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Report

SGS/MINTEK agree to technical cooperation

technical delegation from Saudi
A Geological Survey (SGS) visited
South Africa’s National Mineral Research
Organization (MINTEK) on February 18-
21, 2020. The main objective of the visit
was to discuss areas of collaboration in the
development of Mining Center of Excel-
lence (MCoE) through technology trans-
fer, promoting minerals’ processing and
advance materials technology.
By: Eng. Ahmed Taibah Pyro metallurgy Division
Head of Mineral Research
and Beneficiation Center Visit to this division helped the SGS team know
carrying out high-temperature research and pro-
MINTEK is an 85-year-old research organization. cess development for extractive metallurgy.
It has 600 employees, and is fifty percent funded
by the government. It is one of the world’s leading Advanced Materials Division (AMD)
technology organizations, specializing in minerals’ Visit to AMD enabled the SGS team to address
processing, extractive metallurgy, advance materi- the need for specific research into the end-use of
als, and related fields. It works closely with indus- metals in the manufacturing, fabrication and min-
try and other R&D institutions and provides service ing industries.
test work, process development and optimization,
consulting and innovative products to clients world- Hydro Metallurgy Division
wide. The SGS team at this division understood devel-
MINTEK’s highly qualified researchers and engi- oping and testing hydrometallurgical flow sheets
neers organized an intensive visit program for the for the recovery and refining of metals from ores
SGS delegation and covered all technical depart- and concentrates such as leaching, precipitation,
ments. cementation, etc.

The visit was fruitful and informative and covered
the following divisions: Biotechnology

Mineralogy Using modern technologies that are simple, cost
It covered determination of mineral composi- effective and environmentally for extraction was
tions, description and quantification of factors such explained to the team at this division.
as size, shape, texture, associations, and liberation Minerals Processing Division (MPD)
characteristics of the minerals in ore samples.
How to develop and upgrade mineral techniques
Analytical Services Division (ASD) and engineering solutions for the recovery of min-
The SGS’s team visited the well-established inor- erals from a large variety of ores, through labora-
ganic analytical chemistry laboratory that special- tory bench test work and pilot test campaigns was
izes in geochemical and metallurgical analyses. explained in this division.
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