Accurate sampling in coal mining operations provides coal producers with a distinct advantage within the industry, says minerals processing company Multotec.

The company believes that by creating a clear understanding of what raw material quality is being supplied, process managers can achieve an early indication of the final grade and yields of a product, saving considerable costs.

Multotec applications and process manager Willem Slabbert says with accurate information, better optimisation decisions can be made regarding how to best beneficiate ore, and whether a high-yield intermediate middling, or high-quality final product with lower yield, will be produced.

“A composite sample will provide a result that is fully representative of the quality of the whole, whether done on a two-hourly daily plant production or batch sample.”

Slabbert notes that it is an important part of coal sampling to dispel concerns that out-of specification coal is being supplied to customers.

Correct sampling designs assure this process by achieving the capture of accurate and precise data of the relevant product. “We have the correct International Organisation of Standardisation (ISO) accreditation and use the best practices,” he adds.

The Kempton-Park based company, which retains ISO 13909 accreditation in mechanical coal sampling standards, also uses its sampling technology on other commodities such as iron-ore, base metals, gold, platinum, heavy mineral sands and manganese.

“Our primary focus is on providing reliable and accurate sampling solutions that can be validated by a third party. There is a solid footprint of operational sampling plants and individual sampling machines Multotec can refer to throughout the South African coal mining industry,” Multotec sampling specialist Rolf Steinhaus says.

He notes that Multotec’s in-depth expertise and experience enables the company to engineer fit-for-purpose sampling plants and continue research and development along with German mineral processor Siebtechnik.

“This has played a major role in positioning Multotec coal sampling technology on the forefront of the sampling industry in South Africa,” Steinhaus adds.

Steinhaus notes that Multotec, which also provides sampling solutions to the Richard’s Bay coal export terminal, in Kwazulu-Natal, can adapt sampling solutions to accommodate the different maintenance and control strategies of individual customers.

“A sampling plant in the coal sector would generally include a primary cross belt or cross stream sampler, subdivisions of the primary increment after crushing, and increment splitting to ergonomic composite sizes to provide separate physical and chemical samples, the latter often in triplicate,” Steinhaus concludes.