Flotation Testing Flotation Testing

Core Group has carried out numerous bench and pilot scale test programmes relating to ore dressing by flotation. The test programmes have covered a wide array of ores – Gold, Silver, PGM’s, and base metals and at various levels of complexity with respect to operating conditions including CPS, flotation of UFG products and locked cycle testing. Core Group is also equipped with a number of Jameson Cells for laboratory or on site pilot testing.

Our Programmes

Some of the major flotation programmes carried out at Core include Nena and Frieda Copper Gold Project – Papua New Guinea, Pueblo Viejo Gold Zinc Project – Dominican Republic, and PT Freeport OK Tedi Copper and Gold Mine – Indonesia. In many cases, the progress of flotation test programmes was greatly enhanced by the availability of Core’s consulting mineralogist who can undertake optical microscope mineral liberation analyses of the flotation products.

Selected project experience:

Flotation Testwork, OK Tedi Copper/Gold Mine, Papua New Guinea

Fluorite Mineralogy Testwork & Flowsheet Development, Tengri Resources, Mongolia

Lead-Zinc Differential Flotation – MRM Expansion, Xstrata Zinc, Northern Territory

Lead-Zinc Differential Flotation – MIM Process Optimisation, Xstrata Zinc, Queensland

Equipment and facilities available for laboratory and pilot scale testing include:

  • 3 Agitair laboratory flotation machines and flotation cells (capacity: 1 to 10 L)
  • 2 banks of 2 x 11 L conventional cells
  • 3 x 28 L conventional cells
  • 4 x 70 L Denver cells
  • 1 x J150 Jameson Cell
  • 1 x J300 Jameson Cell
  • 1 x Column Flotation Cell

Ancillary equipment available includes:

  • Custom made high-rate thickener (pilot scale unit)
  • Netzsch plate & frame filter
  • Cone pump box (900 mm ID x 550 mm H) with Warman pump and VSD