Thirteen science teachers visited the Parker Centre on 16 September 2003 to learn about some of the hydrometallurgy research being undertaken by the Centre.

The teachers from Perth metropolitan state and independent high schools toured Parker Centre facilities at the CSIRO Minerals' site in Waterford, WA. Dr Martin Houchin, the Centre’s Base Metals Program Manager, was the tour guide.

Dr Houchin began the visit with a short talk highlighting the chemistry and biology behind the research carried out within his research program. He described some of the work being done in three areas: gold recovery, solvent extraction and heap leaching. The teachers heard about novel technologies employing bacteria to extract metals and the possible replacement of cyanide by thiosulfate in the gold recovery process.

Dr Houchin then conducted a tour of the Becher Building and discussed several pieces of equipment housed in this facility, including the column bioleaching area, autoclaves for pressure leaching, the direct-fired rotary kiln, the high pressure grinding rolls and the pulsed column apparatus for solvent extraction.

The research conducted at CSIRO Minerals as part of the Parker Centre is aimed at increasing efficiency of extractive metallurgy operations with an eye on helping clients better serve the “triple bottom line” of economic, environmental and social profits.