Isasmelt ore smelter
1983
smelting process to separate metals from ores
In 1973 CSIRO began developing a more energy efficient and environmentally safer smelting technology to separate metal from ore.
They teamed up with Mt Isa Mines in 1976 to build new smelting reactors that use special combustion tubes or lances to force superheated air and fuel below the surface of the ore mixture. This mixes the ore around and melts it evenly.
Mt Isa Mines and Ausmelt have been licensed by the CSIRO to market this innovation in Australia and around the world. It is used to separate copper, lead, nickel, zinc and tin from mineral ores.
Who Did It?
Key Organisations
MIM Holdings : R&D, design, manufacture
CSIRO Division of Mineral Engineering : research, development
Key People
Frank Jorgensen : CSIRO scientist
John Floyd : CSIRO scientist
Jim Pritchard : smelting manager
Further Reading
'MIM to smelt copper for world's miners'
Bruce Hextall
The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 April 1992.
Links
Isasmelt
Xstrata Technology
Ausmelt Ltd
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