Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute
Science and Engineering for Florida's Environment and Economy
Science and Engineering for Florida's Environment and Economy
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Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute
Science and Engineering for Florida's Environment and Economy |
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January 2005 Director of Research Programs Appointed G. As director of research programs, Mr. Lloyd will coordinate and manage the various phosphate research programs at the Institute. This position has been created to add a strategic development aspect to FIPR’s research program. FIPR has become increasingly visible and important to phosphate companies, environmental groups, legislators, county governments, the public and the media. The Institute is funding and managing research that will help determine the future of the phosphate industry and the quality of the environment in central and northern Florida. An example of this is FIPR's research into solving the problem at Piney Point, one of the most significant and costly environmental problems in the state. FIPR is also working on solving problems related to clay disposal by the industry. The legislature considered FIPR's clay research so important that it provided FIPR with a supplemental appropriation in 2003 for this purpose. Over the past several years, the media have come to recognize FIPR as a source of independent, unbiased information. Newspapers and television frequently come to FIPR to educate themselves on phosphate issues and to get background information. To ensure FIPR’s research stays on a track that meets the needs of the state research strategies must be examined regularly. Mr. Lloyd will be responsible for ensuring the Institute’s research programs are thorough and consistent in addressing phosphate issues and producing economically attractive and environmentally sound solutions. He has more than 50 years of phosphate-related experience and is recognized both inside and outside FIPR as one of the foremost experts on phosphate issues. His command of not just chemical processing but all areas of FIPR's research is unique. In fact, FIPR has developed an artificial intelligence program called MiLo designed to capture information unique to Mike and to emulate his processes for evaluating proposals and research. Beneficiation of Phosphates IV
FIPR’s fourth Beneficiation of Phosphates conference was just held in December in Miami Beach, Florida and drew 63 participants from 12 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Israel, Jordan, Mongolia, Poland, South Africa, Tunisia, and USA. Participants agreed that the conferences must continue and even entertained the thought of having them more frequently because they offer a unique forum for addressing major environmental and technological issues related to phosphate mining and processing. Phosphate mining is the third largest mining industry of the world in terms of annual tonnage handled. However, papers on phosphate mining and mineral processing are usually rare at most of the major mining as well as mineral processing conferences/meetings, both nationally and internationally. The coal mining industry has its own meetings. Gold, copper, and ferrous metals are well covered by both the SME and TMS annual meetings. Industrial minerals meetings usually focus on clays, bauxite, and potash, but rarely phosphate. Recognizing the need for an international conference on phosphate beneficiation, FIPR, in collaboration with the Engineering Conference International (ECI, formerly Engineering Foundation Conference), launched this series of conferences in 1993. It has become the world's most prestigious and prominent conference on phosphate mineral processing. This year’s meeting was held in Miami Beach, Florida. It dealt with both the theoretical and practical aspects of phosphate mining, beneficiation, tailings management, and relate environmental issues. Presented papers were peer-reviewed and like those from previous conferences will be published through SME. An outline of conference topics included: The industry generates two major waste streams in huge quantity: the waste clay/tailings and phosphogypsum. Florida’s phosphate industry produces about 30 million tons each of phosphatic clays and phosphogypsum annually. These wastes are becoming critical financial and environmental liabilities for the industry. Naturally, one of the focuses of this conference was these wastes. Other important issues discussed included flotation efficiency, dolomite separation techniques, on-line analysis and process control, novel processing techniques and machinery, environmental issues, and hydrometallurgical processes. John Ralston of University of South Australia kicked off the conference with a keynote speech on “The Critical Roles of Surface Heterogeneity, Hydrodynamics and Interfacial Chemistry in Selective Solid-Liquid Separation”. His presentation is unique in correlating fundamentals with practices. The presentation by Jim Hendrix of University of Nebraska-Lincoln on sustainable mining was quite informative, and generated interesting discussions. Processing of low-grade and complex phosphate deposits remained the major challenge. Progresses have been made in removing carbonaceous materials using flotation. Processing phosphate in environmentally sensitive regions requires environmentally friendly processes. Mongolia is trying mechanical activation, while electrostatic separation is gaining renewed interest in some Chinese phosphate districts. The role of flocculation continued to expand in phosphate mining, both for enhancing consolidation of tailings and for treating process water. Information like this, generated from these conferences forms a comprehensive reference widely used by research organizations, engineers in phosphate producing companies, consulting and engineering firms. World phosphate experts exchange new ideas, review past research trends, and identify key research areas for the future. The discussions help the Florida phosphate industry to identify or develop more efficient, environmentally beneficial technologies for mining and processing phosphate rock. The conferences are also of great benefit to FIPR in its continual reevaluation of strategic plans and research priorities. The first conference generated tremendous interest in the FIPR/DIPR process for dewatering phosphatic clays and other fine slurries. As a result, further evaluation and testing of the process is being funded by the Florida legislature. The second conference discovered a leading expert in laser-induced luminescence technology and led to two FIPR projects that developed the first on-line LIBS analyzer for wet mineral samples. FIPR now has patent protection on this technology and continues to research implementation methods. The second conference also stirred the interest of the Florida phosphate industry in a new flotation device, the HydroFloat Separator. Encouraged by many industry participants, the inventors of the separator submitted a proposal to FIPR and secured funding for a pilot-scale evaluation of the new technology. Pilot testing achieved extremely encouraging results. Two phosphate companies are considering installing some HydroFloat separators in their plants. These conferences also introduced CLDRI (a Chinese research institute specializing in phosphate) to the phosphate industry. As a result, CLDRI conducted three IMC/FIPR cosponsored projects, and developed the most feasible processing flowsheet for Florida dolomitic phosphate resources. Currently published preceedings of these conferences include: Proceedings of Beneficiation of Phosphates I, held December 1993 Proceedings of Beneficiation of Phosphates II, held December 1998 Proceedings of Beneficiation of Phosphates III, held December 2001 ________________________________________ FIPR Report 2004 is Available The past fiscal year has been a productive one at FIPR. We funded projects addressing the problems associated with acidic process water and phosphatic clay storage and use. Other FIPR projects have also addressed reclamation issues and public health concerns. FIPR also celebrated a quarter-century of research into environmental and technical issues related to phosphate mining and processing. This 2003-2004 Report looks back at highlighted projects in each research area that depict the kind of work FIPR has done through the years and reviews the Institute’s current research and education work. The report itself represents part of what’s new at FIPR. As our information program expands, we are always looking for new ways to share the wealth of information we house. Presenting the report in electronic format for the first time takes advantage of the flexibility of the medium. It has been issued both on CD and on the Web. If the user is connected to the Internet when viewing the CD, or when viewing the Web version, the Report interacts with the full content of the FIPR Web Site. We hope you enjoy learning more about how FIPR, through science, researches phosphate-related issues and provides accurate information to the people of Florida. Education Building Open for Business
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Copyright © 2010, USF Polytechnic Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute 1855 W. Main St., Bartow, FL 33830 -- (863) 534-7160 |
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Michael Lloyd, Jr., who has been Director of Chemical Processing Research for the Florida Institute of Phosphate Research since 1982, has been named Director of Research Programs for the Institute. 
FIPR's education program, which started in a back office in the main building, now has a building of its own, which was dedicated during the Institute's 25th anniversary celebration held in November 2003. While the building provides the entire Institute with more meeting and gathering space, it was designed to facilitate classroom teaching and includes a media center and a computer training area. The building also provides the space needed to develop and house a traveling library of activities that continues to be developed for and by teachers.