Teck Resources Now Using Eriez® CavTube® Spargers for Base Metal Column Flotation at Red Dog and Highland Valley Copper
Delta, BC – Teck Resources, a world-class producer of base metals, metallurgical coal and energy products, recently completed a comparative sparger analysis at its Red Dog concentrator in Alaska. That analysis resulted in a decision to replace all Microcel spargers with CavTube® spargers manufactured by Eriez® Flotation Division (EFD).
Red Dog is the world’s fourth largest lead-producing mine and one of the top three producers of zinc and lead concentrates. Its cleaner columns were previously aerated with Microcel spargers from Metso. Beginning in late 2012, the metallurgical staff at Teck began a long-term comparative analysis where EFD’s CavTubes were run under similar conditions and compared against the Microcel units. EFD’s CavTube design allows for direct replacement of the Microcel spargers with no column modifications required, according to Craig Hutchinson, Product Manager-Sparging Systems for EFD.
“Teck concluded that the wear life of the CavTubes was significantly longer and provided a significant performance advantages in terms of reduced maintenance, longer life, fewer unscheduled shutdowns and improved safety from the elimination of slurry leaks,” Hutchinson observes. “The EFD CavTube has less wear because the abrasive flow of slurry does not directly impinge on the internal geometry of the sparger, unlike the Microcel.”
As a result of the analysis at Red Dog and following a number of premature Microcel sparger failures in its new Highland Valley Copper mill optimization in British Columbia, Teck is also now converting the Microcel spargers at HVC to EFD’s CavTube spargers, according to Hutchinson.
Eriez Flotation Division (EFD) is a world leader in advanced flotation technology. Formerly known as Canadian Process Technologies, Inc., EFD is a wholly owned subsidiary of Eriez Manufacturing Co. EFD provides advanced testing and engineering services, in addition to sparging and column flotation equipment for the mining and mineral processing industries. For more information, visit http://efd.eriez.com/ or call toll-free at 888-300-3743 within the U.S. and Canada. We can also be contacted at efd@eriez.com.
Contact:
Ed Stevens
Stevens Strategic Communications
estevens@stevensstrategic.com
Eric Wasmund
Eriez Flotation Division
ewasmund@eriez.com Â
