An energy-efficient and low-emission alternative for grinding copper and gold ore deposits could potentially transform mineral processing worldwide.
New crushing technology developed by Australian company Gyratory Roller Solutions Pty Ltd (GRolls) and being investigated by Adelaide University researchers is showing significant advantages over conventional grinding techniques.
GRolls Director and Adelaide University PhD candidate Mark Drechsler said the crushing technology reduces the need for grinding and milling (known as comminution), saving operating costs and reducing the industry’s carbon footprint at the same time.
“Ore crushing and grinding are traditionally one of the most energy-intensive processes in mining, accounting for more than 1% of global energy use and up to 80% of a mine’s site power consumption,” said Drechsler, who is based at Adelaide University’s Future Industries Institute (FII).
The GRolls crushing technology uses a unique combination of pulsed compression, tension and shear forces to break down ore. This configuration reduces more than 40% of particles to below 425 microns in a single pass and generates less than 14% of fine particles smaller than 75 microns.
The technology performs particularly well with finer ore feeds under 2.36mm.
“Our testing shows that GRolls can process hard porphyry copper-gold ores while using significantly less energy and no grinding, making it more sustainable and cost-effective.”
When modelled against an existing conventional grinding operation at a copper-gold operation in NSW, the GRolls circuit demonstrated a 20% reduction in energy consumption and nearly halved the total comminution cost.
“These are significant savings,” Drechsler said. “Not only do you reduce power use, but you eliminate the cost of grinding minerals. There are also potential savings in water usage and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.”
With ore grades declining and deposits becoming more complex and remote, the new technology offers a viable alternative for the mining industry,” according to FII metallurgist Dr George Abaka-Wood, who supervised Drechsler’s project.
“The team is committed to showing the downstream benefits of using dry crushing technology in collaboration with other innovative technologies to address the need for more energy-efficient and higher processing efficiencies within mineral processing flowsheets,” he said.
Co-author of the study, Research Leader Minerals and Resource Engineering at the Future Industries Institute, Professor Bill Skinner, said the GRolls technology offered a compact, scalable simple solution that can be used dry or wet, in standalone units or integrated into existing circuits.
“This could be a game changer for mineral processing,” Prof Skinner said. “It offers an opportunity to simplify processing circuits while improving sustainability across the board”.
GRolls hopes to commercialise the technology in the next 12 months with the help of a $300,000 South Australian Government Seed-Start grant.
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