TECHNICAL EVALUATION OF REAGENT DOSING PUMPING SYSTEMS IN FLOTATION CIRCUITS

Abstract

Vale's ore processing plants use different types of pumping circuits for flotation reagent dosing. Most commonly, circuits with centrifugal pumps, diaphragm pumps, and peristaltic pumps are used. Alternative arrangements can also be used, such as helical pumps and direct dosing from reagent storage drums (with manual or automatic dosing systens). This study aims to technically evaluate some of the alternatives available in the marketplace and present the results of an industrial evaluation comparing a peristaltic pump circuit to a circuit with centrifugal and diaphragm pumps, all operating in parallel. The results showed that the three types of circuits meet the operational requirements of reagent dosing control. However, the peristaltic pump circuit has proven to be less complex and costly.

Keywords

• flotation
• copper
• reagent dosing