Mineral processing specialists MBE Minerals SA is upgrading its investment in separation technology at Mintek, the Johannesburg-based, globally renowned research and development institution it has partnered with since 1986.
According to Gregory Niekerk, business development manager at MBE Minerals, one of the factors behind the investment has been the recent growth in smaller minerals and metals projects that relate to the energy, food security, base metals and dump reclamation minerals sectors.
“MBE Minerals’ suite of physical separation equipment, such as the Jones wet high intensity magnetic separator (WHIMS), the Pneuflot® pneumatic flotation system and Palla® vibrating mills, is ideally geared to medium sized projects that prioritise energy efficiency, enhanced metallurgical performance and lowest quartile capital intensity,” says Niekerk.
The scope of the investment by MBE Minerals is substantial, with the Jones WHIMS procured by Mintek in 1986 being refurbished by the company at its own cost.
Feed material to the WHIMS JONES® P40 can be of different kind of ores, pulp densities and particle sizes. Solid content should be in the range of 55 wt.-% to 25 wt.-% and the particle size should be assumed to be 100% less than minus 1 mm, depending on grooved plate settings. However, different feed conditions are also applicable.
The maximal capacity of one P 40 magnetic separator, depending on the feed material, is around 400 kg/h, using two feeding points and material less than 1 mm at a 2.5 mm gap setting. However, higher capacities are also applicable.
MBE Minerals will, at a later stage, consider upgrading the magnetic pack of the P40 laboratory machine. “This development will allow operations an energy saving of 50% for any given gauss setting or more than 25% at the top end, compared to competing technologies,” he says.
This will allow Mintek to extend its business into areas outside iron ore, such as the removal of iron from SiO2 for solar panels and other applications.
MBE Minerals’ Pneuflot laboratory unit has been stationed at Mintek for over three years. It is steadily gathering acceptance among researchers; with industry players and engineering houses as far afield as Australia starting to test a variety of industrial minerals and precious metals tails with Pneuflot.
“The collaborative environment allows MBE Minerals to conduct testing on behalf of customers and at the same time to upskill Mintek’s staff in the use of this technology,” says Niekerk.
A little known fact is that Pneuflot systems are installed at the world’s top three potash producers, and there is scope for attracting considerably more potash-related work.
“We have also proved through long term laboratory and industrial scale studies at a large iron ore mining company in Brazil that Pneuflot is able to reduce losses-to-tails to less than 7.5%, compared to the 13% levels Fe commonly achieved through a combination of agitator plus column flotation plus WHIMS,” he says.
“This miner has now commissioned further work at Mintek, and has specifically requested that Pneuflot be used as part of the test suite. This bodes well for us locally too as the South African iron ore sector is shortly due to start reclaiming its iron ore slimes.”
In upcoming months, MBE Minerals will also be stationing a brand new laboratory vibrating milling unit, the Palla VM, at Mintek. As the OEM of this vibrating milling technology for many decades, MBE Minerals has installations in various applications, including a sizeable zirconium milling operation in the Northern Province of South Africa
These four mills are managed by a single operator per shift. Liner change-outs have been reduced to once every 12 to 18 months; with the liner being turned mid-way through its operational life to achieve maximum wear.
“These tried-and-tested units provide the project implementer with a ‘plug-and-play’ solution that is easy to install; coming fully built from our factories, the unit simply requires the customer to cast a plinth and connect the electrics, and they can hot-commission the unit within hours of delivery.”
The investments in laboratory equipment at Mintek give the project manager the option to investigate a combination of physical separation technologies from MBE Minerals that can significantly reduce their carbon footprint.
By way of example, most East African graphite circuits currently in operation or in planning have at least 10 to30 float cells and three to five mills in their flow sheets. By combining our ROOLLSTAR® high pressure grinding rolls upfront, with six or less Pneuflot cells and a Palla VM in a post rougher polishing capacity, a graphite project is able to reduce its total power consumption by more than 50%.
“In an uncertain energy environment, where diesel generators are expensive to run, MBE Minerals’ technologies will positively impacts the profitability of minerals projects whilst mitigating project technical risks,” Niekerk says.
MBE Minerals is also doing laboratory and pilot plant test work in the field of rare earth extraction, platinum group metals, gold and copper tailings retreatment.
“On balance our singular equipment pieces stand by themselves with respect to the process advantages the technologies offer customers. When combined the impact on the triple bottom line is exponentially increased,” he concludes.