Australian Mines signs with Deakin to develop rare earth knowledge
Australian Mines has signed a deal with Deakin University on a project to use scandium to develop “the next generation of alloys”.
Considered a rare earth, scandium is used in alloys for aerospace industry components and improving the performance of industrial processes.
The nine-month program has also earned a $50,000 grant from the Federal Government.
The project will use scandium oxide from Australian Mines Sconi project in north Queensland.
The company said machine-learning algorithms would be utilised along with Deakin’s expertise in alloy development.
Australian Mines managing director Benjamin Bell said scandium could provide significant benefits when added to aluminium but there had been restricted access to stable, reliable supply.
Australian Mines also regards itself as a battery materials developer and the Sconi project also contains cobalt and nickel, both used in battery production.
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