FLOTATION
the ‘ plus ’ representing additional improvements in some areas .
Going forward , will all TankCells now be delivered with FloatForce +? Bermudez : “ For now this is a limited launch but of course we have a roadmap on how we are going to be implementing it . We have proven its higher performance and sustainability so the easiest way to get the benefits will initially be brownfield upgrades and retrofits of existing cells . But as we begin to scale up our own processes and manufacturing capabilities , there will of course be a date in the future where we will be supplying our TankCells with the technology .”
Cardoso added that the potential is huge : “ In the main . upgrades will be FloatForce to FloatForce + but not exclusively – legacy cells from Metso can also be upgraded such as RCS cells and other models – it might take some tweaking but we can do it easily . And we can retrofit third party cells as well . So in that broad sense , the potential market is any mechanical flotation cell .”
Woodgrove Technologies DFR deployed at Jabal Sayid
Barrick says it is ‘ revolutionising ’ copper concentration through the use of Woodgrove Technologies ’ Direct Flotation Reactor ( DFR ) technology at the MBCC Jabal Sayid copper mine in Saudi Arabia , adding : “ This technology features a smaller footprint , greater efficiency , and unparalleled selectivity , enabling the transition from rougher concentrate to final concentrate in a single stage .”
The Jabal Sayid underground copper operation is located 350 km north-east of Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia . It is a 50 / 50 joint venture operation with Saudi mining company Ma ’ aden . In Q1 2024 the mine produced 17,000 t of copper and for the full year 2023 it produced 64,410 t ( both 100 % basis ). Mining and development is carried out by Australiaheadquartered Byrnecut whose contract currently runs to 2028 .
The DFR technology has been deployed as part of the new Jabal Sayid Lode 1 project . The scope of this project is to develop and mine a new orebody , located less than a kilometre from the existing lode at Jabal Sayid . The project design includes underground capital development as well as ventilation , paste plant and underground mining infrastructure upgrades where stoping commenced during the third quarter of 2023 and development was running ahead of schedule and was 98 % complete by end Q1 2024 .
The up-cast ventilation raise bore shaft had also been fully equipped and the reaming of the fresh air ventilation shaft had been completed by end March . A new reagent plant and the DFR were commissioned in Q1 2024 with ongoing optimisation . Civil and mechanical construction at the paste plant had also been completed with electrical construction nearing completion . Commissioning of the paste plant commenced during the second quarter of 2024 .
DFR flotation cells have been deployed at other operations globally , including at Copper Mountain in BC , Canada , now owned by Hudbay Minerals and Lundin Mining ’ s Chapada gold mine in Brazil . It has also been earmarked for Generation Mining ’ s Marathon palladium-copper project in northwestern Ontario which is in the final stages of obtaining permitting and approvals .
Woodgrove says that Direct Flotation Reactors provide up to a 50 % footprint reduction plus involve reduced capital investment and operating cost using up to less 50 % power and bringing 90 % air savings . DFR also allows for reduced transportation costs with less piping , wiring and smaller MCCs plus use single level staging with no step height .
In more detail , the company states : “ The Direct Flotation Reactor ( DFR ) is a flotation cell that works on the principle of preventing the formation of a froth and froth slurry interface . Independent bubbles are removed from the collection zone in a gas phase / slurry phase . The flotation cell has a particle collection regime in the lower half of the vessel and the loaded bubbles are recovered at the top of the vessel .”
The complete unit is a pressurised system . The DFR has a very low footprint due to the absence of a froth phase , the mass pull does not dictate tank size and the installation is on a single level
Woodgrove DFR technology deployed at the Barrick-Ma ' aden Jabal Sayid copper operation in Saudi Arabia
( elevation ) with no step height between cells . “ Being a low air system , the DFR has enhanced selectivity and like the Staged Flotation Reactor ( SFR ) has reduced power and air consumption . There is no mist , dust or off-gases as the system is entirely enclosed . The system performs equally well in both rougher and cleaning circuits with equivalent or better performance than conventional flotation technology .”
A few other cited benefits of the elimination of the froth zone are no coalescence of bubbles when froth forms ( coalesced bubbles are up to 20x larger than when they are formed ), plus mineralised particles ‘ compete ’ for the reduced surface area while ‘ losers ’ drop back into the slurry .
Back to the SFR , this has also had a number of successful installations , inclduding at Teck QB2 copper mine in Chile , where Woodgrove has supplied 23 SFRs which are being used in a first cleaner / cleaner scavenger duty – as well as second cleaners producing final concentrate . SFR ’ s are uniquely designed to eliminate pumping requirements of the impeller . The power from the impeller is going directly to particle
collection . The SFR optimises the three stages of flotation within three separate zones , such that each zone is mutually exclusive from the requirements of the other zones . Froth drop back is minimal and tightly controlled .
IM
International Mining | OCTOBER 2024