Modern Mining May 2017

PRODUCT News

REFLUX TM Classifier technology gains popularity in coal

REFLUX™ Classifier (RC™) technology is reported to be rapidly gaining popularity in coal processing applications in Africa because of its ability to easily handle vary- ing feed conditions which are a reality in mining operations. According to FLSmidth, traditional technology cannot accommodate these feed variations resulting in recovery losses whereas the RC™ is a lot more forgiving of solids feed rate variations. This allows a consistent separation and, as a result, a higher separation efficiency.

FLSmidth has an installed base of RC™ technology in coal applications in the Waterberg and in Mozambique. Terence Osborn, Commercial Manager of Minerals sub Saharan Africa at FLSmidth, says that as the coal processing industry has grown in Mozambique, so too has the adoption of FLSmidth’s RC™ technology by multiple mines in this country. The first four RC™ 3000 units sold in this region are the largest in the FLSmidth range and were among the first such units to be sold globally. Each of these units, now installed and commissioned, is capable of treating approximately 200 t/h of raw fine coal. Significantly, the success achieved by the RC™ technology in the second phase of this coal processing plant resulted in it being chosen as the technology of choice for retrofit to the original plant. Prior to this, test work was conducted on site by FLSmidth using its mobile test RC™ 300 rig to validate the expected performance of the larger RC™ units. The results from the pilot plant test work proved a business case to replace

the existing spiral technology, leading to the sale of four additional RC™ 3000 units to the mine. These will be commissioned when the extension to the existing plant is completed. Osborn says the success achieved with the technology can be attributed to the fact that it offers far greater process flex- ibility in operation and generally has a higher efficiency which produces higher recovery at similar ash content. The RC™ incorporates a ‘laminar high shear rate’ mechanism, which represents the latest in fine particle gravity-based separation technology. The lamella sec- tion enhances the efficiency/capacity of the RC™, producing a more compact and efficient separation unit when compared to competing fine coal and mineral pro- cessing equipment. FLSmidth offers commercial units from the RC™ 850 (850 mm diameter, 18 to 20 t/h) up to the RC™ 3000 (3 m diameter, 200 to 250 t/h), with actual unit capacities related to the feed material and the feed material sizing. Terence Osborn, FLSmidth, tel (+27 10) 210-4820

This photo illustrates the underflow arrangement of a REFLUX™ Classifier.

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54  MODERN MINING  May 2017