Tag Archives: pre-concentration

Thermo Fisher Scientific joins CEEC communication hub

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining policy, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , , , , ,

The addition of new industry sponsors is enabling the Coalition for Energy Efficient Comminution (CEEC) to gain greater traction in leading change and driving the uptake of more energy and water efficient, lower impact mineral processing, it says.

CEEC said this after recruiting Thermo Fisher Scientific, a world leader in supplying solutions for efficient and sustainable mining, as a sponsor of the global not-for-profit communication hub.

Employing more than 75,000 people globally, Thermo Fisher Scientific operates through four segments: Life Sciences Solutions, Analytical Instruments, Specialty Diagnostics, and Laboratory Products and Services. The company provides weighing, monitoring and sampling systems and applications expertise to help optimise process control, production monitoring and automation in mining and bulk material handling.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Field Marketing Manager, Scott Ferguson, said the company’s mission “to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer” was very much in alignment with CEEC’s vision for more efficient, lower footprint mining.

Following extensive analysis of client needs, and a solid investment in research and development, Thermo Fisher is expanding its suite of sorting and pre-concentration products for the minerals sector, according to CEEC.

In response to renewed interest in pre-concentration processes, Thermo Fisher Scientific has launched its cross belt analyser, CB Omni Fusion, using prompt gamma neutron activation analysis into bulk ore sorting applications.

The company also released a new particle size analyser (PSM-500) in June 2020 – specifically designed for comminution circuits.

“The ability to measure product out of the grinding circuit in real time can have very large benefits,” Ferguson said. “By optimising grinding control systems, operators can maximise throughput, use energy more effectively and achieve greater recovery.

“This analyser draws upon proven technology and incorporates an interactive user interface and improved reliability,” he said.

Thermo Fisher Scientific has been supplying slurry samplers, in-stream analysers and cross belt analysers for more than 40 years, CEEC explained.

CEEC CEO, Alison Keogh, said Thermo Fisher Scientific was a welcome addition to its list of valued sponsors from around the globe.

“We’re proud to partner with companies that provide solutions for efficient and sustainable mining,” Keogh said. “These relationships open the door to wider awareness and adoption of new technologies and processes that positively impact the industry.

“This support from Thermo Fisher Scientific, in conjunction with our other sponsors, helps CEEC continue its important global work of providing free and impartial online resources and low cost events that highlight best practice and emerging advances in profitable, eco-efficient mineral processing.”

Ore sorting has role to play in ‘Green Mining’ developments, TOMRA says

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , , ,

TOMRA says its advanced sensor-based sorting technologies can provide mining operations with the energy efficiency and ore recovery benefits they require to reduce their environmental footprints.

The ability to recover valuable ore from even sub-economic deposits or dumps has become increasingly relevant as the energy-intensive mining industry shifts towards a ‘Green Mining’ approach, according to the company.

Tord Svensson, TOMRA’s Head of Sorting Mining, explains: “For a mining company to become more sustainable and profitable, it requires a shift in focus that places more value on potentially limited commodities like water and ore.

“To achieve an environmentally-focused and efficiency-oriented production process – which is integral to Green Mining – it is necessary to implement solutions right from the beginning of the process. This is where ore sorting equipment comes in: using these technologies in the early stages of mining reduces waste material and shrinks the carbon footprint, while increasing profitability.”

TOMRA is a pioneer of sensor-based sorting technologies, offering smart technologies for sorting and separating a variety of valuable substances. Its solutions range from industrial mineral processes to sorting gemstones, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, coal and other fuels and slag metal.

The sensor-based sorting technology not only significantly reduces the amount of energy and water required, compared with more traditional methods such as grinding and dense media separation, but also maximises the efficiency and quality recovery of valuable ores, according to TOMRA.

X-ray transmission (XRT), one of TOMRA’s leading solutions, separates dry material of various ore and minerals based on their atomic density, irrespective of surface properties and thickness. This means it is not necessary to crush or grind every rock into smaller particles, which results in massive savings of energy, water, and their related costs, according to the company.

