Program Overview

Mining and Mineral Processing (CENG0035)

Key Information

• Faculty: Faculty of Engineering Sciences
• Teaching department: Chemical Engineering
• Credit value: 15
• Restrictions: This module is only available to students enrolled for the MSc in Global Management of Natural Resources.

Alternative Credit Options

There are no alternative credit options available for this module.

Description

Aims

The aim of this module is to equip graduates with a broad understanding of the typical unit operations that are used to extract and process hard rock minerals into commodities sold into the market. Students will be introduced to the different factors that impact on resource extraction and processing; including but not limited to economic, social, and environmental factors as well as process management and process safety, process engineering and the impact of sustainable practice on the industry. An overview of resource geology will be provided to help contextualise the exploration and processing steps that follow. The students will be exposed to the challenges caused by the relative availability of natural resources, whilst global demand increases at pace to meet the needs of a low carbon economy.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this module, the students will be able to:

• Recognise different groups of hard rock minerals, their origins and their applications in society today;
• Appraise the unit operations typical in mining and processing for relevant hard rock minerals;
• Understand the principles of process design, management and safety with respect to hard rock minerals;
• Recognise the impact society, the environment, sustainability and economics have on proposed and current operations;
• Understand the impact of sustainable development on the associated industries.

Synopsis

This module will provide a technical overview of the mining and mineral processing industries: the extraction and processing of hard rock minerals including unit operations typical for their separation and refining into commodities that can be sold onto the market.

The course includes elements of historical and current usage; the implications of international resource interdependency on new and existing operations; an introduction to typical unit operations essential to extracting and processing hard rock minerals of interest, and the relationship between hard rock minerals and energy.

The module will consider:

• An introduction to the mining industry including the impacts of social, environmental, sustainability and economic factors;
• An evaluation of unit operations in mining, mineral processing and refining with respect to current, relevant case studies;
• Process safety and control of minerals extraction and processing;

Module Deliveries for 2026/27 Academic Year

Intended Teaching Term: Term 1, Postgraduate (FHEQ Level 7)

Teaching and Assessment

• Mode of study: In person
• Methods of assessment:
  • 40% Coursework
  • 60% Exam
• Mark scheme: Numeric Marks

Other Information

• Number of students on module in previous year: 71
• Module leader: Dr Paulina Quintanilla Perez

Intended Teaching Term: Term 1, Undergraduate (FHEQ Level 7)

Teaching and Assessment

• Mode of study: In person
• Methods of assessment:
  • 40% Coursework
  • 60% Exam
• Mark scheme: Numeric Marks

Other Information

• Number of students on module in previous year: 27
• Module leader: Dr Paulina Quintanilla Perez