Feasibility of zinc cell/ casthouse
for MRM explored
BATEMAN has completed a feasibility study to a ±15 % accuracy
for the construction of a new cell- and casthouse to produce special
high-grade (SHG) zinc at McArthur River Mine (MRM) in Australia. With
a capacity of 456 000 t/yr, this would be the largest such facility
built to date.
MRM operates the mine on behalf of a joint venture
between Xstrata and ANT Minerals Pty Ltd. The mine is an underground
operation, mining one of the largest known stratiform zinc-lead-silver
deposits, the “Here’s Your Chance” deposit. It is located
in the Gulf region in the Northern Territory and is proposing to expand
its current underground mining operations to a 5M t/yr open pit operation,
processing metal on site using the Xstrata-patented hydrometallurgical
Albion process. The Albion leaching process is an essential component
of the project development and was developed in-house at the Xstrataowned
HRL (Hydrometallurgical Research Laboratories) facilities located in
Brisbane, Australia. Applications of the Albion process for external
and internal clients are currently being investigated in a range of
metals including zinc, copper, nickel and gold.
The engineering design for the new cell- and casthouse
was completed within six months and is based on an efficient and generic
flowsheet with an emphasis on minimising capital and operating cost.
A modular plant is specified to minimise erection work on site as the
MRM site is in a very remote location – some 45 km south west of
Borroloola, and approximately 900 km south-east of Darwin. The specified
design life of the plant and all static equipment is a minimum of 35
years.
Components of the plant design include storage for
20 hours of purified electrolyte to ensure that there is sufficient
feed solution to enable continuous operation in the electrowinning section;
an SHG zinc cellhouse with fully-automated cathode stripping; anode
cleaning and conditioning; and an anode and cathode workshop.
The process envisages the addition of manganese dioxide
to the spent electrolyte to maintain manganese dioxide levels in the
leaching process as this conserves the lead / silver anodes, and also
reduces lead contamination of the zinc cathodes. The melt- and casthouse
are designed to produce equal quantities of SHG zinc and zincaluminium
alloy in 25 kg and 1 t jumbo ingots.
Other features include the production of wet zinc
dust for use upstream to remove aqueous metallic impurities; and zinc
dross treatment, using both screening and milling and neutralisation
and leaching, to recover the zinc lost with the dross. Cooling towers,
baghouses and a cellhouse basement that provides sufficient storage
space for 50 % of the capacity of the electrowinning cells are also
included.
For further information, please contact Richard
Klue,
BATEMAN Business Manager, Lead & Zinc, on
+27-11-899-2651 or email richardk@bmi.co.za.
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