HRL Technology Group Pty Ltd ABN 89 609 887 327 info@hrl.com.au hrl.com.au

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Optim

isingmineralsprocessing

hrl:

Optimisingmineralsprocessing

UsingtechnologytominimiseenergyusedandmaximiseresourcesrecoveredChallengesMineralprocessingplantsneedtoeconomicallyandsustainablyseparatevaluablemineralsfromwaste.Numerouschallengesexistfortheoptimisationofmineralprocessingplantsinacosteffectiveandenergyefficientmanner.Specificchallengesinclude:• themaintenanceorincreaseinthroughputthroughthe

mineralprocessingcircuitswhilstensuringrecoveryandgradeofproductsareacceptablecommensuratewithconsistentcashflowandminimisationofenergyusageandproductioncosts

• ensuringthatmaintenance,lifetimeandutilisationofequipmentisconsistentwithcashflowandprofitrequirements

• usingand/ordevelopmentofsensortechnologiessothatprocessvariablesforthemineralprocessingassetsaredeterminedaccurately,reproduciblyandprecisely.Thisrequirementfacilitatescorrectdeterminationofprocessperformanceindicatorsaswellasopportunitiesforimprovedprocesscontrol

• reducingenergyandwaterconsumption• reducingenvironmentalimpacts• improvingprocessingtechnologysothatmarginalore

bodiesareaccessibleforprocessing• theunderstandingoftheorebodyandhowits

characteristicsinfluenceitsprocessing(geometallurgy)• theunderstandingoftheprocessproductsandhowthey

influencethesubsequentstepssuchassmelting/refining.Thechallengeinimprovingtheoverallprocessisthatmakingevensmallchangestooptimiseonesectionoftheflowsheetcanhaveunintendedorunwantedimpactsonseveralothersections.Thekeyistounderstandexactlywhatishappeningwithineachareaofaplantandwitheachaspectoftheprocessingbeingundertaken.

SolutionsAnunderstandingofthemineralprocessingflowsheet,theoremineralogyandunitoperationsprovidevaluableinsightintotheoptimisationthatmayberequired.Thisinsightcanbeobtainedusingplantsurveys,appropriatesensormeasurementsandanunderstandingoftheprocessingroute.Insomesituationsthesensorormeasurementapproachneededforplantoptimisationmaynotyetbeavailable.

Mineralsands,likeothermineralprocessingindustries,facesnumerouschallengesinoptimisingplantperformance. However,aparticularwayofthinkingabouttheprocess–usingmathematicalmodelsandmultipletypesandnumbersofsensors–mayyieldtheinformationneededfortargetedoptimisation.Thefundamentalsciencesupportingthediverseprocessesassociatedwithmineralsprocessingiscommontomanyindustries,allowingknowledgefromotherindustriestobeapplied.Therequirementsofenergyefficiencyandsustainabilityarealsocommontomanyindustries.Wherenecessarytheresearchinganddevelopingofnewtechnologyisalsoavailable.

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hrl:canalsoprovideworld-classexpertanalyticalservicesinrelationtooptimisingmineralsprocessingplantoperation.Drawingonmorethanthreedecadesexperience–includingextensiveonsiteworkonmineralprocessing,sugarprocessing,coalandpowerstationoptimisation–hrl:personnelcanassistwiththekeystepsusedinmineralprocessingoperationssuchascomminution,gravityconcentration,anddewatering. Benefits hrl:world-classexpertanalysisservicesassistclientdecision-makingbyprovidinginformedpredictionsofthedownstreamprocessingperformanceofspecificores–informationthatiscriticalinevaluatingaresource,andintakingthedecisiontodevelopthatresource. Clientsbenefitfromhrl:world-classexpertanalyticalservicesthathelppredicttheperformanceoftheirprocessingplant. Clientsenjoyprocessoptimisationthathelpsdeliver‘concentrate’tomeettheirneedforcost-effectiveorehandling,transportandfurtherprocessing.hrl:analyticalservicesincludingassistanceto:• developmethodstoallowcost-effectiveprocessingof

low-gradeorproblematicores• optimiserecoveryratesofvaluablemineralsfromore

processed• transformmaterialintoaphysicalformthathelpsto

optimisedownstreamprocessing• removeminorortoxicelementstoimprovegrade,

recoveryanddownstreamprocessing• reduceprocessinginputsincludingenergy• reduceenvironmentalimpacts.

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