Professor Stephen Grano

Biography/ Background

Professor Stephen Grano is the Director of the Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources at the University of Adelaide since March 2010.

Stephen is an experienced and internationally recognized Metallurgical Engineer with nearly 30 years of postgraduate experience. After graduation, Stephen gained extensive industrial experience in the field of mineral processing whilst employed at Mount Isa Mines Limited, working in both the copper and lead/zinc streams. Stephen then joined the nascent Ian Wark Research Institute at the University of South Australia as a staff member, also undertaking his MSc and PhD in mineral flotation. Stephen's final position at the Ian Wark Research Institute was as Research Professor of Minerals Processing.

Whilst employed at the Ian Wark Research Institute at the University of South Australia, Stephen, in collaboration with the Wark team, attracted funding of approximately $8.5M from industry and government organisations since 2005. Further, approximately $2.2M was competitively won from the ARC since 2001 with Stephen involved as Project Leader and/or a Chief Investigator. Stephen plans to continue research in mineral processing in different, but allied, fields at the University of Adelaide.

Stephen has extensive industrial experience in flotation plant practice in a diverse range of operations which include as examples; in Australia: Cadia, Century, Earnest Henry, Elura, Golden Grove, Hellyer, Kambalda, Kanowna Belle, Leinster, Mount Isa, McArthur River, Mt. Keith, North Parkes, Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill, Renison, Rosebery, Woodlawn; in Asia: Ok Tedi, Freeport Indonesia, Sepon, Jinfeng; in North America: Kennecott, Bagdad, Clarabelle, Kidd Creek, Red Dog, Strathcona, Thompson; in South America: Alumbrera, Escondida, Cerro Verde, Rio Paracatu, Taquari Vassouras; in Africa: Bafokeng Rasimone, Vaal River; Europe: Neves Corvo.

Stephen works closely with the minerals and energy industries and has an excellent track record in successful technology transfer to industry. A recent independent review of a major project (RMD STEM Report titled "Evaluation of the AMIRA Project over the period 1988-2006"), of which Stephen was the Project Leader and/or Chief Investigator, demonstrated a total value to industry of $436M from delivered and expected gains. These gains were made in collaboration with the Wark team. Stephen has extensive leadership experience and capacity to shape large scale and innovative research initiatives involving multiple relationships which are both internal and external to the university environment. Stephen has an extensive and sustained success in obtaining grants playing a lead role in leadership, proposal formulation, and negotiation, and has forged a range of industry partnerships at national and international levels for more than 20 years.

 

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Engineering (Metallurgical) (Hons.), 1982, University of Queensland.
• Master of Applied Science, 1992, University of South Australia.
• Doctor of Philosophy, 1997, University of South Australia.

Awards & Achievements

Government of South Australia Science Excellence Awards (Excellence in Research - Commercialisation), 2009.

Expertise for Media Contact

Minerals Processing

Research Interests

Stephen's current activity involves developing a strategic management, research and business plan for the Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources at the University of Adelaide with the active involvement of key stake holders across the University of Adelaide, state and federal governments, and industry. Stephen is particularly interested in fostering large scale, multi-disciplinary projects, programmes and partnerships, which target research questions of global significance, and which draw on the enormous strengths of the University of Adelaide across a wide range of disciplines. The brief of the Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources is to grow the economically critical mineral and energy resources industries in a technically, economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner.

New research areas, of relevance to the Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources, are developing methods to achieve step change reductions in energy consumption in mineral production, integration of renewable energy sources with mineral production, and step change reductions in the capital and operating cost of renewable energy sources. Stephen's personal research interests include sulphide and non-sulphide mineral flotation, surface modification, oxidation and adsorption, electrochemistry, froths and foams, bubble-particle interactions, scale up and flotation cell hydrodynamics, flotation plant diagnostics, technology transfer to industry, in-situ processing, and ore pre-concentration.

 

Publications

Refereed Publications in the last 5 years

Book Chapters

1. Grano, S. R., (2010). Chemical measurements during plant surveys and their interpretation. Chapter 6, in Flotation Plant Optimisation: A Metallurgical Guide to Identifying and Solving Problems in Flotation Plants, (Ed: C J Greet), Spectrum Series No 16 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne). ISBN: 978 1 921522 14 7, pp 107 - 121.
2. Ralston, J., Fornasiero, D., and Grano, S.R., (2007). Pulp and solution chemistry (M.C. Fuerstenau, G Jameson and R-H Yoon eds.), Froth Flotation: A Century of Innovation, pp 227-258.

