The Institute for Mineral Resources at the Univ. of Arizona will receive $17.5 million from Science Foundation Arizona and 15 industry partners to make the group a global leader in all aspects of mineral resource development. Joint announcements were made in Phoenix and Tucson yesterday by state, university, and industry leaders. [right, UA's San Xavier teaching mine outside Tucson. Credit, UA]
Research topics include:
* using low-quality water (instead of high) for Cu-Mo processing;
* energy consumption in the mines;
* using mine sites for alternative energy sites;
* automating equipment for dangerous jobs;
* exploring new technology to track deep-earth miners;
* studying health effects of biodiesel in underground mines;
* examining Australian safety standards (they have low injury rates);
* studying uranium and other exposures in dust;
* geoscience studies to identify the extent of minerals here to extrapolate worldwide (especially at depth)