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Spiral optimisation at mineral sands plant
Multotec recently optimised spiral concentrators at a mineral sands processing plant in Mozambique to counter the decrease in material head grade the plant was experiencing.Operators at the spiral plant had to close the sliding splitters completely, or open them very conservatively, in order to minimise product contamination. However, with the splitters closed completely, material was still able to bypass them and run into the concentrate gulley, resulting in contamination.
To address this issue, Multotec designed and manufactured prototype polyurethane splitters and add-ons for the spirals. These proved successful in solving the processing issue, with operators reporting excellent flexibility and ease of handling in slurry conditions, and the add-on blocked most of the material, while still allowing some of the small particles to trickle through.
Multotec also customised splash cover lids for the spirals to reduce water splashing. The customer needed to temporarily increase throughput outside the recommended zone to increase total plant output. To achieve the additional throughput, the distributors were operated without orifices, causing excessive splashing.
The splash covers help contain the splash, and enable the plant to meet its temporary throughput requirements a higher level of process efficiency.
As an end-to-end mineral processing specialist, Multotec partners with customers over the lifecycle of their plant to constantly improve process and equipment efficiencies and reduce waste.