Industrial minerals

Industrial Minerals

ANZAPLAN is well equipped to develop flowsheet and process design for a wide range of industrial minerals including kaolin, quartz, feldspar, diatomite, fluorspar, mica, dolomite and more. Up to date evaluation of numerous processing routes for industrial minerals have already been performed at various scales. Some of the processing steps include comminution, sensor-based sorting, electrostatics, flotation, dry or wet magnetic separation, attrition scrubbing, desliming and calcination.

Services

Main analytical services for industrial minerals include:

  • Identification of trace elements by inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP) using matrix adjusted calibration 
  • Identification of ionic species by ion chromatography (IC)
  • Identification of main elements by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) 
  • Identification and quantification (Rietveld refinement) of mineral phases by X-ray diffraction (XRD)
  • Particle size distribution (PSD)
  • Mineral liberation analysis (MLA)
  • Determination of specific surface area (BET)
  • Optical analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

Processing will include the development of a flowsheet targeting the concentration and purification of industrial minerals.

Main processing steps applied:

  • Crushing, grinding and classification
  • Micronizing
  • Sensor based sorting (SBS)
  • Heavy liquid separation (HLS)
  • Attrition scrubbing and desliming
  • Electrostatics
  • Magnetic separation 
  • Flotation 
  • Acid and caustic treatment
  • Surface modification
  • Calcination

Advanced processing services include:

  • Flowsheet optimization 
  • Locked cycle tests (LCT)
  • Variability testing

Processing will target the production of saleable industrial mineral concentrates at pilot scale.

Main processing steps applied:

  • Sensor based sorting (SBS)
  • Heavy liquid separation (HLS)
  • Dense media separation (DMS)
  • Attrition scrubbing and desliming
  • Electrostatic separation
  • Magnetic separation 
  • Flotation 
  • Acid leaching
  • Calcination

Engineering services typically include:

  • Process design and flowsheet development
  • Confirmation of flowsheet through pilot plant testing program
  • Mass balance, energy and chemicals requirements
  • Equipment selection
  • Capital and operating cost estimates (CAPEX/OPEX)
  • Economic assessments including potential by-product scenarios.
  • Scoping, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies
  • Process plant revamping and plant audits
  • Optimization and trade-off studies 
  • Waste management

The ANZAPLAN team offers independent review of technical studies including:

  • Preliminary economic assessment, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies
  • Design verification at various scale
  • Pilot Plant design
  • Troubleshooting
  • Geometallurgical report
  • Periodic operation monitoring

ANZAPLAN provides consulting and test work services for seamless development in specialty mineral and metal projects from grassroots exploration through to feasibility studies:

  • Exploration program advice 
  • Site visits
  • Mineral resource/reserve estimation
  • Verification of drilling and QA/QC protocols
  • Audit and review
  • Mine planning
  • Preparation of technical report based on international codes e.g. JORC, NI 43-101
  • Project valuation and studies (PEA, PFS and FS Level)
  • Independent Engineer