MINING CHEMICALS
for phosphate-based fertilisers and animal feed due to a growing global population with higher caloric intake . Phosphate rock used in the production of these products often contains cadmium ( Cd ), arsenic ( As ) and other heavy metal impurities at concentrations considered toxic and mutagenic to humans . Solvay ’ s ACCO-PHOS ® heavy metal removal reagents provide a simple , effective and economic technology for achieving significantly reduced Cd and As levels in phosphoric acid , enabling compliance with current and anticipated regulatory requirements , the company says .
During solvent extraction , mining companies seek to minimise the formation of crud from organic , aqueous , air and fine solid particles . As crud accumulates on equipment , it may limit throughput and require unscheduled plant downtime for removal , the company says . Moreover , common crud removal processes often involve hazardous materials .
To address these issues , Solvay has developed ACORGA ® CR60 , a low-dosage , clean and safe additive designed to proactively prevent crud formation and build-up .
Ricardo Capanema , Global Marketing & Business Development Director of Mining Solutions at Solvay , concluded : “ We are committed to reinvent progress and create value in all industries that we serve . Our sustainable chemistry for mining operations closely aligns with our One Planet roadmap to provide safer , cleaner and more efficient products .”
Draslovka diversification
It has been a busy six months since Draslovka as , a Czech Republic-based leader in cyanidebased specialty chemicals , acquired Chemours ’ Mining Solutions business for $ 521 million .
Draslovka has more than 100 years of experience in hydrogen cyanide ( HCN ) production and HCN chemistry , specialising in the production of fully synthetic and highly purified liquid HCN , which undergoes further processing for application in a variety of downstream products including mining .
The deal with Chemours marked the company ’ s first major investment in the US and advanced its international expansion plans , with Pavel Brůžek , CEO of Draslovka , explaining : “ Our ambition is to use Draslovka ’ s CN-based specialty chemicals expertise and technological capabilities to support our global growth plans and drive improvements in safety , efficiency and environmental considerations throughout the industry .”
The company has since attempted to acquire Sasol South Africa ’ s sodium cyanide business
Draslovka says it has more than 100 years of experience in hydrogen cyanide ( HCN ) production and HCN chemistry , specialising in the production of fully synthetic and highly purified liquid HCN
through a South Africa-based , B-BBEE empowered subsidiary , with Draslovka to take over full operational control of the cyanide business .
However , in November , the sale of this business was prohibited by the Competition Commission , who based its decision on pricing effects which had been raised and dealt with by the commission at an earlier stage in the review process , Sasol said . Draslovka was expected to use its expertise in the cyanide business to bring new technologies and capabilities to the process , ensuring a continuous and stable supply of cyanide from the Sasol facilities to the mining industry .
Draslovka says it is working on overcoming these competition concerns .
At the same time as the company is looking to build on its position as a leading cyanide producer , it is also progressing work that goes beyond the conventional cyanidation process .
The company , last year , completed the acquisition of Australia-based Mining & Process Solutions ( MPS ), a business that owns the exclusive rights to the Glycine Leaching process GlyCat™ , an environmentally benign hydrometallurgical process to leach base and precious metal oxide , mixed oxide and sulphide ores . The GlyCat process was invented to reduce cyanide consumption while maintaining gold recovery for gold ores from deposits containing nuisance copper .
The addition of MPS provides an environmentally sustainable solution for the extraction of several precious metals , as well as copper , nickel and cobalt , to the company ’ s offering , Draslovka said .
MPS holds an exclusive licensing agreement with Curtin University for the glycine leaching process , allowing ongoing support and access to the latest research being progressed . Early last year , Curtin University researchers said they had improved the technology by “ significantly enhancing ” the leaching rates for gold ore by using a low concentration of a strong oxidising
agent known as potassium permanganate .
As glycine leaching provides a viable solution in sensitive environmental locations where other forms of leaching are not appropriate , the acquisition will add significantly to Draslovka ’ s diverse mining solutions product portfolio and allow the business to service customers in a broad range of regulatory situations , Draslovka said .
Corporate chemistry
Speaking of M & A , Nordchem , a privately-held , Canada-based mining chemical company , recently announced the acquisition of the product lines Soltimum and Soltiflot , a specialty line of industrial chemical additives .
As one of its goals is to offer a complete set of chemical solutions to meet customers ’ industrial challenges , this acquisition will strengthen Nordchem ’ s solutions portfolio offering in the marketplace , it said .
Just some of the solutions Nordchem offers the mining industry include flotation collectors , explosive emulsifiers , haul road dust control products , coal transport dust control products and fertiliser plant additives .
Another tie-up could see Gekko Systems ’ GoldiLOX leach accelerant applied in more mining operations across North America .
The Australia-based company recently entered into an agreement with Quadra Chemicals Ltd to represent the solution exclusively in Canada and the USA , and non-exclusively in Mexico .
GoldiLOX is an advanced leach accelerant able to , Gekko says , increase gold recovery while shortening intensive cyanidation times , making gold production a faster and more effective process . Compatible with all intensive reactors in the marketplace , GoldiLOX is either added as a single manual addition or by an automated chemical dosing system to the intense leach reactor .
Quadra Chemicals , meanwhile , has exposure to frothers , collectors , water treatment & solid / liquid separation , processing aids and leaching solutions for the mining sector .
“ Gekko is pleased to enter an agreement with Quadra Chemicals to provide a cost effective and efficient leach accelerant , GoldiLOX , to our clients in Canada , the USA and Mexico to add further value to their projects ,” Andrew Edmondston , CEO of Gekko Systems , said .
Ian Holden , Product Manager , Mining Group of Quadra Chemicals Ltd , added : “ Partnering with innovative solution providers to the mining industry , such as Gekko , allows us to continue to provide technologies which will help to ensure our client ’ s competitiveness in the market .”
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20 International Mining | MAY 2022