MINING CHEMICALS
Syensqo’ s breakthrough innovations
Since its official launch in 2024, Syensqo’ s Transfoamer™ technology continues to gain traction. According to Syensqo, Transfoamer™ frothers represent a breakthrough innovation in flotation technology as advancements in frother technology had largely stagnated over the past 60 years.
Transfoamer™ technology is designed to automatically adapt to pH changes in coarse particle flotation circuits. The technology optimises froth strength, starting as a robust frother in the rougher circuit and transitioning to a weaker frother in the cleaner circuit, in turn enhancing circuit stability and recovery with a single-frother solution.
The adaptability of Transfoamer™ technology the company says overcomes the limitations of traditional frother blends; historically mines settled for“ good enough” results, relying on reagents that weren’ t fully optimised for either the rougher or the cleaner circuit. Mines working with Transfoamer™ frothers it says benefit from more efficient and effective flotation performance.
Syensqo Transfoamer™ technology is designed to automatically adapt to pH changes in coarse particle flotation circuits
Recent plant trial data for Transfoamer™ T-100 demonstrates a notable increase in copper recovery in the rougher stage, even with a coarser grind. The integration of Transfoamer™ resulted in a statistically significant enhancement in overall copper recovery by approximately 1.5 %. This improvement Syensqo says underscores the substantial return on investment that Transfoamer™ offers.
The company told IM:“ Transfoamer™ is a dynamic product that continuously evolves to meet the specific needs of Syensqo’ s customers. The T-100 variant is recognised for its medium-strength frothing capability, akin to that of a strong alcohol frother. In contrast, the T-200 option is the most potent frother in our lineup, exhibiting characteristics similar to strong glycol frother. The T-120, T-210, and T-220 variants offer frothing strengths ranging from medium to strong, providing flexibility and customisation to suit diverse customer requirements.”
Moving to developments in collector technology, Syensqo’ s AEROPHINE ® collector line remains a flagship product in the flotation of complex polymetallic ores, especially where both base and precious metals are present.“ With industry-leading selectivity and metallurgical performance, AEROPHINE ® enables mines to optimise recovery without compromising grade, offering a compelling case for mines aiming to maximise profitability while ensuring sustainable operations.”
Ongoing development efforts are focused on extending AEROPHINE ® performance in increasingly complex ore matrices, including those with elevated pyrite content and ultrafine sulphides. The latest additions to the AEROPHINE ® product line, AEROPHINE ® 3565 and 3566, have been engineered to enhance the purity and quality of lead concentrates by effectively reducing pyrite and zinc recovery.“ These innovative collectors maintain AEROPHINE ®’ s renowned selectivity for lead and silver, while offering superior selectivity against pyrite and zinc impurities.”
A recent plant trial conducted at a Pb-Zn mine in Central America highlighted strong performance for AEROPHINE ® 3565, which helped Syensqo’ s customer achieve a 2 % increase in lead( Pb) recovery and a 4 % improvement in Pb grade compared to the previous AEROPHINE ® 3418 formulation. Fe grade and recovery decreased by 1.5 % and 1.7 %, respectively, which made the product selective against pyrite.
Synesqo has also developed a specific solution for phosphate fertiliser production, where scale accumulation is one of the most persistent operational challenges. Deposits on heat exchangers, pipelines, and filtration systems reduce throughput and efficiency, increase energy costs, and lead to frequent unplanned maintenance shutdowns.
Syensqo’ s PHOSFLOW ® scale inhibitor is designed to address this issue at its core. It prevents the formation of problematic scale species- including fluorosilicate and aluminate- while seamlessly integrating into existing plant infrastructure. By improving heat transfer efficiency and extending equipment cycle time, PHOSFLOW ® helps phosphate producers achieve higher output with less downtime.
Recent trials have shown that PHOSFLOW ® can reduce fluorosilicate and aluminate scale formation by up to 95 %; decrease plugged heat exchanger tubes by 88 %; reduce cleaning time for heat exchanger tubes by 87 %; and increase evaporator cycle time by 94 %. It says it also boosts heat transfer coefficients in early evaporator stages by 24-25 %, and enables production increases of more than 5 % in some operations compared to competitors’ products.
In addition to these technical improvements, PHOSFLOW ® reduces worker exposure to hazardous cleaning chemicals, supporting a safer and more sustainable plant environment. Initial trial results suggest improvements in slurry stability, reduced scaling, and enhanced overall process uptime.
Back to leaching technology, where crud formation remains a costly challenge in solvent extraction( SX) operations, often leading to phase separation issues, increased organic losses and maintenance downtime. Based on extensive studies and plant data review, Syensqo understands that the issue is primarily caused by colloidal silica and high total suspended solids in the pregnant leach solution, where silica stabilises emulsions between organic and aqueous phases, hindering phase separation and leading to operational challenges like metal losses and equipment fouling.
Syensqo’ s ACORGA ® CR60 LT addresses these issues by breaking down crud through a combination of phase separation enhancement and emulsion stability control. CR60 is compatible with both primary copper and cobalt circuits and is formulated for minimal impact on organic phase composition. Trials continue to show significantly improved separation efficiency and reduced organic losses, with ACORGA ® CR60 LT helping operators extend organic lifetimes and reduce reagent consumption.
Finally, sulphuric acid mist present during copper SX / electrowinning poses a significant concern for mines. Mist is generated when oxygen at the anode causes tiny droplets of acidic electrolyte to disperse into the air, posing health risks for employees as well as operational challenges. Traditional mist suppressants, often fluorocarbon-based, are being phased out due to environmental and health concerns, as well as regulatory pressures. In light of these challenges, the industry required an alternative mist suppressant designed to maintain plating performance and cathode quality.
Syensqo introduced ACORGA ® EW98 to address this need. ACORGA ® EW98 is a non-fluorocarbon mist suppressant that effectively reduces acid mist formation, thereby facilitating workplace safety and compliance. ACORGA ® EW98 is designed to work at economical concentrations.“ It is compatible with the solvent extraction circuit and organic phase, as well as with the electrowinning process, ensuring seamless integration without affecting the quality of copper cathodes. Initial studies and industrial evaluations have confirmed
60 International Mining | MAY 2025