A platinum mine in Zimbabwe was experiencing frequent filter press breakdowns, limiting its ability to dewater the processed ore concentrate produced by the concentrators. This created a production bottleneck and increased the risk of valuable concentrate accumulating within the plant. A TITANTube® dewatering system was introduced to provide additional capacity and support production during filter press downtime.
Challenges
The concentrators continued producing concentrate while the filter presses experienced frequent breakdowns and maintenance interruptions. The available press capacity could not consistently keep up with production, resulting in a backlog of wet concentrate. The mine required a reliable secondary dewatering method that could be implemented without major changes to the existing plant.
Solution
The processed concentrate was conditioned using a selected flocculant before being pumped into TITANTube® geotextile dewatering units. The tubes retained and consolidated the valuable mineral concentrate while allowing clarified water to drain through the geotextile. This provided the mine with additional dewatering capacity while the filter presses were unavailable or operating below the required output.
Benefits
Additional Dewatering Capacity: The tube system supported the filter presses during periods of high production and equipment downtime.
Reduced Production Bottlenecks: Concentrator production could continue without relying entirely on the availability of the filter presses.
Valuable Product Retention: The processed platinum concentrate was securely retained and consolidated inside the tubes for easier handling.
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