Advancing Biodegradable Flotation Reagents: Evaluating Non-polar and Hybrid Oil Collectors Across Diverse Mineral Systems

About the Project

This PhD project will contribute to the development of more efficient and cost-effective flotation strategies. The project will assess the potential of biodegradable collectors such as gas-to-liquid (GTL) oils and other non-polar reagents as alternative to traditional mineral oil-based collectors. The aim is to support the optimization of formulations that improve mineral recovery, selectivity, and environmental performance.

As part of the PhD programme, the student is expected to carry out a three-month industry placement (e.g. at the Shell laboratories in the Energy Transition Campus Amsterdam (ETCA) and/or at a third party laboratory in a mineral processing plant).

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for motivated students with an excellent background in relevant disciplines, such as engineering, geoscience or chemistry, and with the willingness to develop expertise in sustainable mineral processing and acquire skills in relevant laboratory methods.

Successful applicants will have a proven aptitude for practical, experimental and analytical work and a genuine passion for research.

The candidate will have the opportunity to develop their career and profile by working alongside collaborators from industry, presenting at international conferences and publishing in high-impact journals.

Please note that this Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award (IDLA) will cover tuition fees at the ‘Home’ rate and not the ‘Overseas’ rate.

Funding Notes

This PhD project is part of a collaboration between Imperial College London and Shell Global Solutions International B.V., to foster innovation and knowledge exchange in mineral processing.

The funding for this research will come from an EPSRC Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award (IDLA) sponsored by Shell Global Solutions, and with Dr Miguel Rivera-Torrente as the industry project lead.