Outotec addresses carbon losses in CIP, CIL gold circuits

Posted by Daniel Gleeson on 18th March 2020

Outotec has released a fully automated in-situ measurement system that, it says, can minimise gold solution losses in carbon-in-pulp (CIP) and carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuits.

Outotec CarbonSense is a system that is directly immersed in the slurry, eliminating the need for sample transfer and ensuring optimal carbon management, according to the company. It is designed to operate continuously in the agitated area of the reactor to ensure a highly representative analysis. It also features a reference probe to ensure reliable measurement even in changing process conditions.

As part of the solution, a single connection cabinet can support up to eight measurement assemblies, along with fibre-optic and copper media connections to the plant network, according to Outotec. “The system supports virtually any network topology, including star and ring configurations,” it said. “Maintenance is simplified with all power supplies and fuses located in one place.”

The portable calibration unit uses authentic slurry and carbon to ensure the best possible results and reliable measurement performance, Outotec said. No recalibration is needed when slurry properties change since the measurement is based on the difference between the measurement probe and the reference probe.

Continuous and reliable carbon concentration measurements minimise gold losses by enabling accurate control over carbon transfer between reactors, according to Outotec, with the Outotec ACT Carbon Management application designed to take full advantage of the measurement data.

The system is delivered as a ready-to-install package including measurement assemblies, connection cabinets and analysis software and licences.

The key benefits of Outotec CarbonSense, according to the company, are:

  • Enables continuous, representative, and reliable carbon measurement;
  • Supports development of efficient strategies for advanced CIP/CIL control;
  • Fully automatic operation;
  • Simple to install, operate, and maintain with no moving parts or sample transfer; and
  • Increases safety by helping to avoid blockages and other sampling issues.