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From time to time, projects cannot move forward until technical challenges are met. This might be due to:
- Complex mineralogy
- Legislation (especially concerning the use of cyanide)
- Very fine mineral grain size
- Overwhelming presence of penalty elements
- Large tonnage ore body, with metal grades too low to be economic with current technology
In these instances, the technical experts of SGS Minerals Services develop new technologies that might bring these uneconomic or difficult-to-treat ore bodies into production.
As a result of such applied research we have developed several new processes. Recent developments include:
Hannah Process
The Hannah Process, which is a strong base anion exchange resin process incorporating a novel elution technique, for the treatment of gold plant tailings, to extract and recycle free cyanide as well as the cyanide in metal cyanide complexes.
PLATSOL Process
The PLATSOL™ process, which involves the pressure oxidation of polymetallic flotation concentrates (at 220°C, with the addition of some Cl). PGEs, Au and base metals such as Cu, Co and Ni are leached simultaneously in the autoclave, and can then be recovered using traditional techniques such a precipitation or SX-EW.
New flotation collectors  that yield significant improvement in the flotation of niobium, tantalum and tin minerals have been developed.
Highly effective clay dispersant/depressants have been developed for use in flotation, greatly reducing the pulp viscosity, sliming and froth stability problems that are characteristic of clay-bearing ores, particularly porphyry-type ores.
More selective gangue depressants have been developed to depress PGM gangue minerals, thus maximizing PGM flotation grades and recoveries to the flotation concentrate.
New PGE collectors based on xylene chemistry, which are very beneficial for the treatment of partially oxidized PGM ores or PGE-alloy-bearing ores, have been developed.
The use of municipal organic waste has been shown to reduce the loading of metals in waters draining oxidized tailings.
For more information, please contact our Metallurgy Experts.
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