https://www.miningweekly.com

Lab extension to improve product quality

ENHANCING COPPER GRADES As copper grades at mines begin to diminish, the use of reagents to improve copper grades is critical to mine profitability

HIGHER QUALITY REAGENTS Axis House’s lab expansion will allow the company to perform large scale ore sample testing off-site enabling it to tailor-make popular products

14th September 2018

By: Paige Müller

Creamer Media Reporter

     

Font size: - +

Sandton-based chemical reagents supplier and distributor Axis House anticipates that its planned laboratory expansion will allow the company to produce higher quality reagents that will boost the profitability of its Zambia-based copper mining clientele’s operations.

Axis House sales representative Travis Myburgh says that the planned expansion of the company’s laboratory facilities, in Cape Town, in the Western Cape, will allow Axis House to further improve its TLQ2, AM and Hydrofroth ranges of reagent suites, which have already proven to be the company’s most popular offering among Zambian copper mines.

Myburgh states that the new laboratory will allow Axis House to perform large- scale ore sample testing off site – reducing mine downtime – which will enable it to tailor-make its popular product offering to the specific needs of each orebody. He emphasises that contaminants, such as excess iron, insolubles or carbon, have negative effects on smelting operations and often result in concentrate suppliers having to sell their products at lower prices, diminishing the profitability of a mining operation.

“As mines progress through their life cycles and the copper feed grades diminish, selection of the correct reagent suite becomes integral to the success of the operation,” emphasises Myburgh. He explains that, as a result, “enhancing recovery and grades of copper concentrates in flotation is particularly important when looking to enhance the profitability of a mining operation”.

Myburgh explains that a reagent suite – such as the TLQ2, AM or the Hydrofroth – assists in the recovery of copper in mineral concentrate and reduces unwanted gangue minerals.

TLQ2 is a selective sulphide collector that attaches to copper minerals in flotation and allows for a significant improvement in copper grade and recovery during processing. The AM range of collectors is used when there are oxide minerals in the feed to the flotation cell and aids in mineral recovery. Hydrofroth is a range of frothers that can be customised to each mine’s specialised needs and focuses on reducing the recovery of water-entrained gangue.

Axis House highlights the potential benefits of reagent modifications by referring to work done for a Zambian client that requested a selective sulphide collector for low copper grade ore with high pyrite and carbon.

The plant treated low grade copper ore with high pyrite and carbon, and needed to operate efficiently in a cost-effective manner to make profitable returns, explains Myburgh. “Axis House worked alongside the on-site team and undertook a four-week dosage optimisation exercise for TLQ2 to achieve the targeted recovery and improve the concentrate grade,” he enthuses.

He assures that, “modified versions of TLQ2 have been successfully applied at mining operations with different mineralogy, where pyrite selectivity is also problematic, and has been overwhelmingly successful in promoting profitability”.

Laboratory Expansion

Last month, Axis House announced the planned expansion of its metallurgical laboratory to better assist mining houses in developing the ideal reagent suite for their operations.

“The function of the Axis House metallurgical laboratory – which is currently in the planning phase and is due to begin construction during the course of next year – is to develop tailored reagent suites for each customer that will favour the collection of the valuable minerals and reduce the collection of gangue minerals and other contaminants,” emphasises Axis House African sales manager Cherryl Thomas.

She explains that base metal ore deposits vary in mineralogy and concentration. She stresses that reagent suites must be formulated to suit customer specific ores if they are going to act as a value add to a mining operation. She states that this process must include research and development into most mine operations included in the base metal process, such as flotation, flocculation, solvent extraction, electrowinning and precipitation.

For this reason, Axis House states that it consults extensively with its clients to gain an understanding of their process, needs and targets. Thereafter, the company claims that its reagents are developed and tested with clients’ specific needs and goals in mind.

“The laboratory testwork offered by Axis House is a complementary service to clients and potential clients with the aim to identify, investigate and address the problems encountered at their operations,” Thomas stresses.

She says that lab testwork is done either in-house or on site by teams of Axis House metallurgists, ensuring no disruption to mining operations. Once testwork has concluded, trials are done on the reagents to ensure a seamless transition between reagent schemes at mining operations.

“Axis House’s product range is backed by technical support from within Zambia and from its soon to be extended laboratory. The company has representation to cover all of the Zambian mining operations and is able to meet clients’ requests if required to be on site at short notice,” Thomas concludes.

Edited by Mia Breytenbach
Creamer Media Deputy Editor: Features

Comments

Showroom

Booyco Electronics
Booyco Electronics

Booyco Electronics, South African pioneer of Proximity Detection Systems, offers safety solutions for underground and surface mining, quarrying,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
John Deere (Pty) Ltd
John Deere (Pty) Ltd

In 1958 John Deere Construction made its first introduction to the industry with their model 64 bulldozer.

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Resources Watch
Resources Watch
27th March 2024

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.112 0.149s - 95pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now