Wibax Magazine

WATER PURIFICATION
“Water is a natural resource that everyone uses. Recirculation of water should be maximised with new technology, knowledge of processes and products. This means clean water is at optimal quality and in the volumes needed for various purposes. Even the issue of temperature is key, as a very small increase in temperature can be significant to the efficiency of various processes, for example. In order to clean the water that is required, we need different measures and products, and care must be taken to carefully weigh up what works and where in the process there are weak points. Process knowledge is of course huge within the industry, but this doesn’t always include knowledge of what options are available for water purification. This is where suppliers like Wibax come in, as partners and consultants in the work to create strategic plans and calculations for the whole water issue, i.e. ‘water management’. The sustainability issue is now purely a hygiene issue, across all types of business, and there is a clear trend that all interest groups, not least the business owners themselves, want to achieve the smallest possible footprint for emissions to recipients, for example.

SUSTAINABILITY
“Developing success in the mining and mineral industry nowadays means the very essence of a company’s existence is that sustainability must come first. Having a clear plan for reduced environmental impact is part of the strategy. Industry is a part of society and the work includes minimising clear disruptions such as emissions to recipients and problems caused by damming.”

HEALTH, SAFETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
“Safety and the working environment have been on the agenda for quite some time, not least in Sweden. In larger mines, not least in open-pit mines, dust is one of the issues, both in terms of working environment and traffic safety. In addition to road dust, sand tailings facilities and product heaps can also generate dust. A treatment using products to give a longterm effect should provide major economic effects.”

THE ENERGY ISSUE
“ Our customer industries have high levels of ambition here, and are working in accordance with the UN’s 2030 Agenda and the global objectives for sustainable development. We can now see many good activities from our customers where many are working to transition to other types of energy, such as bio-oils and wood pellets, and we appreciate our suppliers’ choice of environmentally-efficient fuel in lorry transports, for example.”

LOGISTICS AND STORAGE
“We now prioritise rail transport where possible. Proximity to suppliers, for example Wibax, with its strategically located terminals, is also important, just as the opportunity for efficient lorry and return transport. The entirety of deliveries made at the right time, reduced own storage and thereby less capital employed – all provides great supply chains which are increasingly in demand.”

CONTINUED FOCUS ON PROFITABILITY
“The mining industry is currently doing well, thanks to a large global demand for metals, not least for battery metals that have had a significant increase in price. There is now a greater desire to invest, which manifests itself in, for example, an increased interest in prospecting. For suppliers and partners to the industry, it is important to understand the long-term objectives and really be able to offer system solutions which meet the requirements and contribute to achieving the environmental objectives and increased competitiveness.

DUST BINDING WITHIN THE MINING INDUSTRY
Dust occurs in several different process steps in the mining industry. Underground mining: dust is created during blasting, during transport and crushing of materials, when vehicles and machines travel on roads and in locations, when material is freighted or transported on conveyors to enriching and when the material is finally stored above ground, either for later enrichment or for depositing after processing. Open-pit mining: dust occurs during the equivalent process steps but open above ground. Larger and heavier machinery is normally used, which also contributes to increased problems with dust, as coarser road material is largely worn down when they are driven on roads and surfaces. The traditional way of suppressing dust, both above and under ground, is to spray it with water. The problem is that the effect is time-limited – once the water has dried, you are back to square one. Using dust binding agents allows for effective dust suppression with long-term effects. This creates savings in the form of reduced water usage, fuel for vehicles that spread the water, and work costs. Wibax has developed a wide product portfolio, containing:

CRUSTING AGENTS
Used for ore mounds to be stored for longer periods, and for deposits. The product forms a physical barrier, a hard crust on the outside, by binding together the finest particles on the surface. Crusting agents most often consist of carbon-based polymers that are mixed with water and sprayed over the material. They then create
a thin later that lasts for three to six months (breaks down through UV radiation and rain), after which the treatment can be repeated. There are also natural polymers – a remainder product from the pulp industry – in the form of lignin. These are also used for dust suppression on roads.

BINDING AGENTS
Used when handling materials, such as during loading, unloading, grinding, transferring from one conveyor belt to another, and when the entire material needs treating. The product is sprayed over the small particles, which then form larger agglomerates, reducing the risk of the wind catching the volatile particles.

WETTING AGENTS
These products reduce surface tension and improve the penetration properties by increasing adhesion, primarily in dry conditions. Can also be used in combination with crusting or binding products.

SALTS
Salt (chlorides) is a natural material that is largely used in dust binding in many contexts, thanks to its hygroscopic properties. There are positions in the mining environment where other dust binding products are chosen, if the chlorides are considered to affect the enriching process or are corrosive in specific environments. Salts are normally not used for dust binding materials that can be enriched, but are used primarily on roads, dead rock tips and deposits. Wibax primarily supplies magnesium chloride, which is the salt that is the least corrosive to metals.

MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE
Aside from the purely process engineering, dust is primarily a problem to solve from a working environment and safety perspective. In addition to dust being unpleasant and risky from a health viewpoint, there is also an explosion risk. In terms of the external environment, the requirements are continually being refined so dust is not spread to the surroundings, and the permitted limits are monitored using sensors in the edges of the mine
boundary. If the particle levels exceed the applicable limit values to a high degree, a fine is issued. The limit values have been refined in recent years – something which has further increased the focus on the dust problem.

FOR REDUCED MAINTENANCE
Finance also plays a part when it comes to the effect of dust on equipment. Effective dust suppression reduces wear, reduces the need for maintenance work and reduces the number of unplanned production stoppages.

DEPENDENT ON THE TIME OF YEAR
You might think that dry summer weather causes the greatest need for dust suppression, but that is only partly true. Other critical periods are during the ‘freeze dry’, occurring in dry and cold weather conditions when the outside temperature is under 0°C, i.e. late winter and autumn. An open-pit is often characterised by large open spaces, allowing a considerable effect from wind, which rapidly dries out the surface of roads and deposits. When the weather is cold, water alone cannot be used. A product with a low freezing point must be used, where Wibax can provide a salt solution, magnesium chloride, which at the right concentration can cope down to -27°C.

ORE BASINS A MAJOR CHALLENGE
Large volumes of dust-binding products are supplied to ore basins, which can often be several kilometres long and wide. The greatest challenge here is to reach the middle of the basin with dust-binding agents, as large parts of the ore basin often have low weight bearing capacity. There are various methods: to spray the material, which often is limited by the capacity of the equipment; to drive it out using a modified tracked vehicle, or to use a helicopter to spread the material. It is easy to see here that streamlining the handling and having a treatment that lasts over time would give significant financial effects.

WATER PURIFICATION WITHIN THE MINING INDUSTRY
Water quality is a key part of the various mining processes, and conditions vary hugely from mine to mine – even in cases where the mines initially can seem the same when comparing the process and end product. Everything is naturally based on the quality of the incoming water, something which can vary significantly. Effective water purification is key for many mining processes, and for the quality of the end product. Humus, limescale, metals and suspended substances are all impurities which must be fought. Wibax has a comprehensive product range for water and process treatment within mining. This includes:

CORROSION INHIBITORS & ANTI-SCALING
Corrosion inhibiting products reduce corrosion, increasing the lifespan of equipment and minimises the risk of leakage. Corrosion products can also be deposited in, for example, pipes, boilers, cooling towers and pumps. Anti-scaling products prevent limescale and other impurities from building up in places where they can pose a problem, such as by blocking pipes and valves, which reduces the need for maintenance. Keeping heat exchangers (for example) clean allows maximal heat transfer, which provides energy savings.

WATER PURIFICATION
Wibax has a broad product portfolio of coagulants and flocculants for maximal separation of impurities from raw water and waste. Wibax does lab studies and full-scale trials in order to find the optimal product or combination of products for your specific circumstances. Water containing metals needs special products to purify it to very low levels, particularly in respect of heavy metals. Polymers are also needed to increase the dry content of the sludge to minimise sludge volumes that are transported and added to deposits. Wibax has polymers for sludge dewatering, creating flocks that can tolerate high shearing forces in centrifuges, for example. Another common issue with water purification is foaming. It may be necessary to add foam suppressants continually or when the issue arises.

EXTRA PURE WATER
Water purification that is well thought through ensures that extremely pure water can be achieved for the mining industry’s sensitive processes, something which is key in pellet manufacture, for example, whereby the quality is affected by the water properties. Effective water purification also makes it possible to reuse the water for economic water usage. Of course it is also important that the water that is finally discharged meets the relevant requirements from regulatory authorities in respect of limit values.

EXPERT HELP AND DELIVERIES WITH PRECISION
Both water purification and dust suppression are areas that require experience, knowledge and major process understanding if an optimal solution is to be achieved. Wibax offers advice and expertise on the various options available in each individual case. A dialogue with the customer is usually begun with a thorough review of the issue and the desired results. Wibax experts then provide a suggestion of which products and methods are suitable, and present a delivery plan and calculation. Once agreed, there may be a trial run, followed by adjustments and any additions as necessary in relation to the results. In many cases the collaboration continues with the results being continuously followed up in accordance with a set time scale. Most common is a call-off order for products, but there are alsodeliveries for storage with the customer. It is fairly common that mines have storage tanks for dust suppressing agents. Most important of all is that the materials are on site when
they are needed. One advantage in context is Wibax terminals, situated in several locations around Sweden and Scandinavia. This makes it possible to deliver within quick time scales and with precision by rail or truck.

YOUR EXPERT CONTACT
Contact us for more information. We will help you find the best solution!

Wibax salesgroup, +46 911 250 239
salesgroup@wibax.com
order@wibax.com