Hatch has announced that it has been granted a new patent for potash and mineral salt pond crystallisation -it says it is the only filed patent that has been validated to increase production over the “conventional wisdom” approach that is typically used today. The new technology relates to ponds for cooling and/or recovering salts from aqueous solutions. This includes ponds for crystallising salts like potassium chloride, lithium compounds, or other valuable mineral salts from brine produced by solution mining or sourced from surface lakes.

“This invention demonstrates our continued commitment to improved design and the development of innovative solutions for our clients,” says Mike Fedoroff, Hatch’s Global Director of Potash. “Our pond technology and simulation models have been validated through extensive work programs at one of the largest solution mines and cooling-crystallisation-pond systems in the world.”

Cooling and crystallisation ponds are used in the solution-mining industry to provide relatively adaptable and low-energy-cost salt-production solutions. Cooling ponds are especially suited to areas where land is available and the weather is favorable, such as those with low ambient temperatures and little precipitation. The ponds do not require major investments and maintenance, making them an attractive technology for both emerging developers and existing producers.

Coupled with validated pond modelling and optimisation tools, this patented and proven technology according to Hatch:

• Ensures pond designs have the highest productivity and can achieve the required production rates
• Predicts future pond production, identifies bottlenecks, and recommends product reclamation and operating strategies
• Runs what-if scenarios with different geometrical parameters, and process, meteorological, and design conditions
• Uses Hatch’s integrated model approach to deliver the lowest operating expense, maximising water conservation, energy recovery, and synergies between the production caverns, refinery, and cooling crystallisation ponds.

“Hatch is helping to optimise the industry’s cooling crystallisation footprint with this state-of-the-art technology, and is already maximising pond productivity and cost efficiencies for its clients.”