Optimisation of Grinding Throughput in Toquepala Concentrator Using Simulations

Alberto Buenda / Manuel Pareja / Carlos Len Southern Peru Copper Corporation 2011

INTRODUCTION
TOQUEPALA CONCENTRATOR: -THROUGHPUT: 60,000 t/d. -HEAD: 0.60 % COPPER AND 0.025 % MOLYBDENUM. PORPHIRY ORE. -CONCENTRATE PRODUCTION: 1500 t/d. -CONCENTRATE GRADE: 27.0 % COPPER. - COPPER RECOVERY: 88-91 %. - MOLYBDENUM RECOVERY: 68-72 %.

TOQUEPALA CONCENTRATOR FLOWSHEET

FINE ORE BIN SECONDARY AND TERCIARY CRUSHING PLANT SCREENS (03) FULLER BALL MILL (01) GRIZZLYS ROD MILLS (08) SECONDARY CRUSHERS (03) ORE FROM MINE

PRYMARY CRUSHER (01)

BALL MILLS (24)

TERCIARY CRUSHERS (06)

SCREENS (06) COARSE ORE STOCK PILE

ROUGHER FLOTATION
WEMCO

WEMCO CELLS (24)

WEMCO 130 (04) OK 100 (04)

130 (02)

WEMCO 60 (04)

CLEANER FLOTATION

RECLEANER FLOTATION HI-RATE THICKENER(03)

COLUMN CELLS (15) REGRINDING BALL MILLS (07) CENTRAL TANK SCAVENGER FLOTATION MIDDLING THICKENER (02) (05) (05)
OK 50 (03) WEMCO 60 (01)

BULK THICKENER

BULK CONCENTRATE (Cu, Mo)

AGITAIR CELLS (72)

CONVENTIONAL THICKENER (02) REGRINDING BALL MILL (01) MIDDLING THICKENER (01) WATER RECOVERY PUMPS (06) TO TAILING DAM "QUEBRADA HONDA" COPPER THICKENER (02)

ROUGHER FLOTATION(30)

MOLYBDENUM PLANT
CONDITIONER TANK (01)

1 CLEANER (05) 2 CLEANER (12) 3 CLEANER (12) 4 CLEANER (08) 5 CLEANER (06) 6 CLEANER (04)
ORE FROM MINE BULK CONCENTRATE COPPER CONCENTRATE MOLIBDENUM CONCENTRATE FINAL TAIL WATER

FILTRATION PLANT
SEDIMENTATION TANKS (04) PRESSURE FILTER (01) PRESSURE FILTERS (02) DISC FILTERS (04)

DRYERS (03) 7 CLEANER (02) 8 CLEANER (01) 9 CLEANER (01) MOLYBDENUM CONCENTRATE (BIG BAGS)

COPPER CONCENTRATE (TO ILO)

CONVENTIONAL GRINDING CIRCUIT

CONVENTIONAL GRINDING: FOUR SECTIONS, EACH SECTION COMPRISES: - 2 ROD MILL OPEN CIRCUIT: 10 feet x 14 feet 800 HP. - 6 BALL MILL CLOSED CIRCUIT: 10 feet x 13 feet 800 HP - 6 HIGH EFFICIENCY HYDROCYCLONES: KREBS G-MAX X-26 - F80 ROD MILL FEED: 11,000-12,500 microns. - P80 HYDROCYCLONES OVERFLOW: 190-210 microns. - CONTROL MESH: 18 20 % + m65. - ROD MILL THROUGHPUT: 250 t/h.

CONVENTIONAL GRINDING CIRCUIT

Ore feed

Ore feed

Mill discharge

Mill discharge

Ball mill feed

Cyclone feed / Ball mill discharge Product Product

Cyclone feed / Ball mill discharge

ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPED FOR IMPROVEMENT

THE ALTERNATIVES PROPOSED WERE: - CHANGE OF HYDROCYCLONES AND OPTIMISATION OF APEX SIZE IN SECONDARY GRINDING. - CHANGE OF VORTEX SIZE TO 304.8 mm IN SECONDARY GRINDING HYDROCYCLONES. - USAGE OF 50.8 mm BALLS CURRENTLY USED OF 63.5 mm. INSTEAD OF THE BALLS

