The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), thru the facilities and personnel of the Metallurgical Technology Division (MeTD), continues to provide technical assistance requested by the academic and other research institutions for various Research and Development (R&D)-related activities.

According to Engr. Juancho Pablo S. Calvez, MGB Chief Metallurgist, the MeTD is determined to establish the Metallurgical Research Laboratory as a prime laboratory for applied research on mineral processing and extractive metallurgy thru technical personnel development, acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment and collaboration with other research agencies/institutes.

From the start of this year, a total of 105 students from 10 schools have been accommodated by MeTD, seven schools of which, required assistance for their R&D Projects.

Among the Research Projects assisted were:

1. Morphological, Histological and Ultrastructural Characterization of Indigenous Heavy Metal Accumulating Plants - University of the Philippines, Los Baños;
2. Efficacy Study on Gold Processing Recovery using Enhanced Gravity Concentration for Sulfide-Gold Ore - Mapua Institute of Technology;
3. Leaching Kinetics of Copper from Printed Circuit Board Wastes using Hydrochloric Acid and Sulfuric Acid - Mapua Institute of Technology;
4. Purification of Halloysite via Froth Flotation - Mapua Institute of Technology;
5. Study focused in the crushing of Palladian - Technological University of the Philippines, Manila;
6. Indigenous Material as Water Filter Medium for Runoff Water: Utilizaing Rice Husk, Corn Cobs, and Porous Concrete with Activated Carbon - Adamson University;
7. Extraction of Copper from Chalcopyrite using Thiobacillus Ferrooxidans by Bioleaching Process - Batangas State University;
8. Bioleaching of Copper from E-waste such as Circuit Boards from Mobile Phones and Computer using Selected Pseudomonads SPP - Far Eastern University; and
9. Research Study on the Use of Non-swelling Bentonite in Making Ceramics Tiles - Ramon Magsaysay High School.

The MeTD personnel continue to share their expertise in various fields of metallurgy such as small scale mineral processing and fire assaying. Students from UP Diliman were given lectures/insights on small scale mining practices and policies while a staff from Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology was given assistance in fire assaying thru actual hands-on in sample preparation, fluxing, firing and cupellation.

The MeTD accepts requests for educational tours and demonstration of its laboratory facilities. The latest was a group of 60 students from the Mapua Institute of Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry.

The MeTD also assists in various R&D Projects of other government agencies. Recently, it assisted the on-going research of the Department of Public Works and Highways - Bureau of Research and Standards on the "Use of Recycle Concrete Aggregates (RCA) from Broken Concrete Pavement with Fly Ash in Mitigating Alkali Silica Reaction in Concrete". The assistance involved crushing, pulverizing, and screening of natural aggregate and RCA samples.

By: Metallurgical Technology Division