Mining & Mineral Processing

Tailings disposal

Filter presses are used in the mining industry to dewater the waste tailings containing the gaunge material and process water. Filter presses generate an immediately reusable process water and drip-free solid cakes that are easy to manage and store, decreasing the volume and risks of the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF).

When filter presses are used to dewater tailings, the need for tailings ponds can be eliminated, along with eliminating their associated risks. 

Mineral concentrates

Filter presses can be used for liquid-solid separation in mineral concentrates applications. They remove the solids from the liquid, purifying the dissolved mineral-rich filtrate. 

Washing and dewatering in hydrometallurgical processes

Filter presses are relied on heavily in hydrometallurgical processes to dewater and concentrate feeds coming from upstream thickeners.

Tailings

Thickeners are used in almost all mineral processing plants to both recover process water for reuse and to minimize the volume of tailings waste going to the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF).  They form a critical part of obtaining the required permits for both water use and tailings management.

Concentrates

Mineral concentrates are typically filtered prior to dispatch to the mine site. Thickeners are used prior to filter presses to concentrate the feed going to the filter press and to maximize the process efficiency.

Washing and thickening in hydrometallurgical processes

Thickeners are used extensively in hydrometallurgical processes such as the Bayer process for alumina, HPAL (high-pressure acid leaching) for lateritic nickel or cyanide leaching in gold. 

They are required for diverse duties, such as volume reduction prior to leaching to conserve leach reagents (leach feed), washing in counter current configuration (CCD)to reduce water requirements, clarification (clarifiers) to increase grade recoveries, filter press feed duties to optimize equipment size and for tailings in hydrometallurgical processes.