Tag Archives: filtration

Watercycle to test DLEC technology on Energia Minerals’ geothermal brine samples

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mining services, Water management, , , , , , , , , ,

UK-based Watercycle Technologies, a deep tech company focused on developing sustainable, high-yield, low-cost, mineral extraction and water treatment systems, has signed an agreement with Energia Minerals (Italia) (‘Energia’) Srl, a subsidiary of ASX-listed Altamin Limited, to produce lithium carbonate from Energia’s Galería EL geothermal brine projects in the Lazio Region of central Italy using Watercycle’s proprietary Direct Lithium Extraction and Crystallisation (DLEC) technology.

Watercycle’s patented filtration process is, according to the company, proven to be able to selectively extract lithium from sub-surface waters/brines and is currently already being piloted in tandem with Cornish Lithium in the southwest of England. Its DLEC process is capable of treating a wide range of water types and can deliver dramatic reductions in costs, carbon emissions and water consumption compared with current processes.

Under the terms of the agreement, Watercycle will test the brines extracted from a borehole in Italy and, once the composition is understood, dedicated membranes will be fabricated by the team based on the chemistry of the water. Watercycle will then process a quantity of the brine using its DLEC process. Analysis of the composition of the lithium-rich solution produced from the process, as well as the composition of the de-lithiated brine, will then be undertaken. Watercycle will then process the lithium-rich solution to produce lithium carbonate salts, which it says is a key differentiator in its process compared to standard direct lithium extraction practises. This lithium carbonate salt will then be characterised to gather structural and chemical information as well as the chemical purity and recovery rate of the lithium salt. If successful, the two parties will examine the potential for initiating large scale pilot testing in Italy.

Watercycle CEO, Dr Seb Leaper, said: “We are delighted to be working with Energia Minerals who have recognised the potential of our unique approach to lithium extraction from brines. This agreement is a further validation of our proprietary membranes and processes, which are gaining increasing traction both nationally and internationally. Each brine has different characteristics, and it is part of our development model to test multiple brines to further prove the efficacy of our technology and provide leading-edge, sustainable solutions for lithium and critical mineral extraction from them.”

Watercycle co-Founder and CTO, Dr Ahmed Abdelkarim, added: “Our technology has taken years of development both within the University of Manchester and now within Watercycle, the vehicle that is advancing its development and implementing the commercialisation strategy. We are not only successfully partnering with lithium brine developers but also making fantastic headway in the extraction of multiple critical minerals including cobalt and graphite from spent batteries and the utilisation of our processes in desalination, critical in today’s world where water shortages are being becoming more pronounced. I look forward to announcing further progress as we rapidly develop the business and deliver commercial but sustainable solutions to the mineral extraction market.”

McLanahan to expand water recycling offering with acquisition of filtration leader Diefenbach

Environmental, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , ,

McLanahan Corporation has signed an agreement to acquire Diefenbach, an Italian manufacturer of filter presses and thickeners based out of Medolago, Italy.

The two companies, which have been working together on projects since 2013, expect the acquisition to close during the June quarter of 2023.

Diefenbach has been a leader in liquid-solid separation using filter presses since its founding in 1907, when the company was focused on producing presses for the olive oil industry. In the 1950s, Diefenbach expanded into the recycling and filtration of industrial wastewater. Today, Diefenbach has sold thousands of machines and has extensive experience in selling and manufacturing this equipment for the mining and aggregate industries, as well as for chemical manufacturing, food and beverage processing, battery recycling, PET recycling, wastewater treatment and more.

As the focus on a circular economy and recycling water from industrial processes becomes more prominent on a global scale, McLanahan was looking for a partner to continue expanding its offerings in this space, it said. This will allow the company to ensure it is able to offer a more comprehensive solution to customers and industries around the world in support of these changing requirements for processing.

Cory Jenson, EVP – Sales and Business Development at McLanahan, said: “As we look toward the future, we see a growing need for wastewater and tailings management in a variety of industries as part of the circular economy. Every industry is being challenged to use less and less water and to recycle the water they are using. This acquisition offers significant synergies to McLanahan’s existing tailings solutions in mining and aggregates, which continue to remain a critical part of McLanahan’s product offerings. This new partnership allows us to offer a more competitive solution to our tailings partners around the world.”

Diefenbach will continue to operate as an independent brand in the marketplace, focusing on its core industries and markets around the world.

Metso Outotec to expand filter assembly plant in Suzhou, China

Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec says it will expand its filter assembly plant in Suzhou, China, to respond to global market demand.

