Small-scale pilot-plant mining process systems generate vital information which is incorporated into the design of larger-scale mining operations. The chemical feed systems used in these pilot plants are not only scaled down as well, but need to accommodate both the rugged environment of a mining operation while possessing the control, versatility, and accuracy typically associated with an R&D laboratory.
Valveless, ceramic metering pumps from Fluid Metering offer the ruggedness and accuracy needed for mining pilot plant applications. They have sapphire-hard ceramic internal components, which are chemically inert, wear resistant, and dimensionally stable. In addition, the pump’s CeramPump valveless rotating and reciprocation piston pump design eliminates the need for check valves, which can clog, leak or fail over time. These features result in a pump design which can handle a broad range of chemicals under varying conditions with high precision and accuracy.
The V-300 system combines a QV valveless, variable speed pump with a control unit. In the mining industry, this system is used extensively to pump acids and solvents used in hydrometallurgy in the process area of leaching, as well as solvent extraction. In the uranium extraction process, the pumps meter sulphuric acid (H2SO4) lixiviant (liquid medium for selective extraction of metal from ore or mineral). A wide variety of solvents are also metered using the V-300 system in the extraction process.
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