CHANGE OF HYDROCYCLONES AND OPTIMISATION OF APEX SIZE

AT THE BEGINNING OF 2010, HIGH EFFICIENCY HYDROCYCLONES G-MAX X-26 WERE INSTALLED REPLACING THE KREBS D-26 BY THAT TIME IN USE. ORIGINALLY THEY WERE INSTALLED WITH AN APEX OF 146.1 mm (5 inches). IN THIS CONDITION THE ROPING EFFECT WAS A MAJOR LIMITING CONDITION FOR TONNAGE. THE OPTIMUM APEX SIZE WAS DETERMINED BY JKSIMMET SIMULATIONS. AFTER SIMULATIONS, A PLANT TEST WAS PERFORMED IN THE SEMISECTION 2A INCREASING GRADUALLY THE APEX SIZE UP TO 165.1 mm (6 inches). - SIMULATION RESULTS WITH 165.1 mm APEX:
Apex mm Work Index Kw.h/t 18.52 232 240 195 196 284 336 Tonnage t/h Std 165.1 Sim Std P80 m Sim Circulating Load Percentage Std Sim

CHANGE OF HYDROCYCLONES AND OPTIMISATION OF APEX SIZE

- SAMPLING RESULTS: TEST (2A) VS STANDARD (4A)
Apex mm Tonnage t/h 2A 146.1 152.4 158.8 165.1 258 260 266 245 4A 250 248 254 234 Percentage mesh Circulating Load +65 2A 12.4 13.6 17.7 21.1 4A 15.7 17.6 21.4 22.8 2A 277 382 391 446 4A 281 270 250 292

- PLANT DATA MONITORING RESULTS:

Apex mm 146.1 152.4 158.8 165.1 1A t/h 253 253 255 232 1B t/h 260 260 260 241 2A t/h 264 266 269 255 2B t/h 255 254 257 234 3A t/h 251 251 253 235 3B t/h 252 251 254 232 4A t/h 261 263 260 243 4B t/h 254 253 255 231

THE INCREMENT IN GRINDING THROUGHPUT WAS AROUND 3%.

CHANGE OF HYDROCYCLONES AND OPTIMISATION OF APEX SIZE

SIMULATED CONDITION WITH 165.1 mm APEX.

CHANGE OF VORTEX SIZE TO 304.8 mm

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW MOTORS OF MAJOR CAPACITY IN THE HYDROCYCLONES PUMPS IMPROVED OUR PUMPING CAPACITY, A LIMITING CONDITION IN THE CIRCUIT. UNDER THIS NEW CONDITION IT WAS PROPOSED AN INCREASE IN THE VORTEX SIZE FROM THE CURRENT SIZE 279.4 mm (11 inches) TO 304.8 mm (12 inches). THIS WOULD ORIGINATE AN INCREASE IN THE P80 IN THE HYDROCYCLONES OVERFLOW, WHICH WOULD BE CONTROLLED BY THE ADDITION OF WATER IN THE PUMP SUMPS.

- SIMULATION RESULTS WITH 304.8 mm VORTEX:

Hardness Work Index Kw.h/t Tonnage t/h Std Low High 13.78 15.98 266 247 Sim 279 262 Std 199 214 P80 m Sim 199 215 Pressure KPa Std 49.0 45.5 Sim 47.6 45.5 Water l/s Std 42.6 39.4 Sim 50.5 45.2 Circulating Load Std 408 170 Sim 396 166

CHANGE OF VORTEX SIZE TO 304.8 mm

- SAMPLING RESULTS: TEST (1B) VS STANDARD (1A)
Tonnage t/h 1A 243 1B 251 Mesh 65 Percentage 1A 17.4 1B 18.3 1A 37.4 Water l/s 1B 41.3 Circulating Load Percentage 1A 402 1B 348

- PLANT DATA MONITORING RESULTS:TEST (1B) VS STANDARD (1A)

Data 1A Test 239 Tonnage t/h 1B 245 1A 36.8 Water l/s 1B 45.3

THE INCREMENT IN GRINDING THROUGHPUT WAS AROUND 2%.

