Ncedo Matricia Matukane investigated how the mineralogy and texture of platinum-bearing UG2 reef can improve brittleness prediction. Traditional brittleness indices often rely mainly on mechanical properties, even though the way minerals are packed and connected strongly influences how rock fails.
Research approach
The study combined field observations, microscopic examination, laboratory mechanical testing, numerical simulation and multivariate linear modelling. Ncedo developed several new mineralogy-informed and mechanics-informed brittleness indices and compared them with established approaches.
The mineralogical models considered textural variables, grain-contact type, contact nature and packing density. The mechanical models drew on conventional strength parameters. This allowed the study to test which features added real predictive value rather than assuming that every petrographic descriptor contributed equally.
Findings
Contact type and contact nature emerged as the strongest mineralogical predictors. Tensile and compressive strength were the leading mechanical predictors. Two of the proposed models reported coefficients of determination of 0.778 and 0.727, while texture and packing variables had a smaller influence in the tested data.
The result is a more defensible connection between what is visible in the rock fabric and how the reef is expected to break. That connection matters for drillability, cuttability and the selection or design of mechanised mining equipment.
Programme outcome
Ncedo completed the MSc at the University of Limpopo with distinction in 2025. The work was supervised by Prof Fhatuwani Sengani and co-supervised by Kgoetja Ramakadi, and formed an important RAMMS collaboration with a historically disadvantaged university.