PhD Studentship in Mineral Engineering - Imperial College London

PhD Studentship
Development of a Heap Leaching Simulator for the Minerals Industry
Imperial College London - Department of Earth Science and Engineering

For 36 months

A Rio Tinto PhD studentship is being offered to an excellent student with a background in Engineering, Physics or Applied Maths. The studentship will cover all student fees, as well as offers a tax-free stipend of approximately £15,590 per annum for the period 2010/2011. Applications will be considered from both local and overseas students.


Heap leaching is a process for extracting metals from ores. It is rapidly increasing in its usage due to lower operating and capital costs compared to more conventional extraction methods. Its main drawback though is that it still suffers from lower extraction efficiencies than competing methods. A key to improving this process is being able to accurately predict the performance as heap design and liquid addition strategies are changed. To this end, an accurate and efficient heap leaching simulator is required.

This project will involve integrating a novel continuum description for the unsaturated flow of liquid through a packed bed with models for mass transport, reaction kinetics and heat flow within the heap in order to produce an overall simulation of the process. This will then be used to investigate different heap design and liquid addition strategies.

A C/C++ programming ability is essential and it is highly desirable that the candidate has a background in fluid dynamics.

For more information or to apply, please contact Dr Stephen Neethling (s.neethling@imperial.ac.uk).

Details of the criteria required by Imperial College can be found at: www.imperial.ac.uk/pgprospectus/studyzone/registrationforhigherdegrees.

Application forms and instructions can be obtained from our website (http://ping.fm/Wkfys) or from Ms Samantha Delamaine (E-mail: sam.delamaine@imperial.ac.uk, Tel: +44 (0) 207 594 7339).

Applicants will be processed when received with the expectation that the post will be filled by September 2010 and no later than December 2010.