The Parker Centre's new research facility for testing innovative processes for the minerals industry was opened on 11 May 2004 by Western Australian State Development Minister Clive Brown.

The facility will initially test a more environmentally friendly alternative to the current cyanide process for extracting gold from its ores.

The Parker Centre’s hydrometallurgy research pilot plant at Murdoch University will bridge the gap between the laboratory bench and the commercial-scale industrial processing plant.

The pilot plant is a small-scale model of a full-size plant, and will be used to scale-up new processes and trial changes to existing processes without the cost and risk of experimenting on the full scale. It will assist Australia’s gold and nickel industries in particular.

The first users of the new facility will be Parker Centre clients from the gold industry.

"The Centre is developing a new process to replace cyanide in gold processing,” says Deputy CEO Dr Jim Avraamides. “This process uses a chemical called thiosulfate to dissolve the gold. We will use the pilot plant to test the economic and technical viability of the thiosulfate process.”

"The pilot plant will also be useful for training,” Dr Avraamides says. “It will allow university students to gain hands-on experience in a quasi-industrial environment.”

Professor Mike Nicol, the Centre's Leaching, Separation & Reduction Program Manager, and his staff and students were instrumental in planning, procuring and assembling the pilot plant.

Professor Mike Nicol showing WA State Development Minister Clive Brown around the pilot plant.

"This facility is unique in that, as far as I am aware, no university can boast of its own pilot scale facilities for the development of metallurgical processes," says Professor Nicol.

The pilot plant was funded by a grant from the WA State Government. Murdoch University provided the land for the building which houses the plant.

The State Government, through the WA Department of Industry and Resources, is also one of the partners in the Centre.

Dr Aleks Nikoloski talking about the pilot plant with guests at the opening ceremony.

L-R:
Professor Andris Stelbovics - Murdoch University's Pro Vice Chancellor (Research)
Professor Mike Nicol
The Hon Clive Brown - WA Minister for State Development
Dr Ian Gould - Chair of the Parker Centre's Board