Refereed Journals (Note: Both Int. J. Miner. Process. and Min. Eng. are rank A* in the ERA category of Resource Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy 2010).

3. Peng, Y., and Grano, S.R., (2010). Dissolution of fine and intermediate sized galena particles and their interactions with iron hydroxide colloids, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, In Press, Accepted Manuscript.

4. Peng, Y., and Grano, S.R., (2010). Effect of grinding media on the activation of pyrite flotation, Minerals Engineering, In Press, Corrected Proof.

5. Zanin, M., Ametov, I., Grano, S., Zhou, L., and Skinner, W., (2009). A study of mechanism affecting molybdenite recovery in a bulk copper/molybdenum flotation circuit. International Journal of Mineral Processing, Vol 93, pp 256 - 266.

6. Tan, S.N., Jiang, A., Liau, J.J., Grano, S.R., and Horn, R.G., (2009). The surface dilational viscosity of polypropylene glycol solutions and its influence on water flow and foam behaviour. International Journal of Mineral Processing, Vol 93, pp 194 - 203.

7. Zanin, M., Wightman, E., Grano, S.R., and Franzidis, J.P., (2009). Quantifying contributions to froth stability in porphyry copper plants. International Journal of Mineral Processing, Vol 91, pp 19 - 27.
8. Grano, S, (2009). The critical importance of the grinding environment on fine particle recovery in flotation. Minerals Engineering, 22(4): 386-394.
9. Gredelj, S, Zanin, M and Grano, S R, (2009). Selective flotation of carbon in the Pb-Zn carbonaceous sulphide ores of Century Mine, Zinifex. Minerals Engineering, 22(3): 279-288.
10. Ralston, J., Fornasiero, D., Grano, S.R., Duan, J., and Akroyd, T., (2007). Reducing uncertainty in mineral flotation - flotation rate constant prediction for particles in an operating plant. International Journal of Mineral Processing. Vol 84, 1-4, 89-98.
11. Weedon, D., Grano, S.R., Akroyd, T., Goncalves, K., and Moura, R., (2007). Effects of high Mg2+ concentration on KC1 flotation: Part I - Laboratory Research. Minerals Engineering, Vol 20 pp 675-683.
12. Weedon, D., Grano, S.R., Akroyd, T., Goncalves, K., and Moura, R., (2007). Effects of high magnesium ion concentration on KC1 flotation: Part II - Plant Research. Minerals Engineering, Vol 20 pp 716-721.
13. Newell, R. and Grano, S.R., (2007). Hydrodynamics and scale up in Rushton turbine flotation cells: Part 1 - Cell hydrodynamics. International Journal of Mineral Processing, Vol 81, 224-236.
14. Duarte, A.C.P., and Grano, S.R., (2007). Mechanism for the recovery of silicate gangue minerals in the flotation of ultrafine sphalerite. Minerals Engineering, Vol 20, 766-775.
15. Newell, R., and Grano, S.R., (2007). Model and experimental study of the effect of impeller rotational speed on the flotation rate from a small-scale flotation cell - implications for the effect of bubble velocity. Journal of Minerals and Metallurgical Processing Vol 24(3), 157-169.
16. Huang, G. and Grano, S., (2006). Galvanic interaction between grinding media and arsenopyrite and its effect on flotation, Part I. Quantifying galvanic interaction during grinding, International Journal of Mineral Processing Vol 78 pp 182-197.
17. Huang, G. and Grano, S., (2006). Galvanic interaction between grinding media and arsenopyrite and its effect on flotation, Part II: Effect of grinding on flotation, International Journal of Mineral Processing Vol 78 pp 178-213.
18. Newell, R. and Grano, S., (2006). Hydrodynamics and scale up in Rushton turbine flotation Cells: Part 2 - Flotation scale-up for laboratory and pilot cells. International Journal of Mineral. Processing Vol 81 pp 65-78.
19. Grano, S., (2006). Effect of impeller rotational speed on the size dependent flotation rate of galena in full scale plant cells. Minerals Engineering, Vol. 19, pp 1307-1318.
20. Huang, G. and Grano, S., (2006). Improving the flotation behavior of a sulfide ore by controlling electrochemical interactions during grinding, Electrochemical Society Transactions, Volume 2, Electrochemistry in Mineral and Metal Processing VII, pp 9 - 20.
21. Huang, G. and Grano, S., (2005). Galvanic interaction of grinding media with pyrite and its effect on floatation. Minerals Engineering, Vol. 18(12) pp 1152-1163.
22. Schwarz, S. and Grano, S.R., (2005). Effect of particle hydrophobicity on particle and water transport across a flotation froth, Colloids and Surfaces, 256, pp 157-164.

