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2 | ALS Metallurgy - Heavy Liquid Seperation
Introduction ALS Metallurgy is part of the ALS Group, a diversified
and global analytical laboratory and testing services company. ALS
Metallurgy is the global leader in metallurgical testing and
consulting services for mineral process flowsheet development and
optimisation.
Extensive bench scale laboratory, large scale pilot plant
facilities and expert metallurgists, provide mineral processing,
hydrometallurgical, mineralogical and in–plant services to the
global resources community.
Our metallurgical solutions are internationally recognised by the
mining, engineering and financial sectors for all major
commodities:
•• Precious metals – gold, silver, platinum group metals •• Base
metals – copper, cobalt, lead, zinc, molybdenum,
manganese •• Iron ore – hematite, magnetite, goethite, itabirite ••
Nickel – laterite & sulphide ores •• Uranium & thorium ••
Rare earth minerals & other exotics •• Mineral sands ••
Industrial minerals •• Tungsten & tin.
ALS Metallurgy has an enviable reputation for delivering the
highest quality extractive metallurgical testing service with
accurate and timely data, expert support and a culture of safety
and innovation.
Quality ALS understands the value of data quality and integrity to
exploration and mining companies. Our processes are designed to
ensure clients receive the best quality assay data to assist
informed decision making. The ALS quality program consists of a
series of checks and balances with monitoring at senior management
levels.
Health, Safety and Environment ALS Metallurgy staff are highly
trained in the use of hazardous heavy liquids. We have a rigorous
OH&S programme for heavy liquid use in order to educate,
monitor and protect our employees. Being an employee of ALS is
about putting safety first. Globally, ALS is committed to a safe
work culture.
Safety ManageMent As part of this global approach, ALS has
developed an industry leading standard for managing health, safety
and environmental issues.
Protection of the environMent ALS has Extensive procedures and
policies to ensure Protection of the Environment. Specific
procedures and policies address the following issues:
•• Waste Management, Monitoring and Maintenance; •• Disaster
Management plans for spills; •• Management of Solid waste, with
recycling where possible.
Our dedicated HLS testing team works across a range of commodities
and mineral complexities. We will work closely with you to design
tailored programs that meet your project requirements in terms of
sample availability, data output and budget constraints.
Why use Heavy Liquid Separation? Heavy liquid separation (HLS)
tests provide key data for exploration programmes and process
design projects. Most commonly, data derived from HLS tests is used
for:
•• Characterising the density parameters of ore samples; ••
Predicting the performance of ores through gravity circuits; ••
Pre–concentrating low grade high density minerals prior to
further physical or analytical testing.
At ALS Metallurgy, our dedicated HLS testing team works closely
with you and your consultants to design tailored testwork
programmes to meet your project requirements.
We are able to provide testwork data on samples across a range of
commodities including:
•• Iron Ores •• Mineral Sands •• Base Metals •• Precious Metals
including Gold and PGMs •• Uranium •• Industrial Minerals.
HLS for Iron Ore characterization Data derived from HLS tests on
iron ores is chiefly used for ore characteristion and process
design. Typically, samples are screened into a range of size
fractions prior to testing, for example:
•• –6.3 + 2mm •• –2 + 0.5mm •• –0.5mm + 0.045mm
Each size fraction is then separated into a range of density
intervals, for example: 2.6, 2.8, 3.0, 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, 3.8, &
4.05.
For the other commodities, similar procedures are used with the
size and density ranges dependent on the project
requirements.
Choose from a wide range of densities Using heavy liquids including
Tetrabromoethane (also known as TBE), Diiodomethane (aka MI,
Methylene Iodide) and Clerici’s Solution (aka Thallium Malonate
Formate, TMF), our HLS laboratory can separate samples into a wide
range of specific gravity (SG) intervals from 1.00 all the way
through to 4.05. We are able to separate samples at a single
density, resulting in a pair of sink–float products, or into a
range of density intervals with a minimum density increment as
small as 0.1. If necessary, we can modify the tests to produce
density fractions up to a density of about 4.35. Speak to our
experts!
On coarser–grained fractions (greater than 0.5mm), we generally
perform static separations. On size fractions less than 0.5mm
static or centrifugal separations are performed, dependent on the
mass to be separated, minimum particle size, and the number of
density fractions to be produced, and whether or not the samples
have had fines removed (deslimed). Centrifugal separations are very
effective on finer particles and can be used on with reasonable
success on samples that have not been deslimed.
how Much SaMPle Should i SubMit? This is a commonly asked question
and our experts will be able to assist you in determining this
before you submit the samples! Factors affecting this
include:
•• The particle size distribution of the sample •• The range of
particle size increments required •• The number of sequential
density increments
at which the separations will be performed •• Subsequent analyses
that are to be performed
on the density fractions
what next? Once the density fractions have been produced, our
in–house analytical, mineralogical and metallurgical teams can
provide you with further information about the samples. Speak to us
about our comprehensive range of services.
right solutions right partner
6 MacAdam Place, Balcatta Western Australia 6021
T +61 8 9344 2416 F +61 8 9345 4688 E
[email protected]
North America Kamloops
t +1 250 828 6157 E
[email protected]
Latin America Santiago Mineral Services centre
Hermanos Carrera Pinto 159 Parque Industrial Los Libertadores
Colina Santiago, Chile
