University of Arizona to Establish New Mineral Processing Facility with Federal Funding
A new initiative at the University of Arizona is set to receive a significant financial boost, with the federal government allocating $3 million for the development of a mineral processing plant. This upcoming facility will be linked to an underground mine located near Sahuarita.
Designed as a training laboratory, the facility will enable students, faculty, and industry partners to engage in both traditional and innovative methods of rock crushing and material separation. This hands-on approach aims to enhance educational and research opportunities in the field of mining engineering.
In addition to federal support, the University of Arizona has also secured an $850,000 grant from the Arizona Legislature to further bolster its mining and minerals workforce development programs.
Kray Luxbacher, the executive director of the School of Mining Engineering & Mineral Resources, expressed optimism about the impact of the new facility. “It’ll prove a fertile training ground for those engineers, and it should bring research to the University of Arizona, allowing us to train metallurgical engineers at the graduate level,” she stated.
The facility’s objectives align with the national need to train more mining engineers and boost domestic mineral production. Luxbacher highlighted a critical shortage in the industry, noting, “If you look at the United States right now, we’re graduating only about 200 mining engineers every year across the country, and we estimate that we need between 400 and 600 a year just to fill industry needs.”
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