The Southern African Rare Earth second international conference and workshop is scheduled for Swakopmund from June 18 to 20, 2024.
The first rare earth conference was held online in October 2021.
Organised by the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM), the event targets geologists, mining professionals, process engineers, academics, scientists and researchers, environmental, health and safety professionals.
The organisers say prospective willing to present papers may only choose to submit papers or presentations.
In-person presentations will be preferred, although virtual representations may be streamed live or pre-recorded.
Prospective authors can submit their papers and presentations’ titles and abstracts in English.
It also invites policymakers, investors and financiers, manufacturers and end-users, industry associations and other stakeholders in the rare earth elements value chain.
This year’s event focuses on the global impact of African rare earth deposits and their role in the sustainable supply of these critical materials.
The conference will discuss the latest developments in the industry and explore the opportunities and challenges to optimising the African rare earth value chain.
It will also focus on producing rare earth metals, specifically emphasising geology, exploration, beneficiation, separation and refining, applications, policies, environmental issues, health and safety aspects, new technological developments, market opportunities, and future outlook for the rare earth industry.
Additionally, the conference will discuss the exploration, geology, and mining of selected rare earth ore deposits in Africa and the beneficiation and extraction from primary deposits, emphasising conventional and novel processing techniques.
Other topics will be the processing and refining of rare earth intermediate products, using both conventional and emerging processing techniques, the recovery of rare earth from secondary resources such as coal fines, fly ash, mine tailings, metallurgical slags, e-waste, spent catalysts, end-of-life batteries and other post-consumer wastes.
The focus will also be on value-added manufacturing and value chain optimisation, environmental, social and governance best practices, health and safety market evolution, industrial policies, and future outlook.
The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy started as a learned society in 1894 after the invention of the cyanide process that saved the South African gold mining industry of the day.
This 125-year-old professional body enjoys local and international links aimed at disseminating knowledge and assisting our members source information regarding technological developments in the mining, metallurgical and related sectors.
The overarching objective is to ensure that our engineers remain relevant and can continue developing professionally as they progress.
They are also guided by a professional code of ethics that ensures reciprocity with similar bodies around the globe.
This allows us to collaborate on global initiatives and to influence policy that directly affects our industry.
