FLOTATION output of that single pass .
Anderson says a similar dynamic saw the Jameson Concentrator chosen for South32 ’ s Hermosa operation . “ When 10 cells can do the work of 22 but only needs 60 % of the footprint and 30 % less energy , it ’ s enabling an operation to deliver economies in a more difficult set of constraints .”
The second major innovation is in modular plants for brownfield expansions or temporary projects . “ Some mineral processing opportunities are difficult to realise . Their location is difficult , or the operation is old with minimal space for new equipment , or the feed is a small ‘ spotty ’ deposit that will only be feasible through some kind of relocatable asset ,” said Anderson .
Glencore Technology ’ s development of modular plants , he says , are a solution to this other class of emerging opportunities . A concentrator to process low volumes of less than 350 t / d are now feasible . A modular design is deemed ideal for low tonnage projects with a short life of mine but nonetheless with solid economic cases .
“ The modular design is ideal for tailing retreatment or run of mine projects . It can be relocated elsewhere as ore bodies deplete and repurposed to make feasible the next opportunity ”, says Anderson .
Anderson says both of these innovations are valuable to a third type of difficult ‘ deposit ’: tailings . An operation ’ s tailings losses are typically ultrafines and coarse composite particles . And the highly variable nature of the tailings size , location and value often means that processing tailings gets considered and then abandoned , regularly .
Conventional cells require a longer residence time and the cost of the plant may make them uneconomical for low-grade , finely disseminated feeds and the size may make them impossible in tight brownfield locations .
Anderson says the Jameson Cell has a longproven record in processing sub-10 micron feeds . “ It has faster kinetics and it floats whatever is floatable . So you add these two innovations and it ’ s a game changer . If it can process even more feed per unit of space , or be installed via a modular plant , then it can scale to any location and any size of tailings , economically , efficiently and profitably .”
FloatForce + - building on a firm foundation
Metso is also expanding its flotation portfolio in other ways including enhancing an already innovative component solution in the form of the FloatForce ® + mixing mechanism that takes the well established FloatForce and makes it even better . With FloatForce +, part of Metso ’ s Planet
Positive offering , Metso introduces a plug-andplay solution that it says maximises metallurgical recovery , boosts pumping efficiency , and reduces energy consumption , helping customers recover valuable materials and increase revenue . IM caught up with both Guillermo Bermudez , Product Director , Flotation at Metso and Christian Cardoso , Product Manager , Mechanical Flotation Services on this development .
Bermudez explained that for now this is a limited launch in that Metso is firstly focusing on the rotor , with the stator still under development . It is also working in certain ranges of sizes – focusing at the moment on the larger sizes . What were the project drivers ? He comments : “ FloatForce was launched back in 2006 and there have been a lot of technological advances since then – including better ways to optimise our existing solutions and equipment . And since that time there has been a significant positive shift towards sustainability . Absolutely 100 % of our flotation R & D across Metso is focused on Planet Positive . The already highly energy efficient original FloatForce was ahead of its time when launched and that is what enabled the success of newer and larger TankCell generations . Otherwise green thinking 20 years ago was lower down the priority list in the mineral processing industry – today it is one of the top drivers in technology development but never at the expense
With FloatForce +, part of Metso ’ s Planet Positive offering , Metso introduces a plug-and-play solution that it says maximises metallurgical recovery , boosts pumping efficiency , and reduces energy consumption
of efficiency , we want to increase efficiency and performance at the same time as making flotation more sustainable . We wanted to use the latest technology to see how we could improve this main component , the mixing mechanism , in conventional mechanical flotation as despite the emergence of new flotation methods , this still represents the vast majority of the installed base of cells . We set out to see what could we do to optimise the manufacturing processes ,
OCTOBER 2024 | International Mining 57