EcoFlot - Scale-up and Demonstration of the CoarseAir Flotation Technology - Year 1

EcoFlot项目（2013年）旨在扩大和展示FLSmidth在“零矿山使命”背景下开发的CoarseAir浮选技术，该项目旨在使客户能够在2030年实现零水和能源浪费。该项目的重点是增强具有挑战性的材料的矿物加工流程，包括以前被认为加工不经济的贱金属粗浆。与同类最佳技术相比，其主要特点包括：（i）回收尺寸达850微米的颗粒，包括以前流失到尾矿中的颗粒;（ii）总回收率提高3 - 6%;（iii）回收率提高3 - 6%。（iii）将单位生产量增加30%，并将浮选占地面积减少35%;（iv）浮选能量需求减少60%;（v）对空气和水的公用事业需求减少40%;（vi）由于颗粒表面积的减少，工艺化学品减少10%，并且粗尾矿不需要絮凝剂;（vii）所需粉碎能量减少30%;（viii）减少30%的水需求，并整体减少加工厂的占地面积，导致资本支出减少30%，运营支出减少38%。该项目将提供其第一个-一种经济上可行的粗气浮示范装置，吞吐量高达2,640 t/d，达到TRL 8。商业化和市场部署预计在项目开始后2.5至3.5年达到TRL 9。它有可能成为真正的变革性创新。目标市场是金属矿石，如铜、金、钼、锌、铅、镍、钴、铂族金属，工业矿物是石墨、钾碱和磷酸盐。拟议的EIT项目将大大降低规模扩大和经济风险，并加快商业化。作为项目的一部分，为了支持CoarseAir浮选技术的环境效益，将应用生命周期评估（LCA）方法。这一评估将有助于该财团评估、量化和减轻该技术的影响。

The EcoFlot project (22013), aims to scale-up and demonstrate the CoarseAir flotation technology developed by FLSmidth in the context of “The MissionZero Mine”, which aims to enable customers to move towards zero water and energy waste by 2030. The project focuses on enhanced mineral processing flows for challenging materials, including coarse slurries of base metals that were previously deemed uneconomic to process.The main features compared to the best-in-class technologies include (i) recovery of particles up to 850 micron in size, including particles previously lost to mine tailings; (ii) 3 - 6 % improvement in overall recovery; (iii) increase unit throughput by 30 % and a decrease in flotation footprint by 35 %; (iv) 60 % decrease in flotation energy demand; (v) 40 % reduction in utility demand for air and water; (vi) 10 % reduction in process chemicals due to reduction in particle surface area and no flocculants required for the coarse tailings; (vii) 30 % reduction in comminution energy required; (viii) 30% reduction in water demand and an overall decreased process plant footprint, resulting in a 30 % reduction in CAPEX and a 38 % reduction in OPEX.The project will deliver the first-of-its-kind economically viable CoarseAir flotation demonstration plant with a throughput of up to 2,640 t/d to achieve TRL 8. Commercialisation and market deployment are estimated 2.5 to 3.5 years after the start of the project to reach TRL 9. It has the potential to become a truly transformative innovation. Target markets are metals ores such as copper, gold, molybdenum, zinc, lead, nickel, cobalt, platinum group metals, and industrial minerals are graphite, potash and phosphate. The proposed EIT project will significantly reduce scale-up and economic risks and speed up commercialisation.As part of the project and to support the environmental benefits of the CoarseAir flotation technology, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology will be applied. This assessment will help the consortium assess, quantify and mitigate the impact of the technology.