The plant expansion will not only double local capacity in China to deliver high-quality filters for mining and other industrial customers, it will also provide additional space for the assembly of flotation drive mechanisms and mill reline equipment, according to the company.

The extended production facility is expected to open within a year and reach full capacity during the first half of 2024. With the expansion, the number of personnel working at the plant is anticipated to increase to around 60 experts.

Tero Tiainen, Director, Filter Manufacturing at Metso Outotec, said: “Filters are used in mining and industrial applications to separate solids from liquids. In Suzhou, we produce several of the different filter types we offer in our global portfolio. Originally, filter assembly in Suzhou began in 2009, and it has been operating at the same location ever since.”

Chuncai Qiu, Suzhou Plant Manager, added: “In connection with the expansion, we will also update our procedures for simplified processing, modular manufacturing and lean management to enable fast deliveries to our customers. This, combined with our established engineering, sourcing and production expertise in Suzhou will provide our customers with enhanced service and product quality.”

Metso Outotec’s filtration portfolio consists of 15 different filter types and services for hundreds of applications. Over 80% of the Metso Outotec filters are part of the company’s Planet Positive portfolio, mainly due to their efficiency in the recovery and reuse of water, the company says. The company has carried out more than 14,000 filtration tests and delivered more than 5,000 filters for various applications worldwide. Most of the filters are sold under the Larox® product name along with Metso Outotec corporate branding.

Eldorado turns to Metso Outotec for dry stack tailings solution at Skouries

Base metals, Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining project news, Water management, , , , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec says it will deliver sustainable filtration technology for dry stacking of tailings to Eldorado Gold’s Hellas Gold Skouries copper-gold concentrator project in northern Greece.

Metso Outotec’s scope of delivery consists of the engineering, manufacturing and supply of several Planet Positive Larox® FFP3512 filters as well as installation and commissioning advisory services. The fully automatic, fast-opening filter press (FFP) combines the benefits of membrane technology and sidebar design with high mechanical and process performance, providing safe and sustainable high-volume dewatering of tailings at low operating and life cycle costs, according to the company.

Brock Gill, SVP Projects & Transformation for Eldorado Gold, said: “Skouries is a world-class project, and we are aiming for best-in-class sustainable technologies in the project design. For tailings management, the Skouries project will use dry stack tailings impoundment, which requires less space, reduces water consumption and maximises recovery of process water for reuse. Metso Outotec filters were selected as key and proven technology for the dry tailings facility not only because of their performance, but also because of their energy efficiency.”

Jussi Venäläinen, Vice President, Filtration business line at Metso Outotec, added: “Eldorado Gold and Hellas Gold were looking for a reliable partner to help ensure the safety and sustainability of the Skouries tailings dry stacking facility. We are pleased having been chosen to deliver this core technology for the project. Previously, we’ve supplied proprietary technologies for grinding, flotation, thickening and automation to Skouries.”

The value of the order is approximately €14 million ($13.8 million), according to Metso Outotec.

Metso Outotec says its filtration product portfolio is the largest in the field, with the company having carried out over 14,000 filtration tests and delivered more than 5,000 filters for various applications worldwide.

A 2021 feasibility study on Skouries highlighted a 20-year operation able to produce 140,000 oz/y of gold and 67 MIb (30,391 t) of copper.

Platinum producer targets improved filter life with Metso Outotec preventative maintenance contract

Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec says it has signed a three-year Life Cycle Services (LCS) contract with one of the biggest platinum producers in the world, aiming to provide a preventative maintenance solution that will improve machine life.

With LCS, the customer’s critical assets will achieve enhanced availability and higher production, according to Metso Outotec, adding that the performance-based agreement provides, among all, a Reliability Centered Maintenance application that focuses on preventive maintenance.

The value of the order is approximately €16 million ($15.9 million) and it covers 12 filters across five customer sites.

Vivian Pillay, Director, Global Key Account Management in Metso Outotec, said: “We are very pleased to have been chosen as the key supplier of filter services for our customer’s sites. Our service approach will improve the safety, overall filter reliability and performance in line with customer’s throughput targets.”

Metso Outotec’s LCS offering covers the entire after-market portfolio, including process support and optimisation, sustainable wears, spares, and service solutions. Core service elements in the LCS packages for filters are spare parts, repairs, maintenance, reliability, connected equipment and process optimization.

The company says it has the most comprehensive filtration portfolio on the market with 15 different filter types available for hundreds of applications. It has performed over 14,000 filtration tests and has delivered over 5,000 filters around the world.

