Outotec HIGmill – Fine grinding at a gold processing plant

Authors: Mattias Åstholm & Andres Paz Outotec

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Agenda
Technology Introduction 3-4

Case study 5-12

Optimisation 13-16

Summary 17

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 Outotec HIGmill™ Introduction
• Mature grinding technology
- Machine development & operation commenced
more than 45 years ago.
• Over 250 mills installed
- Including 9 x 5MW units operating for 20+ years.

• Vertically arranged consisting:

- center drive shaft c/w grinding discs (rotors).
- a static mill body c/w fixed counter-stator rings.

• Unique variable speed drive across full speed range

- Providing control over product size and energy efficiency
to account for feed rate and other process fluctuations.

• Ceramic media

• Open Circuit
- Simple flow sheet & process control.

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Outotec HIGmill™ Introduction

Motor

Gearbox

Product outlet Shell liner Lower intensity grinding zone

Mill drive shaft

Rotating
grinding rotors

Stationary
stator rings
Feed inlet
High intensity grinding
zone

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 Case study: Cracow 500 / 5000
• Whole Ore Tertiary grinding to release fine gold for CIP to achieve an increased 1.5-2.5% gold recovery
• Existing brownfields plant, Cracow – Gold in QLD
• Flowsheet: Thickener Underflow => HIGMill => CIP
• Outotec Turnkey Solution for the following equipment: fine grinding mill, discharge tank and pumps.
• HIGmill size 500 / 5000 Installed power 500 kW, Gross Volume 5000 L

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 Case study: Cracow 500 / 5000
• Gold within the ore is very fine grained, ranging from 150um to less than 10um and commonly less than
40µm.
• The objective of the Finer grinding at Cracow is to deliver additional recovery of 1.5-2.5% range identified by
metallurgical testwork.

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 Case study: Cracow 500 / 5000
• Technology Selection:
• Stirred milling technology was selected because it has been proven that it is as much
as >29% more energy efficient than conventional ball milling.
• Smaller foot print (installation envelope)
• Ease of maintenance
• Short payback period < 1 year (needed due to short rolling ~3 year mine life)

• HIGmill Sizing:
• Mill Feed Throughput 60
tph
• Mill Feed F80: 50µm
• Mill Discharge P80: 25µm
• Specific energy: 7.48
kWh/t
• Mill Power Installed:
500kW (Maximum due to
infrastructure limitations)
• Milling density: 42-45%
w/w

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 Case study: Cracow 500 / 5000
• Project Timeline:
• The existing tertiary ball mill was removed by the client in 2016.
• Civil works then commenced.
• HIGmill mechanical installation was 2 weeks in Dec 2016.
• Dry and Wet Commissioned was 2 weeks in Jan, 2017
• Operating from Jan 2017 to present time

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 Case study: Cracow 500 / 5000
• Operational parameters:
• Mill Feed Throughput 60-70 tph
• Mill Feed F80: 50µm
• Mill Discharge P80: 25-40 µm depending on throughput
• Specific energy: 7.0 kWh/t
• Mill Power Usage: 450-500kW
• Milling density: 42-45% w/w
• Solids SG: 2.75 t/m3
• Ceramic media SG: 4.5

• Consumables:
• Media Consumption: ~12 g/kWh of SG 4.5 3mm
• Wear Parts:
• Rubber Shell Liner Life in excess of 36 weeks (still
under optimisation)
• Rubber Rotor Wear Life of 32 weeks (still under
optimisation)

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 Case study: HIG500 / 5000

• Scaleup
• Plant surveys conducted
• Same time samples collected for laboratory testing in HIG25
• Scale-up in line expectations – 1:1

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 Case study: Cracow 500 / 5000
• Process optimisation:

• The HIGmill requires a seasoned change on commissioning. It could take 2 to 4 weeks to wear the charge
down to a seasoned change for optimal SGE efficiency.

• SGE efficiency increases by ~2.4% with increasing mill media filling level from 60 to 72%v/v.

• Relative viscosity is measured as marsh funnel time, where the maximum marsh funnel time
recommended in stirred milling is ~36-37 sec. Resulted in the density required to be minimized
(42.5%w/w) without increase reagent consumption to the CIP.

• Flocculent dosage to the pre-leach thickener did not show any change to the HIGmill feed viscosity.

• A reduction in flowrate greatly improved the SGE efficiency, due to resisdence time increasing.

• HIGmill is operated on power control setpoint of 500kW as it optimises HIGmill recovery.

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 Wear optimisation: Cracow 500 / 5000
• Optimisation:
• Issue: ~ 50mm of media packing on the shell up.

• Packing could lead to wear rate acceleration.

• Removal of 2 rotors and respacing reduced packing

• Hard cast rotor life improved by 25%

• SGE efficiency improved by ~30%

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 Wear optimisation: Cracow 500 / 5000
• Optimisation:
• Issue availability optimisation
• Rubber Shell Liners in excess of > 36 weeks (still in operation) Vs. 10 wks hard cast.
• Rubber Rotor Wear life of >32 weeks (still in operation) Vs 10 wks hard cast.
• ~10% reduction in SGE efficiency (no problem)

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 Wear optimisation: Cracow 500 / 5000
• Inspection in March 2019: 32 weeks of operation at continuous 500 kW (full
power).

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 Wear optimisation: Cracow 500 / 5000
• Quote from customer: Bottom rubber rotor is showing some wear through to the
steel on the inside and rubber lining is getting thin between castellations.
Overall holding up well for the time that they have been installed. – Direction to
be reversed to extend life.

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 Optimisation Summary of Cracow
• Learnings To Date

• In a tight chamber spacing configuration as the rotor wears on the outside diameter media can build
up a crust between stator discs.

• Bottom plate liner performs well when rubber lined, not well when weld clad.

• Shell liner walls and static discs perform well when rubber lined, not well when weld clad.

• Performance of rubber rotors to date extremely encouraging.

• Higher rotor speeds help retain media. Hydroclassifier is required in future supply.

• Higher SG media helps retain media.

• Larger diameter media reduces SGE.

• Unseasoned media increases SGE.

• Future Optimisation

• Use of castellated urethane on shell walls.

• Pre-cycloning ahead of HIGmill.

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 Case study : Cracow 500 / 5000

Summary

• HIGmill has achieved its required design performance.

• HIGMill continues to process the higher throughput (high flow).

• Excellent rotor and shell liner wear life gives >99% mill availability.

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Thanks for your attention.

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