Refereed Conference Proceedings (Note: Int. Min. Process. Congr. is rank A and Chemeca is rank B in the ERA category Resource Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy 2010).

23. Xu, D., Wang, W., Ametov, I., Fornasiero, D., and Grano, S.R., (2010). The detachment of coarse, composite particles from bubbles, accepted for publication in Int. Mineral. Process. Congress 2010.

24. Zanin, M., Grano, S., and Ametov, I., (2010). Technical challenges in the flotation of molybdenite from porphyry copper ores, accepted for publication in Int. Mineral. Process. Congress 2010.

25. Xu, D., Ametov, I., and Grano, S.R., (2009). A study of detachment of model coarse particles from bubbles using a novel electro-acoustic technique. Chemeca Conference 27 - 30 September, 2009, Perth. Paper No 218.

26. Grano, S.R., Ralston, J., Skinner, W., and Fornasiero, D., (2009). Successful technology transfer outcomes in the P260 project - case studies on plant implementation of generic flotation research. Tenth Mill Operators' Conference, 12 - 14 October 2009, Adelaide, pp 199 - 210.

27. Zanin, M., Gredelj, S., and Grano, S.R., (2008). Factors affecting froth stability in mineral flotation and implications on minerals recovery: A case study. Procemin 2008 Conference, Santiago, Chile 22 - 24 October 2008, pp 197 - 206.
28. Ametov, I., Grano, S.R., Zanin, M., Gredelj, S., Magnuson, R., Bolles, T., and Triffett, B., (2008). Copper and molybdenite recovery in plant and batch laboratory cells in porphyry copper rougher flotation". XXIV IMPC Beijing, 24 - 28 September 2008, pp 1129 - 1137.
29. He, S., Grano, S.R., Manouchehri, H-R., Taylor, A., and Lawson, V. (2008). The critical influence of pulp oxygen content on the separation of pentlandite from pyrrhotite in two process streams of the Clarabelle Mill of Vale Inco, Sudbury, Canada. XXIV IMPC Beijing 24 - 28 September 2008, pp 1028 - 1037.
30. He, S., Grano, S., Manouchehri, H-R., Fordham, M., and Curral, J., (2008). The detrimental impact of high pulp temperature on sphalerite flotation after zinc regrinding in the zinc plant of Somincor, Lundin Mining Corporation, Neves Corvo, Portugal. MetPlant 2008 Conference and Workshops, Western Australia. 18 - 19 August 2008, pp 305 - 324.
31. Ye, X., Gredelj, S., and Grano, S.R., (2008). Optimising regrinding chemistry for pyrrhotite flotation. Chemeca 2008 Conference, Newcastle, 28 September - 1 October 2008, pp 98 - 107.
32. Muganda, S., Zanin, M., and Grano, S.R., (2008). Flotation behaviour of sulphide mineral size fractions with controlled contact angle. Chemeca 2008 Conference, Newcastle, 28 September - 1 October 2008, pp 142 - 151.
33. Grano, S.R., Akroyd, T., and Mular, M.A., (2007). A model study of copper rougher recovery optimization at PT Freeport Indonesia. Aus. Inst. Min. Metall. Ninth Mill Operators' Conference 19 - 21 March 2007, Fremantle, WA, pp 25-37.
34. Wightman, E., Zanin, M., Franzidis, J-P., and Grano, S.R., (2007). Relating froth vision to cell operating performance in industrial flotation plants. Chemeca 2007 Conference 23 - 26 September 2007, Melbourne, pp 1629-1634.
35. Zanin, M., Grano, S.R., Wightman, E., and Franzidis, J-P., (2007). Froth stability as a performance indicator in sulphide minerals flotation plants. Chemeca 2007 Conference 23 - 26 September 2007, Melbourne, pp 350-357.
36. Randriamanjatosoa, L., Zanin, M., and Grano, S.R., (2007). Use of the foam drainage equation to model water flow in flotation froth. Chemeca 2007 Conference 23 - 26 September 2007, Melbourne, pp 300-306.
37. Grano, S., and Huang, G., (2006). Improving the flotation behaviour of a sulphide ore by controlling electrochemical interaction during grinding, Electrochemistry in Mineral and Metal Processing VII, The Electrochemical Society, 9 - 20 Colorado, Seventh International Symposium on Electrochemistry in Mineral and Metal Processing (F Doyle, G Kelsall and R Woods Eds.), pp 9-20.
38. Grano, S., (2006). Surface cleaning action of dithiophosphate collector in pyrite flotation, Proceedings of XXIII International Mineral Processing Congress, Istanbul, Turkey. Mineral Processing Congress, (G Onal, N Acarkan, M Celik, A Atesok, A Guney, A Sirkecl, A Yuce and K Perek Eds.), pp 542-547.
39. Zanin, M., and Grano, S., (2006). Selecting frothers for the flotation of specific ores by means of batch scale foaming tests, Metplant 2006 Conference Proceedings, Aus. Inst. Min. Metall., Perth, Metallurgical Plant Design and Operating Strategies , pp 339-349.
40. Ralston, J, Fornasiero, D, Grano, S, Duan, J and Akroyd, T, (2005). Flotation rate constant prediction for metal sulfide particles, Centenary of Flotation Symposium Proceedings, 541-556, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, Centenary of Flotation Symposium: A Joint Meeting of the SME and the AusIMM, (Professor Graeme J Jameson Eds.).
41. Pereira Duarte, A C and Grano, S. (2005). Rheology as a diagnostic tool in the study of particle interactions relevant to mineral flotation, Smart Solutions Doing More with Less, Chemeca 2005: Conference Proceedings, 1-6, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, Smart Solutions Doing More with Less, Chemeca 2005, (Dr Matt Hardin Eds.).
42. Tsatouhas, G., Vera, M., and Grano, S., (2005) Case studies on the Performance and characterisation of the froth phase in industrial flotation circuits, in Centenary of Flotation Symposium, (Aus. Inst. Min. Metall. Publ.), G. Jameson ed., pp 377-384.

