Max Zanin is Associate Research Professor in Mineral Processing. He holds a BEng (Hons) in Mineral Processing Engineering (University of Trieste) and a PhD in Geo-engineering (University of Cagliari).
Since joining the University of South Australia in 2003, Max developed his academic career in strict contact with the mining industry, through applied research projects and technology transfer initiatives. He holds a solid network of contacts within the industry (e.g., BHP Billiton, Vale, Rio Tinto, OZ Minerals, Anglo Platinum, Xstrata/Glencore, Freeport McMoran, Newcrest, Newmont, Outotec), industry bodies (e.g., AMIRA International) and other research institutions worldwide (e.g., CSIRO, University of British Columbia, UCL Australia,... Read more
About me
Max Zanin is Associate Research Professor in Mineral Processing. He holds a BEng (Hons) in Mineral Processing Engineering (University of Trieste) and a PhD in Geo-engineering (University of Cagliari).
Since joining the University of South Australia in 2003, Max developed his academic career in strict contact with the mining industry, through applied research projects and technology transfer initiatives. He holds a solid network of contacts within the industry (e.g., BHP Billiton, Vale, Rio Tinto, OZ Minerals, Anglo Platinum, Xstrata/Glencore, Freeport McMoran, Newcrest, Newmont, Outotec), industry bodies (e.g., AMIRA International) and other research institutions worldwide (e.g., CSIRO, University of British Columbia, UCL Australia, University of Adelaide, University of Queensland).
Max is the Chief Investigator for the multi-sponsor AMIRA P260 project on minerals flotation. In over 25 years of activity, the project has made a significant contribution to the efficiency of minerals flotation worldwide, with a delivered Net Present Value to industry of $1 Billion, with a return leverage of more than 20:1 (2007 RMD STEM Review of P260, updated in 2012).
Max is author / co-author of more than 80 scientific papers between book chapters, refereed journal articles and conference proceedings. He is editor of the journal Minerals, and on the board of reviewers of the International Journal of Mineral Processing and Minerals Engineering. He also is in the technical committee of the International Minerals Processing Congress and Procemin.
He is member of the Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy (AusIMM), and of the Australian Colloid and Interface Society (ACIS).
In 2014, Max was also awarded (with his colleague Prof. Thomas Nann) a CleverGreen Innovation Grant by the Government of South Australia for his innovative research on metal recovery from electronic waste (Urban Mining). Max is currently part of the CSIRO Sustainable E-waste Processing initiative.
About me
Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM)
Member of the Australian Colloid and Interface Society (ACIS)
Member of the Body of Professional Engineers – Italy
About me
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 15/11/2013 |
AMIRA P260 Silver Jubilee 25 Years of Benefits to Minerals Flotation, http://amira.com.au/web/documents/newsletter/amiranewsletter35.pdf |
| 13/06/2013 |
ABC News: Australia throws away a potential gold mine of precious metals each year when it sends electronic waste overseas, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-13/urban-mining-study-to-help-develop-an-e-waste/4751822 |
| 13/06/2013 |
ABC News 24: Researchers worried precious metals lost in e-waste recycling, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-13/researchers-worried-precious-metals-lost-in-e-waste-recycling/4750774 |
| 21/02/2007 |
Backing for P260E tops $A6million, http://www.amira.com.au/documents%5Cnewsletter%5Camiranewsletter21.pdf |
About me
Doctor of Philosophy University of Cagliari
Bachelor of Engineering Universita Di Trieste
Mineral processing: froth flotation and physical separation. Fundamental and applied studies. Plant surveys, theory of sampling, mass balance, simulation and modelling.
Urban Mining and solid waste treatment: application of mineral processing technologies for the separation and recovery of solid waste fractions (plastics, e-waste, metals).
Sustainable use of resources and optimization of processes.
Research
Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.
