CAMP Capabilities

C.A.M.P. (Applications - Center for Advanced Mineral and Metallurgical Processing (CAMP))

Capabilities

CAMP offers consulting, research, industrial process development and testing facilities focused on providing high-quality solutions to industrial clients worldwide by supporting, developing and adding value to the global mineral, metallurgical and materials industry. CAMP benefits from an accomplished staff of scientists and engineers coupled with the ability to draw upon the expertise of Montana Tech faculty members from all disciplines.


CAMP specializes in process engineering, development and testing and conducts applied projects with industrial and government clients throughout the world. The objectives of CAMP are to support the sustainability of the mining and mineral industry, to be a leader in process development, to expand our knowledge base into alternative energy and use our expertise in materials testing, evaluation, development and manufacturing.


Scope of Services

Mineral Processing Applications

The Center’s hands-on industrial experience and fully equipped mineral processing laboratory provides CAMP engineers the ability to accommodate large and small scale projects. The Center’s capabilities include process design, modeling, evaluation, and testing in:

  • Crushing, Grinding, Classification
  • Flotation
  • Gravity, Magnetic, Electrostatic, and Heavy Media Separations
  • Knelson Concentration
  • Bond Work Indices

Hydrometallurgical Applications

CAMP professionals have extensive, hands-on, industrial, and R&D hydrometallurgical expertise gained from many years in plant and laboratory settings. From pre-feasibility bench scale testing through plant process design and auditing, the Center offers a broad spectrum of hydrometallurgical services:

  • Cyanide/Thiosulfate/Sulfur Based/Chloride/Sulfate/Ammoniacal/Nitrate Acid Systems
  • Autoclave/Stirred Tank/Heap/Dump/In situ Leaching
  • Chemical Speciation Research
  • Solvent Extraction/Ion Exchange
  • Electrometallurgy
  • Crystallization
  • Gaseous Precipitation
  • Cementation
  • Diagnostic Leaching for Copper and Gold Ores
  • Wastewater Treatment

Pyrometallurgical Applications

CAMP engineers have an extensive knowledge base and many years of experience in Pyrometallurgical Applications including:

  • Smelting, Converting, Refining
  • Agglomeration
  • Calcining
  • Roasting

Materials Applications

CAMP’s state-of-the-art laboratory that is ISO17025 Compliant provides complete materials characterizations can be performed. Equipment and testing facilities include:

  • 55kip MTS Hydraulic Universal Test Frame
  • 100kN Shimadzu Universal Test Frame
  • 10kN Shimadzu Universal Test Frame
  • Split Hopkinson Bar Test Frame
  • Tinius Olsen Pendulum Impactor
  • Fixturing for Tension, compression and shear testing of all materials Shear Testing of Composites with various ASTM
  • Standard fixtures
  • Flexure Testing
  • Microscopic Inspection
    • 3-D Digital Microscope
    • Phenom Scanning Electron Microscope
  • Thermal Evaluations
    • TGA Instruments/Stability/Decomposition/Phase Transitions/Melting Processes
    • Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) Evaluations
    • Dilatometric Evaluations
  • Environmental Conditioning Chamber
  • Specimen Fabrication and Instrumentation

Analytical Support

CAMP can determine the qualitative and quantitative composition of geological, metallurgical, and mineral process samples through extensive analytical capabilities which include:

  • LEO Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) w/ Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS)
    • Automated Mineralogy using Mineral Liberation Analysis (MLA)
  • TESCAN MIRA 3 - Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) (to be installed October 2017)
    • Cathodoluminescence (CL)
    • Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS)
    • Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (WDS)
    • Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD)
    • Automated mineralogy with TIMA-X
  • Rigaku Ultima IV X-ray Diffractometer w/ thermal stage up to 1500oC
  • Bruker S2 X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer
  • Thermo Electron Duo View iCAP 6500 ICP-OES
  • Metallographic Analysis
  • Aqueous Speciation Modeling
  • Wet Chemistry
  • Sulfur and Carbon Analysis