Mineral research services and capabilities

The Minerals Research Laboratory (MRL), has bench scale testing, pilot plant testing, mineral charactization and library services. MRL provides a wide variety of services. The main focus of MRL's minerals research is the beneficiation of industrial minerals. MRL's experience in industrial minerals is unmatched by any university laboratory in the United States. Most of MRL's research efforts are conducted for corporate sponsors. MRL's state-of-the-art facility is equipped with mineral processing equipment and support facilities for flexible batch and continuous pilot plant research. The MRL provides a wide variety of education out-reach programs. 

Services

MRL provides specialty services in the following areas. An overview of mineral processing and analytical equipment is here.

• Sample characterization and analysis

• Bench laboratory testing

• Continuous pilot plant testing

• Conceptual plant design and preliminary feasibility

• Plant evaluation

• Technical consulting

• Process audits and assessments

• Industrial services

• By-product and waste utilization studies

• Cooperative agreements and partnerships

• Library services

• Educational out-reach ('Down to Earth" program)

Batch scale testing 

The MRL facility includes laboratories for flexible small scale testing for the beneficiation of industrial minerals. This includes wet and dry grinding, gravity separation, magnetic separation, electrostatic separation, solid-liquid separation, sizing, and flotation. Using the data obtained from batch scale tests, MRL can scale up to pilot plant testing and flowsheet design.

Pilot plant testing

The strength of MRL is its ability to design flow sheets from batch scale laboratory data and operate continuous pilot plant tests. The laboratory has extensive inventories of pilot plant equipment which enables it to simulate virtually any flow sheet. Studies are conducted either on site in Asheville or off site in plants. Pilot plant testing helps establish design criteria, operating parameters, process efficiency, and economic process feasibility. The pilot plant is often used to provide bulk samples for product evaluation in the marketplace. MRL has an excellent track record scaling up from pilot plant studies to commercial plant design.

Pictured here is pilot plant flotation. Flotation is a method of mineral separation in which a froth created in water by a variety of reagents (chemicals) floats some finely crushed minerals, while other minerals sink. The pilot plant flotation machine is similar to a batch flotation machine except it is larger. Mineral froth overflows the flotation cell and flows into the wooden trough.

Mineral characterization laboratory 

The characterization lab is well equipped for analysis of most minerals. Currently, the chemistry lab can analyze minerals using spectroscopic techniques such as Colorimetry, and Atomic Absorption (AA) analysis. It is also set up to handle wet chemistry analytical techniques such as gravimetric silicon and aluminum, pH determinations, loss on ignition analysis (LOI), and calcium carbonate equivalency. Mineral characterization includes density determinations, particle size distribution, surface area and material whiteness.

The main function of the chemistry lab is to assist MRL engineers with process development projects. Analysis of pilot plant samples gives the engineer rapid evaluation of the last pilot plant run, and quick turn-around allows the testing to proceed faster, resulting in timely completion of projects.

Library

The library at MRL contains one of the best reference sources for mineral processing information in the southeastern United States. Books, magazines, journals, seminar publications, industry news bulletins, and government documents are available for public use. The library is also connected to the North Carolina State University computer network for on-line reference searches.

Education out-reach

As part of a Land Grant Institution, technical assistance and service to the public is also part of the MRL mission. MRL has worked towards relating its purpose and activities to the general public by establishing an educational outreach program known as 'Down to Earth.' MRL also sponsors professional seminars at its facilities in Asheville. These seminars count toward continuing professional competency requirements for Professional Engineers.

The following are examples of education out-reach services and programs performed by the MRL:

• North Carolina rock kits

• Map of North Carolina mineral localities

• Mineral and rock facts

• "Ask a Geologist"

• MRL laboratory tours

• School presentations

• Workshops