In the mining industry , there is a lot of talk about innovation and sustainability . The reality is that truly changing the status quo is accompanied by significant challenges , risks and technological paradigm shifts . Not every organization has a culture that is tuned to embrace these challenges and be the first to forge a path for others to follow .
Eriez would like to formally recognize and congratulate Newcrest Mining for their pioneering work in commercializing coarse particle flotation in sulphide applications using the Eriez HydroFloat ® at their Cadia operation in New South Wales , Australia .
In the face of declining copper head grades and a tightening regulatory environment around the use of wet tailings dams , the processing of copper ores at coarser particle sizes has become a focal point for the industry . Eriez ’ HydroFloat technology is a step change for mining and processing sulphide ores . Specifically , it can shift the optimum economic grind size , delivering equivalent or better metal recoveries using less comminution energy and reducing the amount of fine material which has downstream benefits for tailings management .
Cadia is one of Australia ’ s largest gold mining operations processing 29Mtpa with metal recovered through gravity and conventional flotation to a Copper / Gold concentrate . Newcrest metallurgists identified the HydroFloat technology , while it was still new for base metal sulphides , as having potential to effectively recover coarse copper sulphide composites . The Newcrest team ( led by Brigitte Seaman , Luke Vollert , Brandon Akerstrom and Emily Jaques ) successfully tested the technology and then rapidly took it through a study phase to a pilot-plant and pilot-scale continuous operation in less than 2 years . Along the way , the team were supported at the highest levels within Newcrest to be technology leaders . In a ground-breaking project such as this , it takes a collaborative approach between the vendor , the engineering house , management and the operations to ensure success . During design , construction , commissioning and ramp-up , Eriez and Newcrest worked closely together to optimize the flowsheet , materials of construction and operating parameters for the installation at Cadia . To Eriez , this is the true model of a great partnership and a win-win for Eriez and Newcrest , as well as an advancement for the industry as a whole .
Following an extended period of commissioning and ramp-up in line with expectations for the adoption of novel technology , the Cadia installation achieved its performance targets . An expansion of the HydroFloat scavenging plant is now being studied .
As a provider of new and innovative mineral processing technologies , Eriez salutes Newcrest as an early adopter and example for the industry on how coarse particle flotation can deliver considerable upstream and downstream processing benefits .
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