Tag Archives: filtration

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.

Metso Outotec adds to Planet Positive range with Activated Carbon filter for battery metals

Base metals, Energy minerals, Environmental, Mining equipment, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec is launching the Activated Carbon (AC) filter for, it says, efficient recovery and recycling of valuable battery chemicals.

The energy- and water-efficient AC filter responds to the market’s increasing demand for advanced and sustainable battery metals processing technologies and is part of Metso Outotec’s Planet Positive portfolio, it said.

Planet Positive is Metso Outotec’s all-encompassing approach to sustainability. It covers the environmental, social and financial aspects of sustainability, focusing on the positive impact on the environment and people through further growing its sustainable offering through products that are demonstrably more energy or water efficient than the market standard, or help customers achieve other priorities such as circularity and safety, as well as services that help customers improve their productivity.

Mika Vuorikari, Director of Industrial Filtration at Metso Outotec, said: “This launch will strengthen our capability to serve a large variety of industries and processes. Together with the Dual Media (DM) filter, Metso Outotec now has a complete filtration portfolio for solvent extraction (SX), electrowinning and crystallisation processes. We have strong know-how from the hydrometallurgical industry with more than 50 successful filtration solutions references from SX and crystallisation processes globally.”

The modular AC filtration technology is designed for smaller side streams of copper and other metal-loaded aqueous streams. It is specifically suited for efficient organics removal before the electrowinning and crystallisation processes. The AC filter uses the already proven design and operation philosophy of the Metso Outotec DM filter product family and is suitable for both greenfield and brownfield installations, the company added.

Benefits of the AC filter outlined by Metso Outotec include:

  • Increased end-product yield and quality;
  • Increased recovery and recycling of valuable process chemicals;
  • Cost-effective and modular design;
  • Low energy consumption, due to low pumping pressure;
  • Minimised water consumption with optimised back washing; and
  • Safe to use and operate, due to sealed pressure vessel and piping.

TAKRAF’s first Dry Stack Tailings system commissioned in Brazil

Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , ,

The first DELKOR Dry Stack Tailings (DST) system to be supplied by TAKRAF Group in Brazil is being commissioned for one of the largest steel producers in the Americas, the company says.

The order for the key equipment for the DST system was awarded in January 2019 and was followed shortly by an order being placed for the supply of a TAKRAF stacker.

The project comprises the following equipment to process iron ore tailings:

  • Flocculant plant;
  • Coagulant plant;
  • 35 m diameter DELKOR high rate thickener;
  • 300 sq.m slurry tank with agitator;
  • Four double-stage centrifugal slurry pumps;
  • Four DELKOR overhead beam filter presses (FP OH): 2 m x 2 m plates;
  • Four compressors with tanks (process and instrument air); and
  • Four TAKRAF belt feeders.

As part of the client’s initiative to improve the sustainability of its operations, the DST system is being built to enable the filtering and stacking of tailings as the deposit area of the existing tailings dam reaches full capacity by year-end.

In addition, by removing most of the water present in the tailing slurry, enabling the material to be safely stacked, the client can benefit from a secure and environmentally friendly approach to tailings disposal.

“Not only does it obviate the risk of catastrophic tailings dam failures, but also maximises the water recovered for return to and re-use by the beneficiation plant,” the company said.

DST will be applied following beneficiation to treat the tailings generated during the iron ore concentration process by flotation. The raw tailings slurry will be first fed to the thickener where part of the water is already recovered. In the next process step, more water is recovered by the filter press to achieve a moisture level of about 14% (dry basis), thus creating a dry filter cake ready to be deposited.

DELKOR’s equipment is built to withstand harsh mining environmental conditions, with the filter presses designed as an overhead beam type suitable for the prevailing operational conditions, it said. These require, among other features, large volumes of material to be processed and easy access to the filter plates and filter cloths for maintenance.

In line with DELKOR’s holistic solutions approach, the DST system was designed as a fully-integrated dewatering process through sedimentation and filtration, with the material being tested in the lab prior to sizing the equipment.

Tiago Carvalho, TAKRAF Brazil Managing Director, said: “TAKRAF and DELKOR’s world-leading technology and expertise to offer a complete DST solution, together with our outstanding technical proposal, based on comprehensive DELKOR testing during the bid stage and collaboration with specialised partners, were undoubtedly convincing factors in the project award.

“All colleagues involved in this project should be commended for successfully bringing this important DST reference to commissioning. This project serves to reinforce TAKRAF Group as a leading global solutions provider and we look forward to successfully delivering future DST projects.”

New Ishigaki filter press starts up at Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora operation

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

Pilbara Minerals Ltd says it has commenced concentrate production from its newly installed filter press at the Pilgan Plant. The development is part of the Plant Improvements Project being undertaken at its 100%-owned Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum operation in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

The filter press in question is provided by Ishigaki and will handle approximately 1,500 t/d of concentrate, Pilbara Minerals’ Managing Director and CEO, Ken Brinsden, confirmed.

The Pilgan Plant Improvements Project is expected to de-bottleneck the facility to increase plant operating time and throughput, reduce final product moisture (minimising solar drying) and further manage product recovery performance. These improvements are ultimately expected to realise additional production capacity from the facility, and particularly from the fines flotation circuit.

A total of approximately A$22 million ($16 million) of capital will be invested, with the project expected to be fully ramped-up during the December quarter 2021 to 360,000-380,000 t (dry) of spodumene concentrate. When combined with Ngungaju Plant’s ramped-up capacity of 180,000-200,000 t (dry), which is expected from mid-2022, the total annual production capacity across the entire Pilgangoora operation is expected to increase to circa-560,000-580,000 t/y.

Brinsden said the commencement of production from the Pilgan Plant Improvements Project marked another significant and exciting milestone in the rapid growth of the Pilgangoora project.

“The team has done another amazing job in delivering this project on time and in line with budget,” he said. “Keeping it on track, in combination with the restart of the Ngungaju Plant, is testament to the delivery capability of our team – particularly considering that these works were achieved during a period when the resources industry is under considerable pressure in terms of securing people, resources and equipment.”

Metso Outotec introduces new modular filter for battery chemicals sector

Base metals, Energy minerals, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, , , ,

Metso Outotec says it is introducing a new modular filter to its Dual Media (DM) filter product family, with the compact Metso Outotec DM1000 polishing filter particularly suitable for removing and recovering organic compounds and solids in small stream feeds in battery chemicals processes.

Thanks to its modular design, the filter is easy to expand also for larger process flows, the company says.

The DM1000 can be used as a traditional electrolyte filter in the extraction processes as well as for feed flow purification before crystallisation in the metal crystallisation processes.

“Since the launch of our first DM filters some years ago, we have delivered almost 50 DM and DM AC filters for hydrometallurgical extraction and crystallisation processes,” Mika Vuorikari, Director of Industrial Filtration at Metso Outotec, says. “We have delivered hundreds of polishing filters to the mining, chemical and hydrometallurgical industries around the world.

“Adding the modular DM1000 filter to our offering caters to the special needs of the rapidly growing battery industry, where sustainable high-quality filtration is needed to ensure increased production capacities and high-quality end products.”

Coming with energy- and water-efficiency benefits, the Metso Outotec DM1000 polishing filter for battery chemicals is part of the company’s Planet Positive offering.