Just ahead of the Automated Mineralogy conference in Australia and IM‘s July issue special on the subject, China’s Chalco has become the world’s first alumina producer to adopt leading-edge automated mineralogy for research and development. With the installation of a QEMSCAN in the Zhengzhou Research Institute of Chalco (ZZRI), in Henan Province, Chalco is also the first Chinese organisation to use this technology. It will use the unit in company research and development programs focusing on bauxite and other base metals.
The QEMSCAN® automated, quantitative particle analysis and identification solution is the flagship product of innovative technology developer Intellection. Chalco is the largest producer of alumina in China and the second largest producer of alumina in the world.
ZZRI Director Dr Wangxing Li said, “Accurate and fast mineralogy research is more and more important to modern minerals processing, and QEMSCAN makes this possible. Chalco, as an international, multi-metal mining company, has already put a strong emphasis on this and intends to use QEMSCAN fully to improve our research and production.”
Calvin Treacey, Intellection CEO: “This is the beginning of a partnership that will see Intellection and Chalco work closely on collaborative projects which will open up new research in alumina exploration and production. It will also showcase QEMSCAN to the rest of the Chinese mining sector, where we expect to achieve strong growth.”
The QEMSCAN installation will be carried out jointly by Intellection and Carl Zeiss China. Intellection has a number of strategic agreements in place with Carl Zeiss world-wide.
Intellection’s commitment to developing business relationships in China was recognised recently with a place in Australia’s Telstra-Austrade Win Business Gold in China program. Awarded for innovation, entrepreneurship and strategic planning, the program involves advice on Chinese business protocols, a trip to Beijing during the Olympics, networking and local contacts, and cultural and sporting events.
QEMSCAN solutions and services can significantly improve productivity, accuracy and the quality of key information resulting from the automated analysis of geological and process samples fundamental to decision making by companies, interest groups and government bodies involved in the mining, utilities, and oil and gas industries.
Chalco is the largest producer of alumina in the China and the second largest producer of alumina in the world. It is also the largest producer of primary aluminium in China, mainly producing metallurgical alumina, alumina chemicals, primary aluminium, aluminium alloy, high-purity aluminium and gallium, etc.