OPERATIONS

New cone pulls more for less

A CONCENTRATING cone for the Knelson semi-continuous gravity concentrator can boost recovery and cut maintenance downtime and water consumption, Danish engineering company FLSmidth claims.

 Knelson's GX plant

Knelson's GX plant

The Knelson GX is a configurable plant with a capacity range from laboratory scale up to 1000 tonnes of solids per hour.

Using a rotating assembly, the concentrator combines centrifugally enhanced gravitational forces with a fluidised bed process to optimise precious metals recovery.

In what FLSmidth called a step-change for recovery, the GX concentrating cone evenly distributes fluidisation water to each ring of the cone.

As water enters the concentrator from the base it is distributed evenly through zone separator nozzles for a customisable fluidisation profile.

This increases the active recovery surface area to boost overall coarse and fine gold recovery.

Made from a customised, abrasion-resistant, and durable polyurethane compound, the Knelson GX concentrating cone is also said to be easy to maintain.

FLSmidth global product line manager Mike Lefler said the concentrating cone was the culmination of more than 40 years of research and operational experience.

"It delivers a win-win-win scenario [with] better recovery, less water use and less downtime due to easier maintenance," he said.

"In short, it helps customers produce more with less resources - a central tenet of our MissionZero ambition to cut water and energy waste in mining by 2030."

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