Tag Archives: thickening

Metso reflects on ‘benchmark’ contract win in Chile copper space

Metso has been awarded a major order worth some €55 million ($59 million) to deliver key concentrator equipment for a copper mining project in Chile.

The Metso delivery scope consists of high-capacity Nordberg® MP1250 secondary cone crushers, MF Series™ vibrating screens and energy-efficient Vertimill® VTM1500 regrinding mills.

For the flotation and separation circuit, Metso will supply multiple TankCell® and ColumnCell™ flotation cells featuring several of the largest available 630 cu.m TankCell units, as well as HCT™ High Compression tailing thickeners. In addition, Metso’s scope includes four MHC hydrocyclone clusters, of which two will be among the largest in the world.

Most of the products in the delivery scope are part of Metso’s Planet Positive offering.

Fernando Samanez, Vice President, Minerals Sales for South America at Metso, said: “Working together with the customer and the engineering company on an open collaborative model has been an extraordinary experience. The model enhanced the efficiency of the engineering process and contributed to the alignment of all parties on the targets set by the end customer. This will be a benchmark to be followed in similar projects all over the world.”

Metso to provide ‘grinding island’ for Almina copper, zinc concentrator in Portugal

Almina Minas do Alentejo S.A. is proceeding with the preparations to upgrade the copper and zinc concentrator at its Almina mine in Aljustrel, in the Iberian pyrite belt in Portugal, with the company having placed an order with Metso as the key equipment supplier for this project in the March quarter of 2023, the OEM says.

Metso has now completed the basic engineering of the grinding island. Delivery of the concentrator plant equipment will take place around the end of the June quarter in 2024, with the project expected to be commissioning by the end of the March quarter of 2025.

Saso Kitanoski, President for Metso’s Europe Market Area, said: “Collaboration between Almina Minas do Alentejo S.A and Metso is strong. We are excited to continue working with Almina on this project, for which they selected us to supply the grinding island, ultrafine grinding technology, as well as flotation, filtration and thickening equipment, as well as all slurry pumps. The deliveries will be fast as the plant will be built already within the next 24 months.”

According to Miguel Santos, Senior Sales Manager for Metso Minerals in Iberia & Italy, Almina chose to collaborate with Metso on the engineering for the grinding island as Metso was able to bring extensive expertise and confidence that the project will deliver robust performance, availability and sustainability results.

Santos said: “Almina trusts Metso as a partner for this project as we can provide them with a comprehensive package of solutions to help them achieve their targets. Several of the solutions to be delivered to Almina feature our Planet Positive technology.”

MetsoOutotec-testing

Metso Outotec on the need for holistic testing

The Metso Outotec global network of testing, research and product development facilities covers the whole process flowsheet from comminution through separation, to filtration, refining and pyrometallurgical/hydrometallurgical processing.

It has centres all over the globe – in Australia, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Finland, Peru, USA and more – able to, the company says, offer extensive expertise and circuit simulation to a wide range of industries.

Metso Outotec’s research and testing services include evaluation of ore types, mineralogical characterisation, feed material testing, sampling, materials selection, analytical chemistry and flowsheet development.

To get a flavour of this extensive research and testing portfolio, IM spoke to Alan Boylston, Director, Process Engineering at Metso Outotec, and Rodrigo Grau, Technology Director – Minerals Processing at Metso Outotec, about the capabilities of two of the company’s facilities – York (USA) and Pori (Finland), respectively, while also touching on Metso Outotec’s global testing and research capabilities.

In 2022, the company announced a consolidation of its minerals testing services in USA into a single 5,500 sq.m facility in York able to eventually cover the full minerals value chain and support the mining industry worldwide. Pori, meanwhile, focuses on mineral technology, hydrometallurgical processes development, pyrometallurgy and ferroalloys technology and material technology. In other words, the company conducts laboratory and pilot test work, flowsheet development as well as validation and development of new technologies for the industry.

