A technical team composed of representatives from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC), and Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) conducted site visits in the laboratory testing facilities in Frankfurt, Germany; and Leoben, Austria as part of the collaborative undertaking entitled “Technical and Economic Feasibility Study to Determine the Most Suitable Iron-Making Technology for the Value-Adding of Philippine Magnetite Resources for the Iron and Steel Industry.”
Visited were the Outotec Frankfurt Research Center, Aufbereitung, Recycling, Prüftechnik GmbH (Institute for Beneficiation, Recycling and Metallurgy) in Leoben; and Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria’s University for Mining, Metallurgy and Materials.
The visit was part of the initial phase of the feasibility study to identify, select and establish a technology suitable for iron making using the country’s indigenous mineral resources, particularly black sand, to produce iron and steel.
The team was composed of Engr. Bernardo V. Bitanga from the Metallurgical Technology Division of the MGB; Dr. Agustin M. Fudolig, Deputy Executive Director of MIRDC; Engr. Carla Joyce C. Nocheseda, Senior Science Specialist of MIRDC; and Engr. Katrina B. Landicho, Senior Science Research Specialist of PCIEERD.
During the visit, the team was able to observe high-quality research facilities and practices dedicated to iron and steel making. It has also created a linkage among the Philippine and international experts for future researches and further collaboration to promote the iron and steel industry.
Prior to the team’s visit, about 135 kg of magnetite concentrate produced by MGB-MetD and 60 kg local coal were forwarded to the international laboratories for characterization and testing.
The site visits were conducted from August 20 - 28, 2017.
By: Metallurgical Technology Division
L-R: Engr. Bernardo V. Bitanga, Engr. Katrina B. Landicho, Engr. Carla Joyce C. Nocheseda, and Dr. Agustin M. Fudolig, during their visit at the Blast Furnace Museum in Vordenberg, Austria.