HIGH PROFILE
process and a full scale 5 m x 3 m proof of
concept filter has been successfully operated at
our Tucson facility. FLSmidth is committed to
improving tailings safety and reducing water
consumption at mines with our MissionZero
strategy announced late last year. We know there
is no magic wand to stop the need for water in
mining and minerals processing from one day to
the next. However, through cooperation with
partners in the industry, we have made great
progress. Working with the industry to deliver
solutions that help our customers overcome some
Tailings filtration – the importance of maintenance
Todd Wisdom addressed this issue in a recent FLSmidth article, here are
some highlights: “For a tailings filtration project to be financially
competitive compared with other tailings options, high availability of
filtration equipment and low operational costs are essential. Automatic
pressure filters are easily ruined, for instance, if proper maintenance is
not performed. The good news is through high-quality equipment design,
building layouts planned around accessibility, maintenance procedures
and automation, operating costs can be kept low, while availability
greater than 90% is possible.
“Pressure filter equipment design – especially when it comes to sizing
and a design that allows for easy cloth and plate maintenance – needs to
be a top priority when maintaining high availability for pressure filter
equipment. Undersized dewatering equipment will operate at excessive
rates and without the proper downtime required for preventative
maintenance. Bench scale filtration equipment is usually employed with a
high degree of success when it comes to getting size right as it gives
reliable results that have been proven to scale up with a high level of
accuracy to full sized filter production. Additionally, it is necessary to
comprehensively test a complete range of tailings that are representative
of the complete mine lifecycle, as opposed to a blend of 'typical tailings'
material.
“Filtration equipment is frequently sized according to a blended sample
of their biggest challenges is our top priority. This
will ultimately make it easier for players in the
industry to obtain a license to operate, reduces
operational costs significantly, minimises the risk
of contaminating ground water, and eliminate
tailings dams’ failures. IM
– often with no other samples tested. If the complete operational envelope
is not tested it means taking on a significant risk of undersizing and having
no time available for required maintenance. The temptation to take this
shortcut is based on an effort to reduce project developmental costs.
Additionally, if best filtering material is used, it can lead to the filters being
undersized (sometimes by as much as half). Equally, if the worst material
is used as the basis of the design, capital costs and operating expenses
could be too high for the project and it may never seem viable.”
On a role for automation he states: “The most beneficial automation
for maintaining high availability on a pressure filter is focussed on the
filter cloth. Knowing when a cloth has failed, tracking how long that cloth
was in operation and where it failed is key information – and automation
can provide it. Full filter turbidity sensors are commonly used to detect
cloth failures in a filter press. Their limitation is not indicating which of
the potential hundreds of cloths in a filter has failed. Single-plate
turbidity sensors developed by FLSmidth can be used to precisely indicate
where the failure has occurred. Turbidity sensing modules can be
installed into a filter plate to detect damages in the filter cloth as well as
failures. There are also solutions on the market that allow a maintenance
person to log where the cloth failed and why it failed using a mobile
device. This allows for targeted cloth improvements based on failure
modes, predictive maintenance and inventory control, and improved
availability and production.”
SEPTEMBER
J U N E 9 ~ 1 22-25,
2 , 2 0 2020
20
sh e r at on h ot e l , c hi l e
23 rd International Conference on Paste, Thickened and Filtered Tailings
Reg ister T To
oda y!
executive c
committe
Pa s te 20 20 i s o r g a n i z e d t o of f e r a f o r u m w h e r e
e x e cu t i v es an d p r o fes s i o n a l s c an l e ar n an d an a l y z e
r e c e n t i n n o v at i o n s o n p a s t e , t h i c k e n e d a n d f i l t e r e d
t ai l i n g s m a n a g e m e n t .
T h e p r el im in ar y p r o g r am o f t h e c o n fe r e n c e in c l u d e s
ove r 6 0 p r e s e n ta tio ns b y a u t h o r s f r o m 19 c o u n t r i e s .
P aste202 0.com
organized by
y
ch
hair
ós
scar flores
Op
perations Manager,
Mi inera Centinela,
An
ntofagasta Minerals, Chile
co
o - organizer
an
ndy fourie
Pro
ofessor, The University
of Western Australia
co
o - organizer
ch
hristian ihle
As sociate Professor and
Pri incipal Investigator, AMTC,
Un
niversidad de Chile
progr am director
hugo quelopana
Tailings Management
Specialist Engineer,
Delfing, Chile
executive director
carlos bar ahona
General Manager,
Gecamin, Chile
sponsors
T I L P R O
TA
C O N S UL T IN G
APRIL 2020 | International Mining 71