Recently, I had the opportunity to present my research and chair at the MEI’s Physical Separation Conference 2026 in the beautiful but stormy Cape Town, South Africa, a conference that brought together researchers, industry professionals, equipment manufacturers, and mineral processing specialists from across the mining sector.
The event provided an excellent platform to discuss current challenges, emerging technologies, and future opportunities in physical separation and mineral beneficiation. My participation was through my research work in the MIWATCH group at the Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland, which focuses on advancing sustainable approaches to mine waste reprocessing and critical minerals recovery.
My presentation
My presentation focused on Recovery of Pyrite and Gold from Historical Tailings Using Multi-Gravity Separation (MGS), with particular emphasis on sustainable mineral processing and the application of physical separation techniques to complex ore and mine waste systems.
The opportunity to attend and present at the conference came through ongoing research work and collaborations with the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development and their insitive from historical mine waste site remediation. It was rewarding to share aspects of this work with both academic and industry audiences and to receive valuable technical feedback and discussions around practical applications of physical separation technologies.
One of the most valuable aspects of the conference was the opportunity to engage directly with industry professionals and technology providers working at the forefront of mineral processing. Many of the discussions centred around the resurgence of physical separation and new technologies in the physical separation space as well as improving recovery efficiency, processing increasingly complex ores by embracing real time live monitoring of ore material during processing to make quick informed decisions for optimisation.
It was also particularly interesting to learn more about real life advances in gravity, ore sorting and magnetic separation technologies, particle recovery, in improving plant performance.
Beyond the technical presentations, the conference provided an important networking opportunity. I was able to connect with researchers, consultants, and equipment specialists from different parts of the industry such as Minerals Techologies, Tomora sorting, Gravity Mining etc and research and development facilities such as Mintek, Imperial College and Metso , which opened discussions around potential future collaborations and research opportunities. Events such as this are important because they help bridge the gap between research and operational industry challenges, while also providing insight into the evolving needs of the mining sector.
My advice: go to a conference
For students and early-career researchers considering presenting at conferences, I would strongly encourage taking the opportunity. Conferences are not only valuable for sharing research findings, but also for building confidence, improving communication skills, and developing professional networks. They also provide exposure to real-world industry challenges and emerging technologies, which can help shape future research directions and career pathways. Overall, the experience was both professionally rewarding and motivating, and I am grateful for the opportunity to represent MIWATCH and the Sustainable Minerals Institute at the conference.