FLOTATION lower water usage per tonne processed and reduces the overall environmental footprint of concentrator operations, supporting both cost efficiency and more sustainable resource use.”
The results at Mogalakwena North continue to demonstrate the value of Jameson Cell technology. Across PGM and other mineral processing applications, it can improve recovery, reduce downstream volumes and lower environmental impacts without increasing circuit size or complexity.
Smart reagent formulations
Mineral processing intelligence is growing in capability and influence, and the flotation reagent sector is part of this. Syensqo has been one of the companies leading this charge with solutions like its Syensqo Cube, a state-of-the-art dosing equipment system that enables more precise blending and dosing control of reagent buildingblock chemicals during mineral processing trials; and SmartFloat ®, a digital platform that empowers mine operators to boost flotation performance through real-time recommendations for reagent optimisation. IM had the chance to catch up with Keith Cramer, Syensqo Mining Solutions Technical Service Director to discuss this and other smart mining chemistry solutions already available and in the planning.
Cramer:“ There’ s increasing interest in what can we do with data and digital tools and that is across the different market areas that we’ re in as well as the different customer bases. But the level of engagement varies – SmartFloat ®, which represents the full ambition, being flexible chemistry control at a flotation plant in real time- relies on a lot of different things to work properly and in some ways is ahead of its time. While the different components exist, and we have learned a lot from trials and pilots, we have never implemented a full system. Full online control requires the right data on up to the minute mineralogical conditions on what’ s getting fed into the circuit to be able to do the modelling and reagent composition adjustment in real time – we don’ t have the mineralogy data to the level we need today. Plus ensuring data security is also an important aspect of success. But it is coming and it is already on the radar for customers that are already advancing with digitalisation plans and AI in the plant.”
Cramer said one of the things Syensqo is doing is breaking that journey up into some more concrete steps in the right direction. It has developed a solution called Flotation InSYght which takes some of the process data that is already available such as incoming ore chemistry, throughput, grind size, recovery rates and other variables., and provides analysis to be able to get some recommendations out to the operation – not in real time but fast enough to still be able to make important changes where they will have significant benefit. It builds on what has and is already being achieved with SolvExtract ®, which was launched in 2019 and was a first-of-its-kind digital platform that connects chemistry and operational insight to make solvent extraction more efficient. InSYght will apply similar technology to the flotation circuit.
Noting SolvExtract ® successes, a copper SX operation in the US that was experiencing an intermittent loss in Cu recovery from the operation in North America. When looking into performance variation at the plant through SolvExtract ®, the team noticed the stage efficiency drop. Investigating more, they then noticed the mixing condition changes, and then worked with the customer to optimise the conditions and improve Cu recovery. By having a stronger connection to the data from the customer operation the team could more quickly recognise the issue, identify the root cause and come up with solutions – issues that Syensqo says would normally get lost in the day-to-day issues at the plant.
Cramer:“ It’ s helping improve that connection to the customer and the data that they’ re getting from their plant so that we can provide more effective technical service for the plant. It is also helping us automate that analysis to a greater degree.” InSYght is still in development but will be rolled out with some key customer locations in the next 12-18 months.
In terms of Syensqo Cube, as this is based on trials, it is much more flexible but still has an importance role, as this type of analysis work is much easier at a demo or lab scale
Syensqo Transfoamer frothers are based on a novel technology that changes froth strength in response to pH, leading to more efficient copper recovery
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than in the dynamic nature of a working process plant. Cramer:“ The value of the Cube means we are no longer limiting ourselves to one formula or two formulas that we’ ve developed in the lab around initial ore testing. We are able to take into account variable plant conditions and make corresponding formulation adjustments, understanding how we can optimise parameters in the real plant to roll out a more effective, more robust reagent solution for the customer. It is also relatively portable – consisting of small pump units – so we have it running in different mining regions and are able to move it between different customers in those regions as required.”
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International Mining | OCTOBER 2026 49