IM: Will the York facility now be seen as your ‘testing centre of excellence’?

AB: The York facility is a centre of excellence for testing, but we have many of these within the company. Our global presence, the knowledge and our expertise at each of these locations is one of the factors that sets us apart.

Each of our locations is a centre for excellence in its own field. Pori, for example, has extensive research capabilities, Sorocaba in Brazil focuses on comminution and beneficiation testing, while Lappeenranta Dewatering Technology Center concentrates on thickening and filtration. Each location is an integral part of our global testing offering. In addition to these, we have various facilities around the globe covering also aggregates and pyrometallurgical testing, research and development.

That being said, the effort we have made to expand the York Test Center gives us a much better advantage for research and testing in North America, compared to a few years ago. We can now do more pilot-scale testing, especially with equipment like our HRC™800e high pressure grinding roll (HPGR). We can also carry out pyrometallurgical testing, plus conduct magnetic separation tests. At some point in 2023, we also expect to add thickening and filtration testing to this remit. But this is a very high-level view of what we have to offer in the York location.

Metso Outotec has a global network of testing, research and product development locations

IM: Even with this consolidation in USA, are you expecting to collaborate with other global facilities when it comes to testing processes throughout the flowsheet?

AB: Yes, absolutely. For example, we have a project coming in right now where the sample was first in Tampere (Finland) for some crushing test work, before they split off a sample for us for grinding test work in York and then Pori is also receiving a sample for some broader mineralogy testing.

This speaks to why we are able to claim to have global capabilities. No matter the testing or research need, we are able to assist our customers to get the job done. This all goes towards one goal – the customer’s benefit.

IM: How do you see these testing capabilities interacting and benefitting from other modelling work you carry out in-house? For example, do you anticipate using these facilities and the likes of the Geminex digital twin in unison to offer clients physical and digital representations of flowsheet options?

RG: Modelling is very important for us. In each project we work on, modelling and simulation are at the heart. Here in Pori, we carry out flowsheet development and technology validation. One of the outputs of our work is to end with a simulation of an industrial plant. Going from that simulation into Geminex is just one more step we will be taking in the future.

AB: At the York lab, we are now moving to a SCADA-based system to run everything: when a sample comes in, it gets tagged and identified and we then automatically know what test to run. We have tablets to, for instance, setup all the parameters of a test for an HRC 800e. We can start and stop the test on that tablet and see the real-time information coming in as the test is being carried out. That data is also being stored for future use.

We’re undergoing a program right now to build out a database function where all the post processing of this data goes on in the background and can then be seamlessly integrated into things like our HRC simulation software. We are building the backbone to carry out that real-time digital twinning.

IM: Do you anticipate your global testing capabilities to lead to a higher uptake of Planet Positive solutions?

AB: With our customers having a huge focus on sustainability, I do. As an example, since we have had the pilot-scale HRC 800e available for testing, it has been fully booked. In 2023, we are preparing for a test plan where we could take the HRC product and go directly into a pilot Vertimill. Those are two Planet Positive approaches we are putting together in a single test plant to show how far we can push energy efficiency and media consumption reduction.

RG: I would definitely agree with Alan. And to add to that – for example at Pori, we do a lot of hydrometallurgical testing and piloting, and that is only increasing with the rising demand for lithium and other battery minerals. And our customers are really looking at how our equipment is reducing their carbon footprint and other sustainability benefits.

You will hear us say it time and time again, but this is definitely a trend that we are seeing at all of our facilities.

Metso Outotec testing and research capabilities cover the entire flowsheet – from comminution through the entire operation to pyrometallurgical/hydrometallurgical processing

IM: Will these expanded testing facilities also benefit your equipment and process R&D work?

AB: I think so. We built this lab to not just be a materials testing facility, but also a research hub, especially for grinding, but also for any other Metso Outotec business area needs. There is definitely a huge opportunity out there for us!

