The design of mineral concentration plants is evolving to adapt to the current challenges and opportunities presented by the mining industry. The following is a summary of the main trends in the design of these plants for different types of minerals:
Sustainability and minimization of environmental impacts.
- Energy efficiency: Use of equipment with lower energy consumption, such as more efficient mills (SAG and HPGR) and optimization of comminution circuits.
- Water management: Incorporation of technologies to maximize water recovery and recirculation in flotation and leaching processes, reducing dependence on external water sources.
- Waste and tailings: Design for the disposal of thickened or dry tailings, reducing environmental risks and improving structural safety.
Automation and Industry 4.0
- Digitalization: Implementation of sensors and real-time monitoring systems to control critical variables such as pH, density, particle size and ore grades.
- Automation: Use of advanced control systems (APC) and artificial intelligence-based optimization algorithms to improve the performance of processes such as flotation, leaching and magnetic separation.
- Simulation and digital twins: Modeling and simulation to optimize plant design prior to construction and to anticipate operational problems.
Complex minerals processing
- Technologies adapted to refractory ores: Use of techniques such as roasting, biooxidation and autoclaves for difficult to process ores such as gold and polymetallic sulfides.
- Advanced separation: Incorporation of high-precision equipment such as X-ray separators, optical sensors and laser sorting to improve the recovery of valuable minerals.
- Combined processes: Use of flotation and leaching together or in stages, depending on the nature of the ore.
Modularity and compact design
- Modular plants: Scalable and transportable designs that can be installed quickly, ideal for advanced exploration projects or small and remote deposits.
- Smaller physical footprint: Integration of equipment and processes in more compact structures to reduce costs and facilitate installation in difficult terrain.
Adaptation to low grade ores
- Selective comminution: Use of technologies such as high-pressure rollers (HPGR) to improve liberation of valuable ore and reduce energy consumption.
- Pre-concentration processes: Application of techniques such as gravimetry and classification to remove waste material prior to more intensive stages.
Flotation innovation
- Larger and more efficient cells: Use of larger capacity flotation cells (up to 660 m³) to reduce operating and maintenance costs.
- Specific reagents: Development of more selective and biodegradable reagents to improve recoveries and reduce environmental impact.
Circular economy and waste utilization
- Tailings reprocessing: Recovery of valuable minerals from old tailings using modern concentration techniques.
- Use of by-products: Use of by-products such as residual sands for the construction industry or recovery of secondary metals.
Integration of renewable energy
- Use of clean energy: Plants designed to operate with renewable energies such as solar, wind or geothermal, reducing the carbon footprint.
- Microgrids: Implementation of hybrid energy generation and storage systems in isolated plants.
These trends seek to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs and minimize environmental impact, while maintaining competitiveness in increasingly demanding markets.
