HIGH PROFILE
Disc filters detailed
Brasfelt vacuum disc filters processing iron ore tailings at CMP ' s operations in Chile
whenever possible . Under the same conditions , Brasfelt disc filter reaches the best performance concerning to production and moisture . All those factors together are responsible for this success and make the Brasfelt vacuum disc filters the best choice in the market .
As part of this special tailings edition , IM Editorial Director Paul Moore talked to Eustaquio Barbosa , Director of Operations at Brasfelt Ltda , based in Belo Horizonte , Brazil
Brasfelt manufactures equipment for solid / liquid separation and is the leader in the Brazilian market in vacuum disc filtration for iron ore while also continuously developing products and solutions for the filtration of other mined products as well as offering filtration solutions for other industries .
Q Can you give some background as to how and why Brasfelt emerged as a company and how you came to lead the market for disc filters in Brazilian mining today ? A Brasfelt emerged in 1993 as a reseller of filter fabrics and other products produced by Tamfelt Oy , a Finnish company . The business evolved naturally and , due to a lack of local production , started a cooperation with a Norwegian company called Hydralift . Brasfelt then acquired the rights to produce vacuum disc filters locally , which became the first ones produced in Brazil and were first sold to Vale ’ s Kobrasco plant , part of its Tubarão operations , in 1998 . After that , Brasfelt modified its solutions and offering so that it could best fulfil the necessities of the local market , including the right price level . The result is that today Brasfelt filters are stronger and allow for higher production and longer operation cycles , consequently decreasing the costs of operation and maintenance . Therefore , Vale and other companies started to acquire Brasfelt filters in Brazil and in Chile , so that Brasfelt became a market leader in those countries .
Q Why are disc filters so suited to Brazilian iron ore tailings dewatering ( as opposed to plate filters for example ) - is the sand content an important factor ? A The choice of a filter depends on multiple factors , but one of them is the size of the solid particles . For extremely fine materials , the natural choice is filter presses . But for not so fine particles , the natural choice is disc filters . The main operational difference between them , is that filter presses do not have a continuous cycle ( they operates in batches ) and also the productivity ( tonnes per hour per square meter ) is lower than that of disc filters . So the use of disc filters in iron ore tailings , which requires high production , was a break in the paradigm that stated disc filters are not suitable for this application . The content of sand really affects how the equipment will perform . Due to this challenge , Brasfelt made some innovations in its disc filters , such as the application of ceramic lining in more vulnerable parts and replacing the filtrate tubes from HDPE ( High Density Polyethylene ) to polyurethane . These innovations allowed the equipment to be resistant to the sand content of the tailings .
Q You are not the only disc filter supplier - they are also offered by Metso , FLS and others . What are the special design elements of the Brasfelt filter that has made it so successful - is it ease of maintenance , the fact you make your own filter media , as well as other factors ? A First , I can say that the spirit of innovation has made Brasfelt always one step ahead . Our team is constantly checking the operational conditions and trying to improve performance , costs , and reliability of the equipment . Also , after-sales attention to the customer has made a great difference as well as having local strategic stock of spare parts in order to prevent wasting logistical time has improved the confidence of our customers in us . Special designs are present in some of our patented innovations , such as vacuum plates with variable angle of formation , which allows the operator to change the time of cake formation without changing the speed of the filter . Our filter carries also a special design aiming to get the most efficient use of the vacuum supplied by the vacuum pumps , avoiding losses
Q The Brazilian iron ore mining industry is going through a massive conversion of its wet tailings processes over to filtered and stacked tailings , including Vale at mulitple sites like Vargem Grande , Itabira and Brucutu . Can you give some idea of how much you have been involved on this journey with Vale and others , and how you have partnered with them ? A We have been involved since the beginning of this process . Brasfelt has made a lot of lab tests with different materials ( as we still do today ) to choose not only the type of filters but also to calculate the size and number of filters required . I must mention that Brasfelt also produces filter presses ( plate filters ) in cooperation with Fraccaroli & Balzan . So , our analysis is not a biased opinion , guided by any other interest than to present the best solution for the client .
Q Do these projects involve replacing wet dams entirely , or reducing the need to use them , or dewatering tailings already in wet dams , or a combination of all of these ? Eustaquio Barbosa A It is a combination of all these . Each plant has its proper needs and requires a particular solution . But we are only at the beginning . This process is huge and will extend for many years from now . What Brasfelt can assure customers of is that filtrate tailings is not a challenge anymore and we are pleased to be part of the solution , not only for iron ore mining , but also for other industries , like gold tailings , for example , as at the P . A . Gold tailings filtration plant in Peixoto de Azevedo , Mato Grosso .
Q Away from iron ore is there also potential for your filter products to be used in other mining sectors like industrial minerals eg magnesite , nickel mining , copper mining etc ? A For sure . Brasfelt is not focused only on iron ore mining . Like I said before , we have filters installed at other types of mining operation in plants producing gold , nickel , kaolin and magnesite for example , as well as in other industries like sewage and water treatment . IM
APRIL 2024 | International Mining 37