Tag Archives: rubber

Weir Minerals, Henkel develop industry-first adhesive for rubber lining applications

Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

Weir Minerals, manufacturer of Linatex®, a leading brand of premium natural rubber, has partnered with adhesive producer Henkel and its team of LOCTITE® adhesive, sealant and coating specialists, to develop what it says is a mining industry-first solvent-free adhesive for rubber lining applications with zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

VOCs are carbon-based, organic chemicals often used in adhesives, paints and coatings. They are subject to strict regulations, with some governments aiming to limit worker exposure while others target large-scale emissions in order to improve air quality. Mining companies also target VOC emissions as part of their sustainability strategies.

In collaboration with Henkel, Weir Minerals developed the LINATEX LOCTITE – LINA 88™ cold-bonding rubber adhesive range in response to the growing need for safer and more sustainable products. Complementing the Linatex rubber products, this breakthrough in adhesive technology reflects Weir’s core values of safety, sustainability and performance, is says.

With new LINATEX LOCTITE – LINA 88 products, cutting down the VOC emissions does not mean having to compromise on performance, according to Weir. The custom-formulated rubber adhesive range sets a new industry benchmark for bond strength by exceeding the current British Standard by up to four times, and is significantly stronger than other products presently used in mining, it says.

“We’ve had many customers across the globe approach us to help them find ways to improve safety for their employees,” Mark Doyle, Global Product Manager – Linatex Rubber and Hose, says. “At Weir Minerals we take safety very seriously and looked at several possible solutions. Our team worked closely with the LOCTITE experts and developed an adhesive that is stronger than any other product in the market today with the double benefit of being solvent-free with zero VOCs.

“Coincidentally, many mine sites and even regional governments are now starting to mandate that only adhesives with zero VOCs be used on site – we are thrilled to say that we have a product that meets this challenge.”

Safety and sustainability focus was the main driver of the project, according to Ricardo Garib, Weir Minerals Division President.

“Working with Henkel to develop an adhesive that not only outperforms what is currently on the market, but also delivers environmental and safety benefits, is a fantastic result for mine operators and their employees,” he says. “Weir Minerals promotes a safe environment for everyone; we consider it a priority for our customers and our own people in our service centres where we line minerals processing equipment with Linatex rubber. With sustainability as a key issue within our industry, we are proud to be at the forefront with innovative new products.”

Mark Dorn, Senior Vice President Craftsmen, Construction & Professional, for Henkel Adhesive Technologies and President of Henkel Asia Pacific, added: “It’s always exciting to pioneer new solutions for our customers that are able to deliver on both innovation and sustainability. Being able to positively impact environmental and occupational safety for those in the mining industry is definitely a rewarding accomplishment for the team.”

Dr Nigel Fay, Corporate Vice President, Innovation & Application Engineering, for Henkel Adhesive Technologies, says: “Delivering this breakthrough innovation to the market is representative of the mission that the LOCTITE business has delivered on for nearly 70 years. It’s about leveraging our expertise, our passion for innovation and our focus on solving the most difficult challenges to create new value for customers. Having the opportunity to bring this to life in collaboration with another industry leader like Weir Minerals has been extremely satisfying and is a true model for future success in the area of innovation.”

The new LINATEX LOCTITE – LINA 88 adhesive range has undergone extensive trials in the APAC region, exceeding customer expectations, Weir says.

Weir Minerals says it will be specifying the new solvent-free and zero VOCs products for all its Linatex applications around the world.

The entire range is non-flammable and is, therefore, safer to use, easy to transport and does not require any special handling or storage facilities, according to the company. It can also be sprayed over the top of rubber lining to provide solid UV protection.

Weir Minerals improves plant uptime at mineral sands, gold mines

Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Industrial minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Precious metals, , , , , , , , ,

Two African mines are achieving increased production time and plant availability after converting to Weir Minerals rubber lining solutions, the company says.

A mineral sands operation in Mozambique approached Weir Minerals just over two years ago, after experiencing high wear on its pipe and launders. This was leading to frequent maintenance, leaks and downtime. The Weir Minerals team observed that part of the challenge was worn out and corroded metal work on the mine’s wet concentrator plants due to the proximity to the coast.

Access to reline the existing launders was difficult and posed safety risks necessitating a more effective solution, the company said.

The solution was to replace the competitors’ products – chemically-cured rubber – with Linatex® rubber and Linard® 60 rubber. This was done during the mine’s monthly shutdowns.

Whereas the competitors’ rubber lasted only two to three months, the Linatex and Linard linings are still in operation after 25 months, according to the company.

The Linard 60 rubber lining solution was also applied at a gold mine in South Africa’s North West province. The mine’s maintenance team had been replacing the rubber lining on mill feed hoppers and spouts every 10 days, but the Mechanical Foreman was looking for a more resilient solution.

The Foreman was not familiar with Linatex rubber products, so a trial using Linard 60 rubber was arranged, with the entire feed hopper and spout lined with this silica-reinforced natural rubber.

The results saw wear life increase to 12 weeks. With only the partially worn areas requiring relining, there was a reduction in relining costs. This, in turn, increased plant availability, resulting in fewer stoppages and reduced operating costs.

Linatex premium rubber is a proprietary vulcanised natural rubber produced through a process that uses high quality natural latex, according to Weir. “It has outstanding strength, resilience and resistance to cutting and tearing – with high performance in wet, abrasive conditions,” the company said.

Linard 60 rubber, which is silica reinforced, retains the natural strength and nerve of latex, while combining with the toughness needed for handling coarse materials, according to the company.

Metso’s Ersmark rubber and poly-met wear parts facility to close

Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, , , , , ,

Following a review in its Minerals Consumables business area in EMEA, Metso has decided to discontinue operations at the rubber and poly-met wear parts manufacturing facility in Ersmark, Sweden.

Metso announced back in September it was starting “personnel negotiations” to review the implications at rubber and poly-met wear part production units in Ersmark and Trelleborg, Sweden. It has now decided to ramp down operations at Ersmark in stages from the beginning of the June quarter, with full closure expected in September quarter, it said.

The decision affects approximately 150 manufacturing related positions in Ersmark.

Sami Takaluoma, President, Minerals Consumables business area, said: “Our strategy is to improve productivity and reduce logistics costs by building on the most efficient manufacturing and sourcing opportunities at a regional and global level to ensure the best value and availability for our customers.

“During the negotiations, we evaluated the EMEA region as a whole and came to the conclusion that consolidating the rubber and poly-met manufacturing operations in Sweden was the only feasible solution.

“This is a very unpleasant yet necessary action. Going forward, our focus will be on ensuring a sustainable transition for Ersmark as well as uninterrupted service to our customers.”

The company concluded: “Today, Metso is the leading player in the rubber and poly-met mill lining business with a strong service network in all the main mining markets. In addition to Ersmark, Metso has another factory continuing synthetic wear part production in Trelleborg, Sweden, and nine other factories for synthetic solutions globally.”