FLOTATION progressed to pilot testing phase showing superior separation efficiency , providing customers with a solution that allows them to grind coarser , saving energy and water along with offering increased recoveries . Efforts are underway for full scale trials . “ Laboratory testing campaigns have shown that copper can be recovered successfully by recovering coarse particles not recovered by conventional means . Streams as coarse as 600 micron in copper applications have successfully been treated . Recent efforts have shown copper recoveries from a tailings stream in the order of 60-80 % with upgrade ratios as high as 14:1 . With its design based on the RC , the coarseAIR is exhibiting similar advantages in terms of increased throughput per unit cross-sectional area , reduced utility demand and elevated levels of separation efficiency due to the presence of inclined channels in the separator .”
Moving on the more traditional technologies , the FLS WEMCO ® has been the leader of conventional self-aspirated flotation for over 60 years . Ian Coltrin , FLS Product Line Manager Flotation & Attrition told IM : It is well known and well liked . But , as the market suffers from degrading orebodies and increased visibility on the environment , mills around the world have been looking for options that generate more recovery and more control . It ’ s also a great benefit if they can do this with just modifying
DELKOR trials new MAXGen mechanism for BQR flotation cell in India
Plant trials were recently carried out by the DELKOR R & D team , based in Bengaluru , on the lead circuit at the Rampura-Agucha plant , owned and run by Hindustan Zinc Limited ( HZL ) in Rajasthan , India . They tested a new flotation mechanism that has been developed for the BQR flotation cells using 3D print prototype models with bench and pilot scale studies . As outlined in a recent paper , the mechanism shows good flotation kinetics , fine bubble size distribution , and lower power consumption to improve the grade recovery of the product stream . The tests involved a pilot 5 m 3 flotation cell with the MAXGen mechanism at the cleaner-3 position ; and showed even at this small scale its potential to increase both grade and recovery of the plant and simultaneously reduce the energy consumption . The work was published this year in the respected Indian journal , ‘ Transactions of the Indian Institute of Metals .’ Sales Manager - Europe for DELKOR , Rajiv Krishnamurthy additionally told IM : “ Following an excellent initial reaction to BQR MAXGen flotation cells , in the last year , DELKOR continues to gain orders from both new and existing clients for a variety of applications , including nickel , platinum , and gold minerals from various parts of the world . The flotation cell sizes ranged from 20 m 3 to 100 m 3 .”
existing equipment instead of full equipment changeout .”
Coltrin says the WEMCO ® II comes off the heels of the development of the nextSTEP™ forced air flotation machine . This research allowed FLSmidth to streamline the development of the WEMCO ® II by applying similar design elements to increase airflow , suspension , circulation , and attachment . With improved performance FLSmidth was able to add control features for both the airflow and rotor speed to each mill can optimise the performance of their units .
“ Development of the WEMCO ® II has already passed through the bench and pilot scale phase by partnering with a copper mill in North America . Test iterations were conducted side by side with the traditional WEMCO ® unit , supplying FLSmidth with the most reliable data to move forward with . Industrial units have already been installed at mills in both North and South America where FLSmidth has partnered with copper mills to further develop and validate the WEMCO ® II design .”
The WEMCO ® II is fully retrofittable into any existing WEMCO ® design , including round tanks and the 1 + 1 square tanks . In addition , new capital units are also available . Development has already begun on sizes which represent the
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