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Our solutions for mineral and metal processing operations

Greater value at every stage of the operation

We help generate greater value from your operations at every stage of mineral processing including mineral suspension and slurry handling, flotation and other enrichment technologies, mineral concentrate improvement, and tailings management, and water recovery. Our chemical solutions and mineral processing expertise facilitate lower energy consumption and reduced water use in mining operations. 

New mine projects

We provide consultations for engineering and process design for new mine projects. We help to integrate reagent formulation with flowsheet design and equipment selection, as well as metallurgical laboratory work to design better solutions adapted to new deposits.  

Key benefits we offer

Improved recovery:

  • Develop tailor-made solutions for each unique deposit,

  • Generate more concentrate tons from existing deposits,
  • Enable lower cost per ton through higher recovery and efficiency.

Better grade - higher value:

  • Efficiently float valuable ore while rejecting gangue minerals,
  • Improve mineral grade resulting in higher pricing in the marketplace,
  • Provide process consultation and custom flowsheet design.

Better cost performance:

  • facilitate more tons at a lower collector dose,
  • reduce energy and water use,
  • simplify processing steps while enabling easier mineral handling.

Industrial minerals

The market is constantly challenged to achieve greater value from operations at every stage of mineral processing including mineral suspension and slurry handling, flotation separation and other enrichment technologies, mineral concentrate improvement, tailings management, and water recovery. We help to optimize your processes with tailor-made mining and mineral processing solutions which maximize operational and product benefits while minimizing environmental impact.

Talc

 

Ore transportation and size control:
  • Talc slurry grinding dispersing agent for better size control;
  • Anti-settling agents for water suspension to control viscosity and avoid mineral sedimentation during storage and transportation.
Mineral processing and beneficiation:
  • Frothers for talc concentrate separation.

High purity silica

Improve your high purity silica beneficiation process with cost-efficient, high-performance flotation reagents for improved recovery and grade, and optimized mineral conditioning.

Mineral processing and beneficiation:
  • CustoFloat® and CustAmine® collectors for reverse Flotation of impurities away from sand or direct silica flotation to yield high-purity silica; 
  • CustoFroth® froth improvement; 
  • CustoFloc™ de-watering and filtration improvement. 

 

Titanium dioxide

Solutions designed specifically for titanium dioxide mineral processing.  

Mineral Processing and beneficiation:
  • Rheosperse™ dispersing agents for concentrated suspensions;
  • Frothers and collectors for valuable mineral beneficiation.

Calcium carbonate

Mineral Processing additives:
  • Grinding aids: Rheosperse™ can be used to produce fluid and stable ground calcium carbonate slurries with controlled particle size in a large range of concentrations; 
  • Dispersing agents: Rheosperse™ can be used to disperse GCC & PCC and produce stable suspensions at high concentrations. 

Discover Rheosperse™

Phosphate

Ore transportation size control:
Mineral processing and beneficiation:
  • CustoFloat®, CustAmine® collectors for direct and reverse flotation;
  • Custo pH® pH modifiersfloat oils and flotation additives for superior mineral conditioning;
  • CustoFroth®frothers and Quell™ defoamers for optimum froth and mineral collection;
  • CustoFloc™ flocculants, coagulants and CustoPrep® depressants for improved processing;
  • CustoFloc™ filtration and de-watering aids and CustoSperse™ rheology modifiers for lower cost wet rock handling and storage; 
  • Process consultation to ensure the best fit of reagents, equipment and flowsheet. 
Process water management:
  • CustoFloc™ flocculants and clarifiers for clean return water preparation and discharge. 

Kaolin

Kaolin mines are located kilometers away from the processing plant requiring it to be transported through pipelines. Our solutions help to improve the efficiency of energy- and water-intensive kaolin operations.

Mineral processing and beneficiation:
  • CustoFloat® and CustAmine® collectors for titanium, iron and pegmatite flotation to meet maximum allowed concentrations;
  • Rheosperse™ dispersing agents for a wide range of Kaolin grades; 
Process water management:
  • CustoFloc™ flocculants for tailings flocculation of fine clays. 

Feldspar

Mineral processing and beneficiation:

CustoFloat® and CustAmine® collectors and frothers to remove impurity minerals;

Quell™ defoamers used as froth modifiers and to improve concentrate thickening; 

CustoFloc™ filter aids to improve filtration and final cake moisture. 

Process water management:

CustoFloc™ de-watering aids to improve concentrate thickening and recycle water quality. 

Other minerals

Our broad range of mining chemicals include flotation reagents such as anionic and cationic collectors, frothers and surfactants, defoamers, float oils, flocculants, pH modifiers and more. Whether it be direct or reverse, primary, secondary or cleaner flotation, we have the mining chemicals to support your operation from the beginning during the feasibility study, to the end during plant commissioning. Our mining chemicals are tailor-made for each customer’s unique ore and operational scenario, and are compliant with all applicable industry regulatory requirements. 