RG: And this rings true around the globe at all our facilities. For example, in separation, we have been testing the Concorde Cell™ flotation technology in Pori for a long time. And that is how we’ve approached development of a lot of our other innovations that go to market.

IM: How would you say industry testing requirements have changed over, say, the last five years?

AB: From our perspective, I am seeing more comprehensive test programs come through.

Instead of, say, one certain test, it is an entire test program with specific timings around evaluations and the ability to develop the flowsheet through the testing required. There is more collaborative designing of the flowsheet taking place through testing than there was five or 10 years ago.

RG: It is certainly more comprehensive now than it previously was.

For example, we carry out early engagement with our customers in Pori and start developing a flowsheet and evaluating the ore types.

The amount of material that is tested nowadays is much bigger than it was before. Obviously, it is not just limited to this example, because, as Alan mentioned before, we’ve got this connection between all our facilities to ensure our customers get exactly what they need from their testing program.

Also, our customers think about different drivers in the process very carefully and want that reflected in the test work. That could be more evaluation on the water they consume. They also look at the energy expended, on top of the expected recoveries and metal grades.

There is more emphasis on sustainability, even at these early stages, in addition to looking at how the ore types may change over time and what impact this will have on the processing requirements.

This is where our extensive simulation and modelling capabilities are leveraged for the biggest impact.

IM: Anything else to add?

RG: Pori and York are but a fraction of the expertise of the wider Metso Outotec research and testing portfolio; one that continues to expand in line with customer requirements. We don’t just cover mining, either – like our equipment offering, we provide research and testing services for the whole flowsheet.

And we are continually improving our capabilities in this space for our customers. So, stay tuned for the future and where we can take research and testing!

Metso Outotec introduces scalable thickening options for minerals processing

Metso Outotec has introduced scalable thickening plant units to, it says, ensure outstanding circuit performance and reliability for any minerals processing application or capacity.

Comprising high-rate thickeners, high-compression thickeners, paste thickeners, clarifiers and polymer dosing units, the Metso Outotec thickening plant units fit seamlessly with other dewatering units, like filtration or any type of water treatment applications, according to the company. The pre-engineered units incorporate Planet Positive Reactorwell™ feedwell technology, maximising thickener performance while minimising flocculant consumption.

Toni Kuisma, Product Manager for Dewatering Islands at Metso Outotec, said: “Decreasing ore grades set new challenges for the mining industry. Equipment design needs to integrate seamlessly across the process to avoid underperformance and recovery losses. Our new thickening plant units feature scalable, modular components, and the integrated units deliver consistent performance even in changing process conditions. What’s more, the productised and partially modular units are quick and safe to install and commission.”

Metso Outotec says these units offer unique benefits including:

  • A wide and proven range of proprietary equipment with innate digitalisation for the whole plant, providing consistent performance in changing process conditions
  • Industry-leading Reactorwell feedwell technology to ensure efficient use of the clarification area;
  • Better risk management through process performance guarantees;
  • In-house testing and sizing;
  • Expert support in the design of individual applications, based on extensive plant design know-how and numerous references for various applications, concentrate and tailings.

Metso Outotec has one of the widest portfolios of thickening solutions on the market, with an installed base of around 3,000 thickener equipment installations around the world.

The thickening plant units are Metso Outotec’s fifth complete plant unit launch for concentrator plants, with previous launches including stirred mill plant units, horizontal mill plant units, filtration plant units and flotation plant units

Berthold keeps tabs on slurry solids content with SmartSeries LB 414 system

Berthold says its SmartSeries LB 414 radiometric density measurement system is gaining traction in mining applications such as large volume thickening.

It explains: “Large volume thickening tanks are used in the mining industry to concentrate ore or minerals. Gravity settling drives the solid-liquid separation, which concentrates the solids at the bottom of the tank. The concentrated slurry is removed via an underflow outlet and should have a high solids content.

“However, care must be taken to monitor slurry solids content, as too high solids content can clog or damage pumps and pipes.”