“Considering that grinding is the most energy-intensive part of the production cycle, as an estimated 50-75% of the energy used in mining is for the liberation and comminution of ore and minerals, this technology can have a significant impact on the sustainability and profitability of a mining operation,” TOMRA said.

Pre-concentration techniques like sensor-based sorting are proven to reduce energy consumption by about half, resulting in a considerable reduction of the CO2 footprint and providing a highly cost-effective solution, the company added.

TOMRA has created a Green Counter on its website that displays the total amount of CO2 reduced through the use of its sorting machines in real time. It uses the smart technology within the equipment, which records the amount of rock sorted and eliminated, as well as throughput and total hours of operation.

“With this data, TOMRA and mining companies are able to calculate the energy in kWh saved by not treating the waste which has been removed by the sorters,” the company said. “The amount of energy saved is converted into CO2 equivalents, which in turn are converted into CO2 metric tonnes.”

Through the use of TOMRA sorting machines, client companies have saved 123,696 t of CO2 in 2018 alone, the company said.

The company concluded: “TOMRA’s sorting solutions have proven to be more than just technological innovation – they are also considered the benchmark for industry standards in both efficiency and sustainability. TOMRA remains committed to evolving its technology with a clear focus towards preserving our shared natural resources.”

Granada Gold Mine brings Gekko in for “disruptive” pre-concentration tests

Metallurgy, Mineral exploration, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , ,

Toronto-listed Granada Gold Mine thinks pre-concentration by separation has the potential to lower capital and operating costs at its Granada gold project in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada.

The company has come to this conclusion after receiving higher grades during testwork, which, it said, “may have implications for the grade of future mill feed, the size of the gold deposit, and the costs associated with future mine production.”

The company went to Gekko Systems of Ballarat, Australia, for this testwork. Granada said of Gekko: “Their innovative pre-concentration system increases recovery values, reduces ore mass and waste, reduces water use, lowers power requirements, and improves feed rates, all potentially meaning lower capital and operating costs for Granada along with higher recovery rates.”

A 260-kg sample of low-grade drill core assaying 0.6 g/t was upgraded to 6 g/t with a 60% overall recovery by this work. The Gekko laboratory processed the sample by crushing through different size fractions, homogenised, and split according to standard lab practices, Granada said. Gravity tests were conducted on coarse and fine fractions, approximately +600 μm and -150 μm, respectively.

A grade of 21 g/t Au was achieved from the coarse size fraction, with a recovery of 40%, resulting in an upgrade ratio (concentrate/feed) of 35.

Frank Basa, Chairman and CEO of Granada Gold, said: “As a result of this preliminary work, we believe that employing disruptive technologies on lower-grade ore to pre-concentrate the mineralised material for process plant feed can be advantageous. This approach can be used to evaluate the potential to increase the gold resource and other recoverable metals which, in turn, will lower project capital and operating costs.”

In a related matter, the company has also begun a test programme using the pilot plant of its sister company, Canada Cobalt Works. In this first round of tests, a 120-kg sample of low-grade mineralised rock from the Granada gold mine waste dump was processed by screening the material into three screen sizes followed by gravity separation. These concentrates were then analysed for gold, silver, cobalt, nickel, and copper.

Gravity assay test results are pending, with a particular focus on recoverable base metals.

The current feasibility study for the on-site gold mine and plant at Granada has been put on hold pending results of the metallurgical studies. The environmental studies to install a 600 t/d gravity leach plant are, in the meantime, ongoing at the Canada Cobalt Works Castle mine. The flowsheet has been completed and equipment has been sourced, the company said.

The company is in possession of all permits required to commence the initial mining phase, known as the “Rolling Start”, which allows the company to mine up to 550 t/d, capable of producing up to 675,000 t of ore over a three-year period.