Water is a fundamental resource for ore mining. It’s used in many processes, including grinding and classification, as well as flotation. Effectively managing its use enhances the efficiency and reliability of the mining operation.

A white paper, High-Performance Control Valves for Water Addition Processes in Ore Mining, highlights the importance of valve selection in reducing operational and maintenance costs, waste, and water usage.

In grinding and classification processes, water is used to form a slurry, which facilitates the handling of the crushed ore. It’s essential to control the density of the slurry to optimize particle classification and separation efficiency. Overgrinding wastes energy and can create sludge in the grinding process.

Hydrocyclones are used in the separation process, and the addition of proper water helps optimize throughput.

Controlling slurry density during grinding and classification allows for optimal particle classification in hydrocyclones. Slurry density must be within the targets and parameters defined by the process. Diluting the slurry with water helps minimize middle-sized particles, preventing grinding inefficiencies caused by an overload of solids. The correct amount of water avoids density discharge from the mill and recirculating load maintaining water tonnage/water ratio for optimal grind, with enough water to flush fines out of the mill without pooling inside the mill.

In the flotation process, water is added to maintain the slurry’s optimal density for effective mineral separation from the ore. It also facilitates the dispersion of flotation reagents, ensuring even distribution throughout the slurry.

Water addition valves are commonly used in froth flotation circuits in the ore mining industry. Pulp for flotation must conform to two conditions:

• Ore particles should be as close as possible to the size needed for flotation.
• Pulp density must be controlled to minimize power and reagent consumption.

Water addition valves are installed on flotation cells or conditioning tanks to regulate pulp density and maintain solids concentration. This regulation is vital for achieving proper froth thickness and stability, ensuring the correct pulp density before the slurry enters the flotation circuit.

Installing water addition valves can be challenging due to space constraints, flow range requirements, startup requirements, and the presence of process water particles.

For this challenging application, the whitepaper’s author recommends the Fisher CV500 Cam Vee-Ball rotary globe control valve with Fisher 2052 actuator and Fisher FIELDVUE digital valve controller.

The Fisher CV500 has a wider control range (15%-70%) compared to butterfly valves (30%-50%). They are less prone to cavitation and their equal percentage plug configuration makes them ideal for this application. The Fisher CV500 valves also have a high Cv and a high FL (recovery factor), with longer-lasting seats due to the eccentric ball design.

The digital valve controller:

• Ensures precise control of valve positioning for rapid adjustments, which is crucial for process optimization
• Allows predictive maintenance and reduces downtime through diagnostics features, keeping valve health conditions in check

Read the whitepaper for a case study on how butterfly valves, which required frequent maintenance and caused unplanned outages, were replaced with the Fisher CV500 Vee-Ball valve solution for lower operating and maintenance costs, reduced waste, lower water usage, and optimized moisture control.