Tag Archives: mineral separation

Bunting ups the mineral separation ante with ElectroStatic Separator

Comminution of minerals, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , ,

Bunting has launched a new separation device that, it says, significantly broadens the company’s separation capabilities, opening new opportunities for optimising mineral reserves.

The development of the ElectroStatic Separator comes in response to enhanced material separation requirements in the recycling, plastics and minerals industries, Bunting said.

It uses tungsten electrode wire to generate electrostatic charges to separate dry liberated particles, exploiting the difference in electrical conductivity between various materials in a feed material to produce a separation.

“The separation depends on a number of key material characteristics including conductivity, moisture content and size range,” Bunting said. “In many applications, often due to the fine particle size, the ElectroStatic Separator is the only technology that enables a separation (eg -2 mm granulated cable scrap).”

The technology also replaces less environmentally friendly separation processes such as froth flotation in mineral processing applications (eg separation of rutile from silica sand), according to the company.

In operation, the technology uses the difference in conductivity between insulators (eg plastics) and conductors (eg copper and aluminium) to obtain a separation on an earthed roll. A vibratory feeder evenly feeds a material mix onto the top of a rotating earthed metal roll, with the rotating roll transferring the material under an electrode bar inducing an electrostatic charge. Non-conductive materials (ie insulators) adhere to the earthed roll via an image force, while the conductors lose their charge quickly and, under centrifugal force, are discharged, according to Bunting. This enables a separation.

ElectroStatic Separators provide material segregation in plants processing minerals, producing plastics, and recycling secondary metals, the company says, with differences in conductivity found in recycled materials and minerals sufficient to enable excellent levels of separation.

“Indeed, this includes the separation of metals with different conductivity,” the company said.

The mineral processing industry commonly uses ElectroStatic Separators in conjunction with high intensity magnetic separators such as Bunting’s own Rare Earth Roll Magnetic Separator and Induced Magnetic Roll Separator, it said. This combined separation process is used when processing beach sands, for example.

The new separator is available as a single or double staged system in feed widths of 500 mm, 1,000 mm and 1,500 mm to suit a specific application.

The Bunting Centre of Excellence in the UK includes a laboratory-scale model of the new ElectroStatic Separator, according to the company.

Eriez makes a case for DVMF tech in hard-rock lithium sector

Energy minerals, Industrial minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , ,

Eriez says it’s high-intensity Dry Vibrating Magnetic Filter (DVMF) technology holds the key to removing very fine iron-bearing contaminants from hard-to-flow powders, such as lithium, to produce higher quality end-products.

In a recently published white paper, the separation technology leader says the DVMF technology has been validated as the most effective separation process for hard-rock mining lithium applications.

‘Hard Rock Mining: High-Intensity Dry Vibrating Magnetic Filter (DVMF) Removes Fine Iron-Bearing Contaminants Found in Lithium and Other Hard-To-Flow Powders’ was written by Eriez Mining and Minerals Processing Director, Jose Marin.

According to the paper, the DVMF is ideal for both lithium producers and users, with typical DVMF applications including fine sand, glassmaking, talc, clays and various other finely divided industrial minerals and chemical products.

The DVMF uses a high-intensity electromagnet and flux converging matrix, which amplifies the magnetic field and provides high-gradient collection sites for the magnetic material as the feed materials filter through, according to Eriez.

The canister is attached to dual high-frequency, low-amplitude vibratory drives and these drives deliver a strong vibratory action to the canister assembly, which enhances the fluidity of very fine powders, resulting in a smooth and even flow of product through the matrix grid.

On the DVMF’s hard-rock lithium separation credentials, Marin explained: “Eriez 5,000 gauss strength DVMFs reduce contamination to parts per billion, rather than parts per million. These results are a real breakthrough in terms of magnetic contaminant removal in hard-rock mining.”

To learn more about Eriez DVMFs and download this white paper, click here.

SciDev and Iluka Resources take chemistry to the Max at Jacinth-Ambrosia

Industrial minerals, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mining services, Water management, , , , , , ,

ASX-listed SciDev Ltd says it has been awarded a three-year contract with Iluka Resources for delivery of MaxiFlox® chemistry to the Jacinth–Ambrosia zircon mine, in South Australia.

The contract, expected to be worth some A$8-12 million ($5-8 million) over the three-year term, follows the delivery of a chemical products trial for the miner in the December quarter of 2018. This itself occurred following the announcement of a commercial OptiFlox® System test SciDev carried out.

MaxiFlox is specifically designed for use in solid liquid separation processes, SciDev says. Products in the MaxiFlox range are supplied in both liquid and powder form across an extensive range of molecular weights and charge densities to solve industrial challenges. Products include:

  • MaxiFlox organic liquid coagulants (based on synthetic organic monomers and naturally occurring polysaccharides);
  • MaxiFlox inorganic liquid coagulant blends;
  • MaxiFlox cationic and anionic flocculant emulsions;
  • MaxiFlox cationic and anionic flocculant powders;
  • MaxiFlox mud solidification polymers, and;
  • MaxiFlox antifoam products.

The technology can be used across a range of industries including mining and minerals processing, water and wastewater, oil and gas, food and beverage and paper manufacturing.

Iluka’s Jacinth-Ambrosia operation is the world’s largest zircon mine, according to the miner. Comprising two contiguous deposits, Jacinth and Ambrosia, the mine is around 800 km from Adelaide and 270 km from the Port of Thevenard.