 
Ten Career Best Publications

1. Zanin, M., Ametov, I., Grano, S., Zhou, L., and Skinner, W., (2009). A study of mechanism affecting molybdenite recovery in a bulk copper/molybdenum flotation circuit. International Journal of Mineral Processing, Vol 93, pp 256 - 266.

2. Zanin, M., Wightman, E., Grano, S.R., and Franzidis, J.P., (2009). Quantifying contributions to froth stability in porphyry copper plants. International Journal of Mineral Processing, 91: 19 - 27.
3. Grano, S.R., Akroyd, T., and Mular, M.A., (2007). A model study of copper rougher recovery optimization at PT Freeport Indonesia. Aus. Inst. Min. Metall. Ninth Mill Operators' Conference 19 - 21 March 2007, Fremantle, WA, pp 25-37.
4. Newell R., and Grano, S., (2006). Hydrodynamics and scale up in Rushton turbine flotation cells: Part 2 - Flotation scale-up for laboratory and pilot cells. International Journal Mineral. Processing Vol 81 pp 65-78.
5. Huang, G., and Grano, S., (2006). Galvanic interaction between grinding media and arsenopyrite and its effect on flotation, Part I. Quantifying galvanic interaction during grinding, International Journal of Mineral Processing Vol 78 pp 182-197.
6. Schwarz, S., and Grano, S.R., (2005). Effect of particle hydrophobicity on particle and water transport across a flotation froth, Colloids and Surfaces, 256, 157-164.
7. Grano, S.R., Prestidge, C.A., and Ralston, J., (1997). Solution interaction of ethyl xanthate and sulphite and its effect on galena flotation and xanthate adsorption, Int. J. Miner. Process., 52: 161-186.
8. Grano, S.R., Sollaart, M., Prestidge, C.A., Skinner, W., and Ralston, J., (1997). Surface modifications in the chalcopyrite - sulphite ion system, I. Collectorless flotation, XPS and dissolution study, Int. J. Miner. Process., 50 (1-2): 1-26.
9. Byrne, M., Grano, S.R., Ralston, J., and Franco, A., (1995). Process development for the separation of tetrahedrite from chalcopyrite in the Neves-Corvo ore of Somincor S.A., Portugal, Min. Eng., 8 (12): 1571-1581.
10. Grano, S.R., Ralston, J., and Smart, R. St. C., (1990). The influence of electrochemical environment on the flotation behaviour of Mt. Isa Mines copper and lead/zinc ores, Int. J. Miner. Process., 30: 69-97.

 

 

Full Publications List

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Professional Associations

Member Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

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• Publications_GRANO_March_2010.pdf [106.1K] (application/pdf)

Entry last updated: Wednesday, 13 Jul 2011