Modern Mining April 2022

SUPPLY CHAIN News

Galaxy Resources Mt Cattlin mine, located Western Australia, uses a 2-stage crush ing system followed by Dense Medium Separation (DMS) gravity recovery as the primary spodumene concentration pro cess. The operation faces the challenge, typical of lithium mines, of dealing with TOMRA Mining’s technology unlocks value at Mt Cattlin mine basalt contamination – due to its high den sity this high-iron, barren material is also concentrated by the DMS, contaminating the final product. Galaxy Resources has been stock piling this material since 2016, while searching for an effective solution. Test

work at the TOMRA Test Centre revealed that the TOMRA PRO Secondary Laser sorter would be an effective solution, TOMRA said. The sorter has been operating since 29 September 2021 sorting the contami nated low-grade ore. GM at Mt Cattlin, Keith Muller, explains the process: “The ore is screened into two size ranges: 14 mm to 25 mm and 25 mm to 75 mm and then fed into the sorter. The sorter product is recir culated into the crushing circuit, crushed down to a -14 mm particle size and fed into the wet plant and DMS.” Since the first day of operation, it has met and exceeded expectations. Matthew Bateman, principal metallurgist at Galaxy Resources says: “We have 1.2 million tonnes to treat, and we will have treated the best part of it in 9 to 12 months. With the TOMRA sorter, we are using far more contaminated ore than we would previ ously have processed.” Galaxy Resources has since acquired a second unit to expand secondary ore sorting capacity. 

Galaxy Resources Mt Cattlin mine.

56  MODERN MINING  April 2022