The operation encompasses mining and wet concentration activities with heavy mineral concentrate transported to Iluka’s Narngulu mineral separation plant in Western Australia for final processing. Jacinth-Ambrosia can produce up to some 1,000 t/h of heavy mineral concentrate, which can produce up to ~300,000 t/y of zircon.

Multotec’s SX10 low density spiral opens up coal separation options

Coal technology, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

Multotec Gravity Division says its new SX10 low density spiral further extends the benefits this innovation offers in fine coal beneficiation, with the technology able to produce both thermal and coking coal on one spiral.

The Multotec SX10 low density spiral’s reduced cut point of 1.55 g/cm3 delivers considerable advantages over the cut points of between 1.6 and 1.8 g/cm3 typically achieved in the coal industry today, according to Multotec Technology Manager, Faan Bornman.

The result, he says, is cleaner coal with less waste being achieved in a single stage. This helps achieve savings on capital costs as no further spiral stages are required for cleaning down the line.

“The approach taken with the Multotec SX10 spiral is to remove the gangue, or mineral containing particles, from the trough in two off-takes,” Multotec said.

The first off-take removes ash, opening up the available separation surface of the spiral and allowing the remaining material to separate more easily. This separates clean coal from less-clean coal.

“The low density spiral is essentially a primary and secondary stage on one centre column,” Bornman said. “Rejects are discarded into the centre column and the remaining product is re-pulped before being sent to a secondary off-take.”

Facilitating the two off-takes is a longer spiral on the Multotec SX10. This increases the residence time and gives the particles sufficient time to separate, according to the company.

Depending on the setting of the product box splitters, this new spiral has the ability to produce both thermal coal and coking coal on one spiral, Multotec claimed. Bornman said this was proven through test work done in the US where the two offtakes enable the removal of most of the gangue leaving a middlings and cleaner coal products to be collected at the dart splitters.

Experimental work was carried out using coal from two South Africa collieries as well as doing site test work in the US. Promising results were obtained leading to the first order for Multotec SX10 spirals from a North America-based mine, it said.

Rhosonics SDMs win plaudits at OCP Group’s Beni Amir phosphate mine

Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , ,

Rhosonics Slurry Density Meter (SDM) has proven its worth at the OCP Group’s Beni Amir phosphate mine and washing plant in Morocco, the Netherlands-based company said in its latest case study.

The leading phosphate miner recently evaluated nine months’ worth of test work at Beni Amir, which came out with favourable results.

OCP began operating the Beni Amir mine and washing plant in Morocco in 2015. Here, the phosphate ore at the washing plant goes through a wet treatment process to enrich the ore and increase its “Boone Phosphate of Line” content, according to Rhosonics.

Four pieces of the Rhosonics SDM, a non-nuclear density meter using sustainable ultrasonic technology, were installed at the Beni Amir plant in April 2018.

Rhosonics said: “The phosphate industry traditionally uses nuclear devices. Non-nuclear devices are still quite new to this industry and success stories are limited.”

By measuring the acoustic impedance of a slurry, the SDM calculates the density of the slurry in-line during the process, according to Rhosconics. The sensor is made of stainless steel and ceramic material. “Because of the new sensor material, the sensor has lots of better properties. By making use of ceramic material, the ultrasonic signal is more bright and powerful than before.”

Mohammed el Moudden, Chief Instrumentation of OCP Beni Amir, said: “We confirm a successful test of the SDM from April 2018 until now. A single calibration is sufficient for operation over three months. The team at the Beni Amir washing plant are satisfied with this technology.”

The Rhosonics SDMs were installed in the output of a cyclone, a mixing tank and two thickeners to improve the efficiency and fully use the production capacity of these separation processes, Rhosonics said.

Now, following this trial, the OCP Group has bought 13 additional non-nuclear Rhosonics SDMs to install at several locations at the washing plant, the company said.

Siebtechnik and Tema join together

Bulk handling, Coal technology, Industrial minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

Siebtechnik and Tema have decided to join up and create Siebtechnik Tema as a way of bolstering the new company’s brand identity in the markets for centrifuges, screening machines, and sampling and preparation systems and components.

The two firms already belong to the same group of companies which also includes South Africa-based Multotec.

The company said: “The main aim of this partnership is to ensure a common brand name as well as the finetuning of the worldwide sales and service structures with production sites and representative offices in Germany, the Netherlands, the US, Great Britain, France, Spain, China and Australia.”

Siebtechnik Tima produces mineral separation and screening equipment for the global coal and fertiliser industries, in addition to hammer- and hammer-impact mills, and channel conveyors.

Eriez looks to non-ferrous metal recovery growth with European expansion

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

Eriez Europe has opened a new 326 m² manufacturing facility dedicated to rotor manufacturing, light fabrication assembly and additional product line assembly, expanding the existing European manufacturing headquarters in Caerphilly, South Wales.

Complementing Eriez’ Eddy Current Separator (ECS) manufacturing sites in North America and Asia, the expansion of the South Wales facility adds a third rotor manufacturing site to the company’s global network, strengthening Eriez’ ability to provide consistent levels of customer service excellence worldwide, the company said.

Eriez Europe, which has been manufacturing separation technologies for the past 50 years, will manufacture and stock a range of global ECS rotors on-site, enabling customers to have quick access to process-critical spare rotors should they be required.

“The investment at Eriez Europe includes a high-speed balancing machine and a filament winding machine to facilitate the intricate manufacture of Eriez’ advanced range of ECSs, designed to recover non-ferrous metals from a wide variety of waste streams,” the company said.

The new facility will increase annual production capacity of ECS rotors by a third, promoting globalisation of the Eriez brand and ensuring the best possible service is provided for new and existing customers alike, Eriez said.