Discover our solutions for other minerals on Arkema Group Specialty Surfactants website

Metal ore recovery

Frother for metal ore flotation

Methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) is an organic chemical compound that acts as foaming agent in the flotation process to separate metal concentrate from the slurry. MIBC is the frother of choice for sulfide ores such as copper, zinc and lead, because it is able to deliver optimal interaction of all components in the flotation process. 

Oxidizing agent for metal extraction and separation from ores

Albone®â€¯ is a hydrogen peroxide solution that acts as an oxidizing agent in metal extraction and separation from ores. Compared to alternative treatments, Albone® main advantages are the simplicity of use and a much lower effluent production. Albone® is useful in precipitating or separating metal from solutions in the recovery processes for base metals (Copper, Lead, Zinc, Cobalt), precious metals (Gold, Silver, Platinum) and rare earth metals (Uranium, Radium, and Beryllium). 

Alpure®â€‹â€¯is a sodium chlorate is an oxidizing agent for the metal leaching process. Sodium chlorate makes the mineral concentrate more soluble in water.   

Go to Alpure® range page

Collection and depressant agents for metal ore flotation

N-dodecyl mercaptan (NDM) is an organic compound that is used as a collection agent in the copper sulfide scavenger circuit. It functions over a very wide pH range, and it can be added in dosages 10-50 % lower than alternative materials.

More on NDM

TGA and its derivatives are also used as depressants in flotation processes for separating valuable metals from ores in mining operations. TGA derivatives are a safer alternative to the more traditional sodium sulfhydrate (NaSH), particularly in mining environments.

More on TGA

 

PennFloat® 3 (PF3) is a formulated collection agent based on . It offers improved copper sulfide recovery (5-10% higher) using lower dosages than alternatives. It can also be used as a primary collector for chalcocite and chalcopyrite ores.

Tert-dodecyl mercaptan (TDM) is an organic compound that is used as a collection agent for copper, zinc and iron sulfide ores. It is an effective primary collector of sphalerite. It is also stable over a very wide pH range.

More on TDM

 

Lithium

Mineral processing and beneficiation:

CustoFloat®, CustAmine® collectors and CustoFroth® frothers to remove impurity minerals;

Quell™ defoamers used as froth modifiers and to improve concentrate thickening;

CustoFloc® filter aids to improve filtration and final cake moisture. 

Process water management:

CustoFloc® de-watering aids for water clarification to improve concentrate thickening and recycle water quality. 

Rare earth minerals

The principal separation techniques used to beneficiate rare earth minerals include combinations of magnetic separation, electrostatic separation, gravity separation and froth flotation.

We have proven expertise in froth flotation and our metallurgical labs can work with you to develop the best collector and flowsheet for your unique rare earth minerals ore.

Mineral processing and beneficiation:

CustoFloat® and CustAmine® collectors for mineral flotation;

CustoFroth® frothers for froth modification;

CustoPrep® depressants for mineral or gangue depression. 

Process water management:

CustoFloc™ flocculants for water clarification.

Solutions for tailings and process water management

Effective water recovery, filtration as well as recycling are crucial steps in reducing the environmental impact of mining operations.  We provide our mining water management expertise at every stage of your operation that involves the use of water. Our solutions help to recover the maximum amount of water for recycling as well as improve water quality. Our experts help you develop tailor-made solutions specific to mineral type or deposit: water filtration solutions, de-watering aids, tailings flocculants, water clarification solutions. 

 

 

 

CustoFloc™ for water clarification and clay settling

Our CustoFloc™ product line includes:

  • water clarification aids that clean muddy water to allow for recycling ans environmentally acceptable clean water discharge
  • Clay settling aids that enable dispersed clay to consolidate faster, allowing clean water to be recycled back to flotation plants

Opale™â€¯solutions for tailings management

Customized solution adapted to mine ore or process, Opale™ solutions increase solid content and control viscosity of concentrates. A solution that addresses different challenges such as limited water availability, mechanical failure of equipment due to high torque or limitation of pumping.  The hydro transport benefits from higher solids content and throughput, and debottlenecking is possible together with water and energy savings. 

Oxidizing agent for industrial effluent water treatment

Our solution for effluent water treatment is designed for to help reduce environmental impact from industrial operations by effective removal toxic pollutants from effluent waters:   â€¯ 

Albone® hydrogen peroxide acts as an oxidizing agent for refinery wastewater treatment. Albone® is suitable for catalyzed and uncatalyzed oxidation without additives for efficient destruction of pollutants such as cyanides, phenols, sulfides and other toxic compounds.

 

Solutions for metallurgy

We stay ahead of developments concerning our customers in the metalworking industry.  Arkema’s solutions cover metal cutting, forming and surface treatment technologies. We help to improve processes to achieve efficient formulation and improved performance in terms of durability and safety

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SOLUTIONS

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