News

Molybdenum Flotation at Los Pelambres Contract

MMS, through its Chilean Partners, Ingenieria de Minerales S.A. (IDM) has delivered two Imhoflot G-Cells type IMF-G-22 to Mineral Los Pelambres in Chile. The G-Cells are being used in parallel as second cleaners for producing a final molybdenum concentrate. The nominal throughput of the cells are 200 m3/h each but can operate in the range 160 m3/h to 280 m3/h. Minera Los Pelambres made the decision to install the G-Cells after running an Imhoflot pilot plant to test their performance. The trial was so successful in increasing grade and recovery that the pilot unit was incorporated directly into production until the full size cells could be installed. An advantage of Imhoflot is that with its high selectivity in rejecting insolubles a final molybdenum concentrate can be produced without an additional cleaning stage. The G-Cell has other particular advantages when floating molybdenum. The extremely short residence time in the cell reduces the consumption of the reagent NaSH. The self-sucking nature of the aeration unit made it easy to feed low pressure nitrogen as fine bubbles into the system with excellent bubble distribution. The ability to make the cell gas tight means that when floating in such a medium gas losses are dramatically reduced. The Cells and the entire system including the feed tank and discharge collecting boxes are sealed with Perspex and connected via a gas pendulum pipe so that nitrogen losses can be avoided and the gas recycled. Imhoflot offers great flexibility with high availability in an industrial flotation circuit and can quickly remove grade material, especially in the ultra fine size range, to final concentrate. The G-Cells at Los Pelambres are producing concentrate with over 50% Mo (Cu in range 2%-3%) with improved molybdenum recovery.

Schematic of Imhoflot G-Cell Plant at Los Pelambres

G Cell Circuit First Cleaner End Concentrate Los Pelambres

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Three Stage Imhoflot G-Cell Pilot Plant for Zinc Flotation in Brazil

MMS has supplied its partner – Ingenieria de Minerales (IDM) with and advanced three-stage Imhoflot G-Cell pilot plant to undertake detailed on-site testwork at the Vazantes zinc mine operated by Votorantim Metals in Brazil. The three 1.8m diameter G-Cells have a nominal throughput of 100m3/hr each and the cells will be run in series. Votorantim is South America’s biggest producer of zinc metal. The zinc ore at Vazantes is Willemite, a zinc silicate. The pilot plant will used to test different plant steams with the aim of improving the grade and recovery of zinc.

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Belaruskali – More Imhoflot Pneumatic Flotation Installed

The two Imhoflot IMF V-35 cells operating at Belaruskali, Belarus (see archive news 2006) have been trialled in other Potash flotation applications. It was found that in “Plant 1” only one of the V-35 cells was required to replace all the mechanical cleaning tank cells. As a result of the trials, in April 2008, two V-35 Imhoflot cells have taken over the cleaning duties of two of the eight plants and Belaruskali ordered four more V-35 cells. This is to replace tank cell cleaning duties in another four of their plants. The final remaining plants will switch over to Imhoflot progressively from the 2009 budget year. The decision to replace mechanical tank cell flotation for all the cleaning duties was made on the basis that Imhoflot not only gave an improved quality of product but also substantially reduced energy consumption. Belarus has issues with the increasing cost of energy for industrial applications.

Belaruskali has also tested the two industrial size V-35 Imhoflot Cells on roughing and scavaging duties in Plant 3 with excellent results. Consequently Belaruskali have ordered four Imhoflot G-Cells (centrifugal froth separation), IMF-G-32 to totally replace mechanical cells in Plant 3 with Imhoflot in all duties. MMS won these contracts in conjunction with their local engineering partner Passat Engineering based in Soligorsk. Passat will manufacture the steelwork for the cells and supply the motors and plc control under licence from MMS, whilst MMS will supply the remaining key components.

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