S16: Characterisation of -10 micron domain using new techniques to describe fine mineralogy and surface chemistry, ARC - Centre of Excellence, 01/07/2023 - 31/12/2026
Advanced Flotation, Newcrest Mining Limited, 17/04/2023 - 17/04/2026
Vertically integrated battery anode material development program, CRC-P, 01/08/2023 - 31/07/2025
Unlocking complex resources through lean processing, BHP Billiton Olympic Dam Corporation Pty Ltd, 01/06/2018 - 31/08/2024
Unlocking complex resources through lean processing, SA Dept of Innovation and Skills (formerly DSD), 01/06/2018 - 31/08/2024
Flotation of complex ores P260, AMIRA International Ltd, 15/09/2014 - 14/09/2018
Assessing Lime Performance in Copper Flotation (Stage 2), Lhoist, 01/10/2016 - 30/12/2016
Assessing Lime Performance in Copper Flotation, Lhoist, 16/10/2015 - 30/06/2016
Research
Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. Some long-standing staff members may have older outputs included. To see earlier years visit ORCID, ResearcherID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2024 |
Open access
1
|
| 2024 |
Open access
|
| 2024 |
Open access
1
|
| 2024 |
Open access
4
|
| 2023 |
Open access
1
1
|
| 2022 |
Open access
9
7
|
| 2022 |
Open access
6
7
|
| 2022 |
Open access
11
10
|
| 2022 |
Open access
21
19
3
|
| 2022 |
Open access
6
6
|
| 2021 |
Open access
17
13
3
|
| 2021 |
Open access
34
27
8
|
| 2021 |
Open access
17
15
8
|
| 2021 |
Open access
30
29
1
|
| 2021 |
Open access
10
7
2
|
| 2021 |
Open access
8
6
|
| 2021 |
Open access
8
8
|
| 2021 |
Open access
18
15
5
|
| 2021 |
10
10
|
| 2019 |
Open access
34
31
|
| 2019 |
43
40
|
| 2019 |
Open access
87
80
|
| 2018 |
29
30
|
| 2016 |
Open access
18
16
|
| 2015 |
21
21
|
| 2015 |
27
23
|
| 2015 |
19
15
9
|
| 2015 |
43
41
|
| 2015 |
13
10
|
| 2015 |
43
34
|
| 2015 |
31
27
|
| 2015 |
4
3
|
| 2015 |
|
| 2014 |
45
41
|
| 2014 |
30
29
|
| 2014 |
84
72
3
|
| 2014 |
Open access
15
14
|
| 2013 |
21
15
|
| 2013 |
24
22
|
| 2013 |
45
44
|
| 2013 |
48
44
|
| 2013 |
33
27
|
| 2012 |
14
13
|
| 2012 |
78
70
|
| 2012 |
15
11
|
| 2012 |
Open access
|
| 2011 |
60
53
|
| 2011 |
61
55
|
| 2011 |
22
18
|
| 2011 |
70
57
|
| 2009 |
100
77
|
| 2009 |
64
55
|
| 2009 |
44
39
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2022 |
Open access
|
| 2022 |
Open access
|
| 2022 |
|
| 2021 |
Open access
|
| 2021 |
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| 2021 |
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| 2021 |
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| 2021 |
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| 2021 |
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| 2021 |
Open access
|
| 2021 |
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| 2020 |
Open access
|
| 2020 |
Open access
|
| 2020 |
Open access
|
| 2020 |
Open access
|
| 2020 |
Open access
|
| 2020 |
Open access
|
| 2016 |
|
| 2016 |
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| 2016 |
Open access
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| 2016 |
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| 2016 |
Open access
|
| 2016 |
|
| 2015 |
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| 2015 |
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| 2015 |
|
| 2015 |
|
| 2014 |
|
| 2014 |
|
| 2014 |
|
| 2014 |
Open access
|
| 2014 |
|
| 2014 |
1
|
| 2014 |
3
|
| 2013 |
Open access
|
| 2013 |
Open access
|
| 2013 |
|
| 2013 |
Open access
|
| 2013 |
Open access
|
| 2013 |
|
| 2013 |
|
| 2013 |
|
| 2013 |
|
| 2013 |
|
| 2012 |
Open access
2
|
| 2012 |
2
|
| 2012 |
|
| 2012 |
Open access
|
| 2012 |
Open access
|
| 2012 |
|
| 2012 |
Open access
4
|
| 2012 |
|
| 2011 |
Open access
14
|
| 2011 |
Open access
|
| 2011 |
|
| 2011 |
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| 2011 |
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| 2010 |
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| 2010 |
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| 2010 |
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| 2008 |
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| 2008 |
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| 2008 |
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Research
Mineral processing: froth flotation and physical separation. Fundamental and applied studies. Plant surveys, theory of sampling, mass balance, simulation and modelling.
Urban Mining and solid waste treatment: application of mineral processing technologies for the separation and recovery of solid waste fractions (plastics, e-waste, metals).
Sustainable use of resources and optimization of processes.
