Metallurgical Test works

TEST WORKS

Nesch Mintech Laboratory carries out testwork for many mineral processing problems. At different processing stages ie comminution and flotation through to leaching, solvent extraction and electro-winning and refining. The firm has top class research centre with experience that it acquired over six years. It mainly focuses on mineral processing, hydrometallurgy and undertakes testworks with strong focus on flowsheet development, process optimisation, process mineralogy and development of new technologies.

Capabilities

Nesch Mintech Laboratory has developed some of the mechanisms and instruments necessary to work cooperatively with its valued clients on new technologies and safe guarding the adequate intellectual property over time since they have research and development, and piloting capabilities.

flotation testing

Nesch Mintech Laboratory has carried out many bench and pilot scale test programmes relating to ore dressing by flotation. These programmes include ores such as gold, silver, PGMs and other base metals with various levels of complexity in reference to their operating conditions such as CPS, flotation of UFG products and locked cycle testing. The firm is equipped with a number of Jameson Cells for laboratory or on-site pilot testing.

GOLD RECOVERY TESTING

Nesch Mintech Laboratory has under taken a number of bench and pilot scale test programmes relating to gold recovery processes. Gold processes included recovery via flotation, gravity concentration, sulphide oxidation processes (pressure leaching, bacterial leaching), and cyanide leaching of oxidised concentrates or free milling ores

Capabilities Include:

• Cyanide leach testing at bench and pilot scale using tank reactors ranging from 2 to 500 L capacity in batch or continuous flow mode
• Rolling bottle leach tests using 2 or 5 L jars with continuous or intermittent agitation
• Column leach testing equipment featuring 150 to 300 mm ID columns allowing up to 6 m ore height
• Diagnostic leach tests to evaluate gold – mineral associations
• Amalgamation of gravity concentrates for evaluation of liberated native gold component
• Full cyanide detox testwork
• robbing tests
• Carbon loading kinetics tests
• Oxygen uptake rate test
• Gravity Recoverable Gold (GRG) test
• ILR / Acacia reactor simulation tests

Equipment and Facilities Available Include:

• Batch CIP and CIL agitated leach stations
• Bottle roll apparatus
• Heap leaching columns
• Gravity concentration equipment
• Carbon activity testing equipment
• Refractory Ore Process equipment (ultrafine grinding mills and atmospheric reactors)

MAKING METAL

The processing capacity for Nesch Mintech Laboratory pilot plant ranges up to 200 kg of cathode product per day. There is close monitoring of Base metal, acid and minor impurities by our in-house commercial analytical laboratory. The firm has in-depth experience in pilot campaigns testing reagent additions to achieve acid mist minimisation.

Electrolytic Cells

• 1 – 10 amp cells for bench scale tests
• 150 amp and 600 amp cell with cathodes and anodes for copper, zinc, cobalt
  and nickel electrowinning and refining

Small Rectifier

• 0-10 v, up to 1.5 kA.
• Fitted with a voltage adjustment to tailor to electrical requirements
• Suitable for copper electrowinning, e.g., a large copper EW pilot carried out in 2009 processed over 30,000 L of electrolyte to make 8 LME grade copper cathodes (1 m)

Large Rectifier

• 0-10 v, up to 8 kA.
• Fitted with a voltage adjustment to tailor to electrical requirements
• Comes with custom copper cables to connect to electrowinning cells, and control boards for integrated fail safe, emergency stops and improved control

Suitable for all electrowinning pilot applications for up to 10 to 20 electrodes and processing very large volumes of electrolyte