Metso Outotec to invest in polymer filter plate production plant in Mexico

Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Water management, , , , ,

Metso Outotec says it will invest in its first polymer filter plate production unit in Mexico in response to global demand for high-quality filtration solutions for its mining customers’ filter presses.

The company expects to invest a total of around €28 million ($28 million) to acquire the land and develop the production facilities by 2025.

The construction work will begin as soon as the acquisition of the land and the planning of the facility have been completed.

The construction of the new factory is expected to begin in 2023 and reach full capacity during 2025, following a gradual ramp-up. Once fully operational, the new factory is expected to employ around 60 skilled personnel.

Tomas Hakala, Senior Vice President, Beneficiation, Dewatering and Hydrometallurgy Services, said: “Polymer filter plates are strategic and critical spare parts. To serve our customers’ growing needs, we will further develop our supply capabilities by investing in a new state-of-the-art factory where quality and safety are key focus areas. We also have maintained and will maintain a strong network of suppliers globally.”

Hakala says the company has selected Mexico as the target country for its potential to reduce lead times, transportation distances – especially to the Americas – and CO2 emissions for its end customers.

Metso Outotec has high sustainability targets for CO2 emissions for its own operations and the supply chain. The target is to have net-zero CO2 emissions in the company’s own operations by 2030, and a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions from logistics by 2025.

In addition, the goal is for 30% of suppliers by spend to make a commitment to the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and set reduction targets for CO2 emissions by 2030.

The new factory will be located in the central region of Mexico, where Metso Outotec already has a rubber and Poly-Met factory.

FLSmidth to highlight full flowsheet expertise with ShalkiyaZinc project delivery

Automation, Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

FLSmidth has signed a contract, valued at around DKK950 million ($130 million), to supply a range of mineral processing equipment to ShalkiyaZinc, the operator of a zinc-lead mine in the Kyzylorda Region of Kazakhstan.

The equipment will transform the plant into a world-class facility that efficiently separates minerals with a minimised environmental impact, the OEM says.

Under the agreement, FLSmidth will supply two underground crushing stations with a materials handling system to the process plant; a full package of comminution and separation equipment, including SAG and ball mills, mill circuit pumps and cyclones; the zinc-lead concentrate flotation and regrinding circuit, including nextSTEP, VXP vertical mills, concentrate thickeners and Pneumapress filters; and reagents preparation and dosing area. Full plant automation is also included, as well as installation and commissioning supervision services.

The new concentrator will be supported from FLSmidth’s new in-country service Supercentre in Karaganda, Kazakhstan.

The equipment delivery is to be completed during 2024, with commissioning to start before the end of that year.

Mikko Keto, Group CEO at FLSmidth, said: “We are excited to receive this first order from ShalkiyaZinc, which highlights our full flowsheet expertise. The wide range of equipment included in the order will help ShalkiyaZinc save on both capital expenditure and operating expenditure; our new nextSTEP flotation technology will improve the quality of the concentrates, the SAG mill will provide more flexibility, while the automation and digital solutions will further enable water and energy savings alongside safer operations.

“We look forward to making this a success on so many levels.”

Assel Rakhimova, Chief Project Director of Tau-Ken Samruk, which owns ShalkiyaZinc, said: “After testing and basic design work executed by FLSmidth, we are pleased to enter this new phase of collaboration with the procurement of critical technologies to improve the productivity and sustainability of our plant. We believe in successful execution and look forward to receiving the ordered equipment according to the schedule for installation and to continue working with FLSmidth on commissioning services and spare parts.”

Metso Outotec integrates filtration expertise into new Larox FFP3716 Filter Plant Unit

Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec says it is launching a comprehensive Filtration Plant Units offering to maximise operational reliability in different types of dewatering applications where superior process performance combined with energy and water efficiency is required.

The offering consists of three major plant units around Metso Outotec’s Larox® PF and Larox® FFP, and Metso Outotec CC filter technologies, all designed for the dewatering of concentrates and tailings.

The latest addition to the offering is the Larox FFP3716 Filter Plant Unit, which represents the most advanced technology for the safe high volume processing of tailings, according to the company.

All Metso Outotec Filtration Plant Units are scalable and come as complete customisable solutions to meet even the most stringent customer requirements, the company explained.

Toni Kuisma, Product Manager, Filtration Plant Units at Metso Outotec, said: “We have been supporting our customers with filtration solutions for almost 100 years. Today, our selection of filtration technologies is the largest in the field, and their energy, emission and water efficiency is in a league of its own. The Filtration Plant Units combine all this knowledge to provide our customers with unrivalled dewatering performance.”