Various technology transfer initiatives through the organisation of workshops and symposia, among which:
- Cost-effective technologies for processing low-grade copper ores (BHP Billiton, Santiago, Chile, 2016)
- Copper-gold recovery from Western Australia ores (Newcrest Mining, Perth, 2015)
- Molybdenite Focus Group Symposium (AMIRA International, Adelaide, 2007)
Member or advisor of industry-research steering committees, such as:
- In-Situ Recovery (ISR) of value from mineral systems (CSIRO, 2015)
- Sustainable E-waste processing (CSIRO, 2016)
- Nickel Laterites characterisation and development of processing options (CSIRO, 2012)
- Nuclear Energy Fuel Cycle (UCL Australia, 2016)
External engagement & recognition
| Organisation | Country |
|---|---|
| Akzo Nobel Chemicals | NETHERLANDS |
| AngloGold Ashanti | SOUTH AFRICA |
| BHP (Australia) | AUSTRALIA |
| CSIRO Australia (Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research organisation) | AUSTRALIA |
| Curtin University | AUSTRALIA |
| Eriez Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| Flinders University | AUSTRALIA |
| George Grant University of Mines and Technology | GHANA |
| Lhoist | BELGIUM |
| Magotteaux Australia Pty Ltd | AUSTRALIA |
| Manta Controls | AUSTRALIA |
| Manta Controls Pty Ltd | AUSTRALIA |
| Museum Board | AUSTRALIA |
| OZ Minerals Prominent Hill Pty Ltd | AUSTRALIA |
| Papua New Guinea University of Technology | PAPUA NEW GUINEA |
| Private Individual | UNITED KINGDOM |
| Rio Tinto Ltd | AUSTRALIA |
| South Australian Museum | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Adelaide | AUSTRALIA |
| University of British Columbia | CANADA |
| University of Cape Town | SOUTH AFRICA |
| University of Oulu | FINLAND |
| University of Queensland | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Sao Paulo | BRAZIL |
| University of South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Technology Sydney | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Trieste | ITALY |
| Vale Canada | CANADA |
| Xstrata Technology | AUSTRALIA |
External engagement & recognition
Max Zanin is on the board of grant reviewers of the Australian Research Council (ARC), as well as the Chilean National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT) and the European HORIZON 2020 program.
Max is also editor of the scientific journal Minerals, as well as on the board of the reviewers for Minerals Engineering and International Journal of Mineral Processing (both ranked A* journal by the ARC). He also is in the Technical Committee of the International Mineral Processing Congress (IMPC) and PROCEMIN, which is held in Santiago (Chile) every year.
Teaching & student supervision
Supervisions from 2010 shown
| Thesis title | Student status |
|---|---|
| 138-Fluidised-bed flotation of copper ore at fine particle size | Current |
| 296- Mineralogical and Surface Chemical Factors Influencing the Flotation Recovery of Fine Mineral Particles | Current |
| Energy and Processing Benefits of a New Dry Comminution Technology | Current |
| Fast flotation of fine particles | Current |
| Impact of comminution strategy on pulp chemistry and downstream process performance | Current |
| Integration and analytics of pulp chemistry sensor information with in-stream analysis for flotation plant optimisation | Current |
| Optimising coarse composites flotation in Hydrofloat | Current |
| The application of dry magnetic separation in the beneficiation of iron ores and tailings: value extraction and enabling the re-purposing of waste | Current |
| Effect of surfactants and hydrophobicity on collection of fine particles by bubbles in flotation | Completed |
| Fluidised-bed flotation of coarse sulphide minerals: factors influencing value recovery | Completed |
| Free gold recovery - effects of gold composition and surface chemistry on flotation and collector adsorption properties | Completed |
| Improved understanding of the fundamentals of coarse particle flotation | Completed |
| Improving chalcopyrite mineral flotation selectivity against pyrite through pulp aeration/Eh control after regrinding in IsaMill | Completed |
| Improving the floatability of oxidised pyrite | Completed |
| Improving the understanding of the fundamentals and applied aspects of leaching refractory gold ores | Completed |
| Influence of recycled and low quality process water in the flotation of copper and molybdenum sulphides | Completed |
| Pulp chemistry sensing and optimisation of flotation circuits | Completed |
| Sensing and optimisation of autogenous (AG) and semi-autogenous (SAG) grinding mills | Completed |
| Separation of Au-rich arsenopyrite and arsenian pyrite from pyrite in refractory ores and concentrates | Completed |
| Solar-power enhanced electroosmotic dewatering and consolidation of model clay mineral tailings | Completed |
| Surface and chemometric studies in the selective separation of copper sulfide minerals and pyrite in copper concentrates | Completed |
| Synthesis and characterisation of composite particles with respect to flotation | Completed |
| Uranium recovery mechanisms at Prominent Hill Concentrator | Completed |
| Using flotation response to infer an operational contact angle of particles | Completed |
| Wetting and electrowetting of polymer surfaces with ionic liquids | Completed |
