AEL partnered with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) nine years ago and commissioned a research project to use rheology* as a prediction tool for stability and pumpability of bulk emulsions explosives for mining. The CPUT project was nominated as one of three best projects in Advanced Higher Technology category at the THRIP Conference.

THRIP is a dti initiative which is managed by the National Research Foundation on behalf of the department. THRIP’s mission is to improve the competitiveness of South African industry by supporting research and technology development activities and enhancing the quality and quantity of appropriately skilled people. It does this through a partnership programme, which challenges companies such as AEL Mining Services, to match government funding for innovative research and development in South Africa.

AEL's relationship with CPUT dates back to 2000. Since then, the partnership has grown and culminated in ground-breaking findings. The rheology research project was successful and has resulted in interesting findings which will benefit the mining industry at large. Researchers at CPUT have successfully used rheology as a tool for predicting the stability and pumpability of AEL’s bulk emulsion explosives.

Professor Irina Masalova, rheology specialist at CPUT's Institute of Material Science and Technology at CPUT, says, ”In collaboration with AEL, we have developed a predictive model which will allow us to establish a methodology of estimating emulsion pumping characteristics, a quick method to determine emulsion stability and methods for estimating surfactant characteristics and effectiveness. In addition, we have also developed reliable and cost effective manufacturing methods for bulk emulsions. The work done on this has project earned us a nomination as one of the top three projects in Advanced Higher Technology category under THRIP programme.”

Nominees from various South African universities were invited by the Minister of dti to present their collaborative projects with industrial companies at the THRIP Conference. Finalists were given the opportunity to exhibit their projects for two days and each finalist was interviewed and videoed. The top three finalists' videos were shown during the gala dinner on the final day of the conference. The Minister of the dti awarded Certificates of Achievements to each finalist at the gala event.

Dr Andre Pienaar, AEL's chief technologist, adds, “The research and findings have allowed AEL to develop an Eco version of their repump, doped and blend emulsion bulk explosives using waste fuel oil generated by mining machinery. The use of waste oil in mining operations assists in reducing environmental waste, which is a concern for industry at large.”

Through funding from AEL and the National Research Foundation, CPUT was able to assemble a World Class rheology laboratory at the Institute of Material Science and Technology, worth R8.5 million, which it has used to support and increase the number of black and female students pursuing careers in engineering and technology. In the nine years that AEL has been supporting the institute, it has produced two PhD Projects, five Masters Projects (All Cum Laude), four BTech Projects, 20 Journal Publications and 15 Conference Papers.

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