CHANGE OF VORTEX SIZE TO 304.8 mm

SIMULATED CONDITION WITH VORTEX 304.8 mm. LOW HARDNESS ORE.

CHANGE OF VORTEX SIZE TO 304.8 mm

SIMULATED CONDITION WITH VORTEX 304.8 mm. HIGH HARDNESS ORE.

CHANGE IN THE BALL SIZE TO 50.8 mm

CURRENTLY, IN THE SECONDARY MILL WE USE 63.5 mm BALLS (2 inches). RECENTLY IT WAS GENERATED A PROPOSAL TO CHANGE SIZE OF THE BALL UTILISED FOR A MINOR DIAMETER: 50.8 mm (2 inches). BY SIMULATIONS, THE CONDITIONS OF THIS CHANGE WERE CALCULATED, FOR TWO DIFFERENT ORES, CONSIDERING TWO DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES: MAINTAINING A CONSTANT TONNAGE OPTIMISING GRANULOMETRY IN HYDROCYCLONES OVERFLOW OR INCREASING THE TONNAGE MAINTAINING THE SAME QUALITY IN THE CIRCUIT PRODUCT. - SIMULATION RESULTS 50.8 mm BALLS WITH CONSTANT TONNAGE:
Hardness Work Index Kw.h/t Tonnage t/h Std Low High 14.22 15.98 265 247 Sim 265 247 Std 186 214 P80 m Sim 166 195 Circulating Load Std 369 170 Sim 347 164

CHANGE IN THE BALL SIZE TO 50.8 mm

- SIMULATION RESULTS 50.8 mm BALLS WITH CONSTANT P80:
Hardness Work Index Kw.h/t Tonnage t/h Std Low High 14.22 15.98 265 247 Sim 310 280 Std 186 214 P80 m Sim 185 213 Circulating Load Std 369 170 Sim 314 153

CHANGE IN THE BALL SIZE TO 50.8 mm

SIMULATED CONDITION WITH 50.8 mm BALLS HIGH HARDNESS ORE CONSTANT GRANULOMETRY.

CHANGE IN THE BALL SIZE TO 50.8 mm

SIMULATED CONDITION WITH 50.8 mm BALLS HIGH HARDNESS ORE CONSTANT TONNAGE.

CONCLUSIONS
- BOTH PROPOSAL TO DATE IMPLEMENTED REPORTED CLEAR ECONOMICAL BENEFITS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT CHANGE IN BALL SIZE PRODUCES SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS ALIKE. - FOR THE CHANGE IN THE APEX SIZE, IT WAS VERIFIED THE TENDENCY PREDCITED BY THE SIMULATOR. THE MAJOR DIAMETER IN THE APEX AVOIDED THE ROPING EFFECT, LIMITING CONDITION OF TONNAGE. - FOR THE INCREMENT IN THE VORTEX SIZE, WE REACHED TO INCREASE THE TONNAGE PROCESSED MAINTAINING THE SAME FINENESS IN THE OVERFLOW. THE INCREMENT IN THE QUANTITY OF WATER ADDED TO THE SUMP PUMP CONTRIBUTED TO CONTROL +65 MESH PRODUCING A SIMILAR P80 AS THE STANDARD CONDITION.

CONCLUSIONS

- FOR THE PROPOSAL OF CHANGE OF BALL SIZE, SIMULATIONS PREDICT AN IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENT IN TONNAGE PROCESSED MAINTAINING THE SAME GRANULOMETRY IN HYDROCYCLONES OVERFLOW OR AN IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENT IN P80 FOR A CONSTANT TONNAGE - THESE EVALUATIONS DEVELOPED IN PLANT PROVE THAT SIMULATION SOFTWARE IS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR DEVELOPING OPTIMISATION OF PROCESSING PLANTS. IN TOQUEPALA CONCENTRATOR, AS SHOWN, IT HAS BEEN USED TO OPTIMISE THE GRINDING THROUGHPUT IN NORMAL CONDITIONS OF ORE HARDNESS, AND REDUCE THE IMPACT OF LESSER TONNAGE WHEN HIGH HARDNESS ORE IS TREATED.

THANK YOU