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My research focuses on understanding the relationships between ore characteristics and mineral processing behaviour to improve the efficiency and sustainability of mineral resource utilisation.
I work at the intersection of process mineralogy, comminution and geometallurgy, combining advanced mineralogical characterisation, experimental investigations and computational approaches to understand how ore characteristics influence rock breakage, mineral liberation and processing performance across scales.
My research spans the development of novel characterisation methods and predictive models, the investigation of mineralogical and textural controls on processing responses, and the integration of geometallurgical information to support better operational decisions across the mining value chain.
Decision-Centred Geometallurgy
Connecting Ore characteristics, processing performance and operational decisions.
Current Research
Current Research
My current research at The University of Queensland under the Jim Askew Evolution Industry Research Fellowship focuses on advancing geometallurgical approaches that connect ore characteristics, processing performance and operational decision making.
Through a long-term research programme in collaboration with Evolution Mining, I am investigating how mineralogical and geometallurgical information can be measured, predicted, translated and updated across scales and operational horizons.
The programme aims to develop transferable methods for selecting decision-relevant information, understanding material transformations, improving processing response predictions and evaluating the value of geometallurgical information in practical mining operations.
Previous Projects
Previous Projects
Project Unidad Transdisciplina University of Chile (Dex10/24): Guide to sustainable technologies for mineral processing
Project Unidad Transdisciplina University of Chile (Dex10/24): Guide to sustainable technologies for mineral processing
2025-2026
The project aims to develop a transdisciplinary guide that brings together emerging technologies in sustainable mineral processing promoted by Chilean companies or those located in Chile. The guide will identify key trends and technological gaps and contribute to the dissemination of emerging technologies in mineral processing with a focus on sustainability and innovation, facilitating their adoption and development in the Chilean mining industry.
Automated Short Impact Load Cell @ University of Chile
Fondecyt 11220631: Linking geotechnical and geological properties at the microscale to characterise the comminution potential of ores
Fondecyt 11220631: Linking geotechnical and geological properties at the microscale to characterise the comminution potential of ores
2022-2025
2022-2025
The study of particles' mineralogical and textural parameters that can be used to predict primary breakage properties at scales relevant to comminution.
This project focused on understanding the relation of the primary breakage properties (e.g. particle strength, elastic moduli and minimum energy for breakage) with rock characteristics (e.g. mineralogy, grain size, porosity) so that geological information currently captured with high-resolution technologies can be transformed in additive comminution proxies. A combination of small-scale single-impact tests (to be installed in Chile) in conjunction with ore characteristics and numerical models will be conducted. At the end of this project, a methodology is expected to be developed that includes experimental and numerical methods to investigate the effect of mineralogy and texture over primary breakage properties and fracture propagation and look for further applications.
UI-013/21: Title: Use of advanced characterisation information for fracture modelling at microscale
UI-013/21: Title: Use of advanced characterisation information for fracture modelling at microscale
2022-2024
This project focuses on understanding the relation of the primary breakage properties (e.g. particle strength, elastic moduli and minimum energy for breakage) with rocks characteristics (e.g. mineralogy, grain size, porosity) so that geological information currently captured with high-resolution technologies, can be transformed in additive comminution proxies. A combination of small-scale single impact tests (to install in Chile) in conjunction with ore characteristics and numerical models will be conducted. At the end of this project, it is expected to have a methodology that includes experimental and numerical methods to investigate the effect of mineralogy and texture over primary breakage properties and fracture propagation and look for further applications.
Tomography 2D section
EXCITE -2024 (associated with UI): 3D particle tracking for liberation modelling
EXCITE -2024 (associated with UI): 3D particle tracking for liberation modelling
2024
In this study, rock images will be sampled using a set of algorithms that allow the generation of particles randomly, such as random sampling of images and algorithms that enable particle generation with some bias. From these algorithms, the particle size distributions obtained from physical experiments will be reconstructed. The various mentioned techniques will be employed to quantify the grain size distribution of the mineral species comprising the rocks studied across different particle sizes. Grain size and its variation within these particles will be analyzed in relation to the measured strength in the physical specimens. Additionally, the liberation of minerals of interest will be studied using the mentioned image segmentation techniques with the objective of simulating liberation.
Seed Funding AMTC: Semi-quantitative estimation of optimal operational conditions for plant operation at small-scale mining
Seed Funding AMTC: Semi-quantitative estimation of optimal operational conditions for plant operation at small-scale mining
2023
The project's objective is to develop a tool that allows quantifying critical operational parameters in the production process that would mean a significant improvement over the current operational state in terms of resource utilization efficiency in small-scale mining.
One way to achieve this is by assessing the behaviour of the rock type that will be processed during the grinding process. One of the tools currently available in the mineral processing laboratory of the Mining Engineering department at the University of Chile is the Magotteaux® Mill. This mill enables the real-time automated measurement, control, and monitoring of various parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, temperature, and electrical potential.
Magotteaux Mill
Postdoc project Rolls crusher development
Postdoc project Rolls crusher development
2020-2021 at JKMRC
(JKMRC - Team project member, 2020 - 2021): I participated in the methodology experimentation design and validation, as well as the development of data analysis procedures of a rolls crusher testing device for fast single breakage. Faster lower mass testing for comminution was successfully tested in mine samples and surged as a possible replacement for traditional laborious comminution tests.
Geometallurgical services in specialized metallurgical sampling and testing (Team member, 2015)
Geometalurgical analysis and definition of geomet units by data integration (Team member, 2015-2016)
Comminution and Flotation survey in Mt Isa mines (Team member, 2018)
Update of the Throughput model for Prominent hill plant and proposal of a geomet campaign (Project leader 2019)
Report on digital transformation for the small and medium-size Chilean mining (Team project member, 2021)
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