Total technology solutions provider Tenova Mining & Minerals South Africa is now marketing a full range of magnetically-susceptible density tracers, which offer easier recovery over the previously-marketed standard density tracers, popularly used for performance testing of dense media and diamond recovery plants.  Tenova Mining & Minerals is the broad-based black economic empowered operating arm of the global Tenova Mining & Minerals group.

Manufactured and marketed by Tenova Mining & Minerals Laboratory in Kempton Park, South Africa, density tracers are a standard and inexpensive aid to determine whether dense media separation cyclones and other beneficiation plants that exploit density differentials in processed materials, are functioning optimally.  They have traditionally found widespread application in the diamond processing industry, but are increasingly being used for other commodities, in particular coal.  As a result, the Tenova Mining & Minerals South Africa Laboratory has seen the demand for these tracers more than double in recent years.

The new range of magnetically-susceptible density tracers was developed by the Tenova Mining & Minerals South Africa Laboratory to facilitate recovery of the tracers after passage through plants, as their magnetic nature enables magnets to recover them easily and efficiently from the host material.  The tracers are colour coded according to their specific gravity, as was the case with standard density tracers, for those operations still preferring to use visual means to recover the individual tracers.

Density tracers simulate density characteristics and particle dimensions of precious stones, such as diamonds, or other valuable products, such as platinum group metals, chromite, andalusite, base metals and coal. The tracers are supplied in the form of cubes with sizes ranging from 0.8 mm to 20 mm. The tracers are produced as standard over a density range from 1.20 to 4.20, with the most popular density tracer range being from 2.70 to 3.53 for diamond processing applications and 1.20 to 2.00 for coal processing.  They are applied worldwide in large and small production plants, laboratories and academic research institutes.

Strict quality control ensures the tracer particles are an exact size and shape, while their special robust formulation enables many passes through a plant. With regard to size and density, the tolerance limit is 0.1 mm and 0.01-0.03 respectively.

The Tenova Mining & Minerals South Africa Laboratory is ISO 9001 compliant, supplying a state-of-the-art metallurgical and analytical capability to support Tenova Mining & Minerals, and as an external service to industry. Its services cover various physical separation tests such as heavy liquids separation, flotation tests, etc.; determination of solids flow characteristics to ensure choke-free design of storage bins, stockpiles and chutes; density tracer manufacture; and some water testing capabilities.

Tenova Mining & Minerals South Africa is the broad-based black empowered operating arm of the global Tenova Mining & Minerals Group. The Company focuses on the provision of total innovative solutions across the full mining & minerals industry value chain in South Africa.

Tenova Mining & Minerals is a total integrated solutions provider to the global mining, bulk materials handling and minerals beneficiation and processing sectors, offering innovative technological solutions and full process and commodity knowledge across the mining industry value chain.

Tenova is a worldwide supplier of advanced technologies, products, and engineering services for the metals and mining & minerals industries. More information is available at www.tenova.com