He continued: “We have also optimised the engineering and delivery process. The new plant unit concept provides the fastest time-to-volume for our customers. Special attention has also been paid to the units’ maintainability through, for example, advanced digitalisation. Their high level of automation enables easy optimisation and remote support.”

These units, which consist of advanced filters, screens, filter feed tanks, slurry pumps and conveyors, are pre-engineered for faster project execution. They are also coupled with process control system and various ancillary products and expert services, supported by the Metso Outotec Dewatering Technology Center (DTC) in Lappeenranta, Finland.

The integrated service offering provided by the company’s global network ranges from filter inspection and dewatering optimisation to spares and wears and remote support and Life Cycle Services.

Zululand Anthracite Colliery commissions Filtaquip filter press at coal operations

Coal technology, Mining equipment, Water management, , , , , , , , ,

Zululand Anthracite Colliery (ZAC) says it has commissioned a new 25 t/h filter press at its coal washing plant, in Emakhalathini, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The filter press, from South Africa-based Filtaquip, removes slurry from the water used in the coal washing process. It will aid in preventing incidents such as the coal slurry spill, which occurred at ZAC after the end wall at Slurry Pond 3 failed on December 24, 2021, the company noted.

ZAC Engineering Production Superintendent, Howard Atkinson, explained: “The filter press filters slurry-laden water and removes all the ultrafines from the water to enable reclaimed water to be reused in the beneficiation process.”

The filter press plant, which cost R14.5 million ($933,660), was commissioned on May 10, 2022, and was in full production by May 16.

Filtaquip says its filter presses have high pressure technology for up to 21 bar feed pressure; Q-Shift plate movement technology for efficiency; external filtrate discharge; and an automated and maintenance free shaker system.

The conservation, protection and management of water is a top priority for ZAC, it said.

ZAC GM, Wayne Rowe, said: “The principal aim of ZAC’s sustainable water management policy is to minimise and reduce freshwater consumption in all our operations.”

ZAC operates an underground, deep level, narrow seam operation, using both continuous miners and drill and blast mining techniques. ZAC’s current life of mine is up to 2027, but there are undeveloped known resources still to be considered in future, it says.

Metso Outotec integrates tailings and water treatment solutions into one TMS offering

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec says is introducing its comprehensive Tailings Management Solutions offering for the sustainable management of mine tailings.

The offering unites products with decades of process expertise and covers tailings thickening and dewatering as well as handling through conveying and dry stacking, it said. In addition, Metso Outotec offers a portfolio of solutions for the treatment of water produced during dewatering, enabling closed water loops while managing the level of impurities within the recycled water.

Dr Piia Suvio, Director, Tailings and Water, Metso Outotec, said: “The rising demand for sustainably mined materials and stricter environmental legislation are pushing the need for more advanced technology for safe processing and storing of the tailings. Water resource efficiency is also becoming more and more important. These factors, combined with the need to capture the full value of ore, for example, by reprocessing the tailings to extract the remaining valuable minerals, lead to a continuously increasing need for sophisticated tailings management solutions.”

Dr Suvio added: “With our extensive process expertise, we can offer cutting-edge technology solutions for any tailings management need to reduce water use, environmental impact, risks, and costs. Together with our customers, we can reshape the future of tailings and drive responsible management practices that help the business and society to prosper,” says Suvio.

Metso Outotec has been involved in the development of tailings management solutions and equipment for over 50 years. Today, a lot of emphasis is put on the design stage, which includes, for example, test work and studies supported by process simulations carried out with the recently launched Metso Outotec Geminex™ digital twin, allowing accurate plant design and sizing.

Metso Outotec’s Tailings Management Solutions consist of a wide range of Planet Positive equipment and feature performance and capacity guarantees:

  • Thickening plant units are based on Metso Outotec IPS, HRT, HCT and PT technologies. The Reactorwell™ feed system and Vane Feedwell™ provide enhanced mixing, dilution, and retention of the feed, maximising flocculant adsorption and aggregate growth. The advanced Metso Outotec control systems, such as the thickener optimiser, help improve the overall performance of the thickening plant unit;
  • Filtration plant units are based on proven FFP or FP-S filtration technology. The Metso Outotec filtration plant unit is specifically designed for high-volume tailings processing, leading to savings in operational and maintenance costs;
  • The company’s extensive conveying and stacking portfolio consists of robust components and is built to last and perform under even the toughest conditions; and
  • Metso Outotec process water recycling plants enable the recovery and reuse of water within the production process with enhanced metal recovery within the flotation circuit.

Metso Outotec says it supports its tailings management portfolio with a full range of parts, inspections, process optimisation and Life Cycle Services.