From university to industry and back

Starting a career in mineral processing

“I started my professional career shortly after completing an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Peru,” Mayra says.

“I was happy just taking one step at a time. I needed experience, I needed a job, and I needed the money, so I started working in a zinc refinery in Lima at the chemical laboratory.

“This is where my interest in mineral processing began. I realized I wanted to be part of the process team but there were no positions available. So, I joined a consultancy to get exposure to different processes and commodities. “

“This new role made me realize that my university course had not taught me much about mineral processing, and I needed to upskill or I’d be at a disadvantage. I made the decision to return to study and applied for a Master’s in Metallurgy at the Western Australian School of Mines.

“The Master’s taught me a lot in terms of technical abilities, but I think what helped me most was going all the way from Lima to Kalgoorlie, a town in the middle of Australia where everything revolves around mining – everything!

“It exposed me to a mining culture and its values and helped me to get practical work in a mine – the whole experience helped me grow a lot as a person.”

An applied PhD project

After graduating, Mayra returned to work in industry for six years before she started to consider upskilling further through a PhD, but she had doubts over the nature of research.  

“I had never enjoyed research. It was very fundamental and theoretical, which I appreciate is important, but it had never interested me,” she explained.  

“However, I happened to see a PhD opportunity at the JKMRC that was similar to the metallurgical consultancy work I was doing, but it provided the scope and resources to dig deeper into core issues; so, I applied for it.

“Through my PhD, I am building the foundations of a geometallurgical approach that looks at how different pyrite textures – the size, the associations and the shape of the minerals – affect their flotation behaviour.

“My project focuses on the significant challenges posed by pyrite in mineral processing, particularly at the Mount Isa copper deposit.

“The problem with pyrite, especially framboidal or "carbonaceous" types, is its detrimental impact on copper flotation efficiency, leading to low-quality concentrates.

“The research project has allowed us to establish statistical links between pyrite textures and their flotation performance.

Predicting pyrite floatability could enable mining engineers to anticipate and manage variations in pyrite floatability, ultimately leading to more efficient and cost-effective processing.”

Mayra’s PhD project is a part of a bigger partnership project funded by the Advance Queensland Research Fellowship and Mount Isa Mines (Glencore), which seeks to overcome pyrite challenges in Queensland’s ore reserves and mine tailings.

“Having an industry partner like Mount Isa on board is critical for the success of the project. They are heavily involved in the selection of the samples, and the progress of the project.  

“The collaboration reinforces that it isn’t an abstract PhD. Industry has been open to our project and is interested in the outcomes.”