MINE EXCURSION
then transported to the port and sold to
international clients,” says Brits.
Metspar contains more than 80%
calcium fl uorite, and is used in the
pyrometallurgical metallurgical industry,
mostly for smelting, as it reduces the
temperature at which smelting
takes place and therefore reduces
energy consumption.
The unique fl otation process at
Nokeng includes a conditioning
step that requires the
temperature of the mixture to
be increased to more than 60
degrees Celsius. Therefore,
boilers had to be installed.
The boilers were built
and manufactured
in Zimbabwe.
The increased
temperature
signifi cantly improves
the separation of the
fl uorspar from the
gangue (unwanted
minerals). In Nokeng’s
case, the
Construction of the processing plant at Nokeng is complete, but contractors DRA and Minopex will still be on site for another few months.
www. africanmining.co.za
African Mining Publication
African Mining
African Mining November 2019
27