PUMPS, VALVES & ACTUATORS PUMPS PART OF LITHIUM PILOT PLANT
The emerging lithium extraction sector takes advantage of WMFTG peristaltic pumps
from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) as part of a new pilot plant for Cornish Lithium. As part of the same pilot plant, the company is also using a Qdos metering pump from WMFTG to dose flocculant into settling tanks. Grinding Solutions has taken advantage of pumps from WMFTG for many years as part of bench testing operations, but the move to pilot scale operations is a first-time venture for this progressive company. With the push towards electrification and
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renewable energy sources, many are exploring sources of lithium and other battery metals. Cornish Lithium, for example, is looking at the extraction of lithium from brines and hard rock. Grinding Solutions is undertaking pilot plant testing for Cornish Lithium, helping the company to develop a process to extract lithium from micas. Pilot scale operations enable the company to confirm bench test results, build confidence and generate concentrate which Cornish Lithium can use for further testing. The pilot plant will also help verify processes, understand costs and minimise risks. Battery metals will be critical in the future
as the world moves towards more environmentally friendly transportation and infrastructure. Cornish Lithium is focused on the sustainable extraction of lithium and other
rinding Solutions, a metallurgical laboratory and consultancy service, is using a 500 series peristaltic pump
Partnerships are key to Cornish Lithium’s ambition of sustainable extraction, which is why they work closely with Grinding Solutions, based near Truro, Cornwall. In turn, Grinding Solutions partners with WMFTG, which also has its global headquarters in Cornwall
battery metals in the mining district of Cornwall. It is one of only five regions worldwide for lithium-enriched granites. The company has secured extensive mineral rights agreements across more than 500km2
of
Cornwall, as it looks to establish a strong, sustainable and environmentally responsible lithium extraction industry in the UK. Grinding Solutions crushes, mills and
separates the mineral into different size fractions, processing it to generate a lithium concentrate. Vital to the success of the pilot plant is the accurate dosing/pumping of materials. Through the pilot plant’s flotation stage,
which promotes mineral separation, there is a need to dose reagent (collector and thickener) at a constant addition rate. Here, the company takes advantage of a Watson-Marlow 530SN peristaltic pump with six 313 pumpheads. “The use of six pumpheads means we can use a single pump to dose all six streams
SINGLE VALVE NOW HAS MANY USES
Bonomi (UK) has introduced an advanced sealing system for valve stems. V-Pack is a PTFE stem sealing system removing the need for an elastomer (HNBR/EPDM/MFQ, FFKM) O-ring, meaning that the valve is suitable for use with a wide range of chemicals. The result is a single valve, suitable for use in many different applications, without having to consider changing the elastomer O-ring stem seals. The removal of the elastomer O-ring stem seal also has
the benefit of increasing the temperature range (-40°C to 180°C) of the valve. It has been Fugitive Emission Tested in accordance with ISO 15848-1, covering the external leakage of stems and body joints of valves intended for use with volatile air pollutants and hazardous fluids. This new option is available for Bonomi’s Valpres range of wafer, wafer-split, and split-
body ball valves in carbon steel and stainless steel. Valve seals play a vital role in minimising the release of toxic, hazardous gases/liquids
and volatile compounds into the environment. V-Pack has been tested to SIL3 for applications requiring high levels of risk reduction and is Fire Safe certified to ISO 10497. Bonomi
28 NOVEMBER 2021 | PROCESS & CONTROL
www.bonomi.co.uk
through the rougher and scavenger as part of the flotation process, which is very efficient,” said Jon Rumbles, project metallurgist at Grinding Solutions. The company is using a Qdos 30 metering
pump from WMFTG for dosing flocculant into settling tanks at a rate of 10-15 ml/min. The flocculant allows for better settling, permitting quicker extraction of the water ready for recirculation back through the system. “We’ve been using Watson-Marlow pumps
for years, for both dosing and slurry transfer,” explained Rumbles. “They are really easy to calibrate, while their wide ranging flow rate capabilities are invaluable. We have a number of 500 series pumps on site for reagent dosing, plus the Qdos 30. A couple of the 500 series pumps are fitted with larger pumpheads for slurry transfer, while some of our 600 pump series models are linked to density meters. In fact, to facilitate automatic adjustment, we’re now looking at using the 4-20 mA input for even more control from live meters.”
As well as dosing viscous reagents, Grinding
Solutions uses its Watson-Marlow pumps to dose sulphuric acid, which helps the system maintain a pH of 2-3. “By using peristaltic pumps from Watson-
Marlow, we’ve not had to think about issues like strong acidity and high viscosity,” concluded Rumbles. “As the pumpheads are self- contained, we can change a reagent – and a pumphead – without having to worry about damage to pump parts or cross contamination. In addition, we get accurate dosing and continuous flow from Watson- Marlow pumps, with no reliability issues whatsoever.” A video is available by following this link:
https://www.wmftg.com/en/mining/pilot-plants- for-metallurgy-and-mineral-processing/
WMFTG
www.wmftg.com
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