The SmartSeries LB 414, suitable for density measurements in non-hazardous and non-explosive environments, can continuously monitor the solids content in the underflow, with the device providing an accurate and reproducible measurement for many years, Berthold claims.

The local user interface with display and software focused on key aspects makes calibration and operation of the HART (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer) device easy, the company says. Calibration can be carried out via the detector’s push button, HART communicator, PC with service modem, or infrared remote control. Once calibrated, in addition to the 4–20 mA HART output, the current measured value is continuously shown on the local display.

Some of the advantages of Berthold’s solids content measurement device in mining include:

  • Ensures smooth process flow and prevents pipes and valves from clogging;
  • Optimises flocculant use through feeding rate control;
  • Exact mass flow determination, in combination with a flow meter;
  • Minimal operating costs;
  • Maintenance free, no re-calibrations needed, and non-contact measurement avoids wear.

First Ore Mining and Metso Outotec strike thickening plant deal for Pavlovskoye

The First Ore Mining Company (FOMC), part of ARMZ Uranium Holding Co, says it has signed a cooperation agreement with Metso Outotec “underlining the parties’ interest in continuing their strategic partnership in the design, supply, installation, control and commissioning of the thickening plant for the Pavlovskoye field”.

The agreement waas signed by Igor Semenov (right), Executive Director, FOMC JSC, and Markku Teräsvasara (left), Vice President, Metso Outotec.

The Pavlovskoye polymetallic deposit on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago is the largest such deposit in Russia with 47.7 Mt of ore reserves (2.49 Mt f zinc, 549,000 t of lead and 1,194 t of silver), according to First Ore Mining.

The cooperation with Finland’s Outotec (since merged with Metso to make Metso Outotec) emerged more than a year ago on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which gave rise to an initial pact. Since that time, the company’s experts, together with Aker Arctic Technology, have elaborated a detailed draft design for the floating concentrator and set out a preliminary thickening flow chart and main equipment layout, First Ore Mining said.

In September, representatives from Metso Outotec visited the Pavlovskoye field. In the course of the field activities, the company examined the site for the planned thickening plant, tailings pond and infrastructure facilities, First Ore Mining said. It also acknowledged the ore samples were representative and could be used in testing.

The next stage within the partnership will include tests to be carried out at Metso Outotec Research Center in Pori, Finland. Once the work is completed and the final thickening flow chart is developed, Metso Outotec will present the guaranteed performance indicators and design values to ensure the plant’s productivity and the high quality of the concentrates and metal extraction for the ore types studied, FOMC said.

Semenov said: “I am confident that working together with Metso Outotec will significantly improve the thickening indicators for Pavlovskoye ores, which were obtained during the studies in the previous years. As a result, we will produce premium concentrates that are in demand in the global lead and zinc markets.”

Teräsvasara added: “Indeed, it is quite interesting to participate in the development of this unique project for processing minerals in the Russian Arctic. In addition to standard technological and economic matters, harsh weather conditions, lack of infrastructure, and high requirements to environmental safety in the vulnerable Arctic wildlife have made us search for the best available technologies to cover all these points.”

The Pavlovskoye project includes plans to build the northern-most mining and processing plant to produce lead and zinc concentrates, with First Ore Mining as the project operator.

Weir’s Warman AHF slurry pumps cut through the froth in South Africa

Weir Minerals’ Warman® AHF pumps have been put to the test at two mines in South Africa’s Limpopo Province, the company said.

The pumps were tasked with pumping frothy, high density and viscous slurries at the platinum and phosphate mines.

Weir said: “Handling froth in some process circuits can be very challenging, as froth will air-bind a conventional slurry pump. In froth applications, the Warman AHF inducer impeller solves this problem, producing far less surging. The inducer impeller and oversized inlet enhance the movement of the froth, high density or viscous slurries into the impeller, facilitating effective transportation.

