr Geoff Gault, Managing Director JKTech Pty Ltd
Ph: (+61 7) 3365 5861, Mobile: 0417 738 468
Email: g.gault@jktech.com.au
Dr Ying Gu, Manager, MLA Group
(+61 7) 3365 5919, Email: y.gu@jktech.com.au
Mr Tom Seymour, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Brisbane office: Ph (+61 7) 3257 8883.
Media inquiries to:
David Goeldner, Media and external relations, (+61 7) 3365 5848,
Mobile: 0416164243, Email: d.goeldner@uq.edu.au
