Optimising recovery: where profitability meets sustainability

Why recovery matters

Mining’s environmental footprint is under increasing scrutiny. At the same time, the industry is tasked with supplying a growing demand for mineral products as cost-effectively as possible to support ongoing economic and demographic growth, urbanisation, industrialisation, and the green transition.  Each tonne of recovered ore thus represents missed opportunities to benefit a mining company’s financial and environmental bottom line. 

The impact of the recovery rate on profitability is an example. Profitability is a product of various factors within and outside a mining company’s control (Figure 1). Of those factors that are under a mining company’s control, run time and throughput are often constrained by factors outside the mineral processing plant fence (e.g., the number of hours in a day, upstream extraction activities) or inherent to the existing equipment (e.g., capacity, particularly of the mill, maintenance concerns). 

Recovery optimisation offers a chance to boost saleable product without necessarily raising throughput or equipment run time and often while reducing operating costs. It can also frequently be done by upgrading existing equipment to avoid significant CAPEX. It thus directly impacts profitability as material previously lost is sold as metaphorical (or sometimes literal) gold.  

Ore characterisation: the foundation for success

Every ore body is unique—one of the beauties and challenges of geology. Even within an ore body, there is variability, which can impact recovery. Recovery optimisation, thus, begins with a detailed understanding of the ore’s physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties. This requires comprehensive testing and analysis, as offered at the FLS Minerals Testing and Research Centre (MTRC). This state-of-the-art facility provides the detailed information needed to optimise grade and recovery, delivering the most cost-effective and environmentally sensitive circuit for the specific deposit.  

The MTRC also supports pilot testing of the latest equipment innovations, such as coarseAIR coarse particle flotation and REFLUX separation. Pilot equipment is skid-mounted for easy shipment, set-up, and commissioned at the mine site, where it can be compared side-by-side with conventional processes. This allows mineral processing plants to see how these latest developments can optimise recovery rates while reducing key inputs, such as power consumption, energy costs, plant footprint, and water consumption.