“In addition, its higher efficiencies mean a smaller pump will deliver the required results.”

At the platinum operation, a Warman AHF 2 pump was commissioned in early 2016. It has met the specified flow rate of 40 m3/h with no pump-related stoppages, repairs or replacements, according to Weir.

A 12-month trial period showed the unit saved the mine over R200,000 ($14,153) when compared with the cost of the competitor pump installed previously. Based on this, the mine replaced another eight competitor products with Warman AHF pumps, Weir said. It has approved the Warman AHF 3 pumps as standard for all frothy applications at the plant’s first flotation section, and Warman AHF 2 pumps for the second flotation section, the company added.

The Warman AHF pumps – with Hi Seal® expeller (dry gland) design – were also tested in a viscous slurry application at the phosphate mine in Limpopo for six months. According to Weir, they demonstrated they could continuously pump the high-density viscous underflow slurry at relative densities above 1.9. “As a result, the customer purchased the pump and began upgrading all the remaining concentrate thickener underflow pumps to the Warman AHF pump technology,” Weir said.

This reduced the plant’s operational costs significantly, decreased dewatering and concentrate moisture extraction operations, improved filtration efficiency and increased concentrate throughput to the dryers, according to Weir. The Warman AHF pump also extended the underflow pumping boundaries and the overall reliability of the thickener underflow pumping system.

“Other field and laboratory tests have proven that the Warman AHF pump has largely overcome the problem of high-density viscous underflow slurries, with negligible effects on head at slurry yield stresses up to 200 Pa,” the company said.

Jacques Pretorius, Weir Minerals Africa’s Pump Product Development Specialist, said the approach to solving any thickener underflow pumping problem must be based on a thorough understanding of the entire application, the mineralogy and rheological behaviour of the slurry.

“Successful thickener underflow pumping projects are only achievable through involving a team of thickener engineers, pumping engineers and rheological consultants,” he said. “Weir Minerals’ pump trial campaigns confirm the successful operability of the Warman AHF pumps in viscous slurry applications.”

BQE Water sorts SART plant for China’s Shandong Zhongkuang Group

BQE Water says it has been awarded its first contract to deliver a sulphidisation, acidification, recycling and thickening (SART) plant in China.

The contract, at a gold metallurgical facility owned and operated by Shandong Zhongkuang Group Co in eastern China, was awarded following the positive outcome of the engineering feasibility study and on-site testing completed by BQE Water earlier in the year, the company said.

The contract consists of two project phases. In the first phase, BQE Water will provide all aspects of the plant design, engineering support during procurement and construction, and plant commissioning, it said. This initial phase is to be completed within the next 12 months.

In the second phase, BQE Water will provide ongoing operations support services for a period of five years and will be paid a quarterly service fee based on plant performance.

David Kratochvil, President & CEO of BQE Water, said: “We are very excited about this project which enables BQE Water to demonstrate our leadership in SART technology in China and to execute the project using a business model that generates recurring revenues from technological know-how and services without the need for capital investment.

“I would also like to acknowledge the positive role that funding and advisory services from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) has played in allowing us to accelerate research in clean Canadian technologies such as SART in China.”

Songlin Ye, Vice President for Asia at BQE Water, said: “The success of our operations at the Guoda gold smelter some 20 km away from the Zhongkuang site and our partnership with MWT Water Treatment Project Limited Co, were both instrumental in establishing the commercial framework for this project.

“SART implementation is the first step in the bigger picture of modernising cyanide management and waste treatment at the Zhongkuang metallurgical processing facility. The success of SART may open new opportunities to help us develop a long-term relationship with Zhongkuang.”

BQE Water calls itself a global leader in the SART process which enables cyanide consumed by base metals to be recovered and recycled, lowering the cost of gold extraction and reducing the environmental footprint of gold mining projects. The company also provides solutions to manage the by-products of cyanidation and cyanide destruction such as ammonia, nitrite and thiocyanate removal.