Reflux Classifier creator wins Clunies Ross Award

Professor Kevin Galvin has received the 2014 Clunies Ross Award from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE). The University of Newcastle professor is the creator of the Reflux Classifier.

The ATSE Clunies Ross Award is given in recognition of the outstanding application of science and technology that provides economic, social and/or environmental benefit to Australia.

Professor Galvin will also receive a Mineral Industry Technique Award (MITA) from the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in recognition of his development of innovative, cost-saving and effective mineral industry technology.

Developed in collaboration with commercial partner Ludowici, the award-winning Reflux Classifier technology is an industrial machine that separates fine particles from water using a system of inclined channels to recover valuable material, generating both environmental and cost benefits.

“Professor Galvin is undoubtedly one of the leading chemical engineers in Australia - and indeed the world,” said Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Kevin Hall.

“The Clunies Ross Award recognises Professor Galvin’s impeccable standing amongst his peer and is a deserved recognition of the valuable contribution his research has made to the minerals and mining industries.”

The Reflux Classifier is currently used in eight countries and achieves the highest volume of minerals recovery of any comparable system worldwide.

“The technology has succeeded in solving an existing processing problem by achieving the sharp separations essential in the recovery of premium, high-grade metallurgical coal,” Professor Galvin said.

Professor Galvin will oversee work on a platform of technologies around the Reflux Classifier this year.

“We are exploring the potential benefits of what we call ‘enhanced gravity separation’, which deals with very, very fine particles,” Professor Galvin said.