Eco-friendly solutions for mining and extractive metallurgical industries
Silvateam provides natural solutions for complex problems in the mining and extractive metallurgical industries. We have a range of technologies that dramatically improve the efficiency and effectiveness of industrial processes including the BIOX® gold process, flotation, leaching, and clay dispersion.
Gold processing
The BIOX® gold process has revolutionized the treatment of refractory gold ores that were once uneconomical to pursue.
Silvateam’s Aurumer B-Ox further improves this process by drastically increasing the recovery of gold in the counter-current decantation circuit. Aurumer B-Ox has proven to increase overall gold recovery by 2-3%, adding significant value to the process.
| Industrial Trial | Percent Reduction of Gold Loss |
|---|---|
| BIOX Process 1 | 40% |
| BIOX Process 2 | 46% |
Flotation depressants
Our product has been used to help depress calcite in other flotation circuits including the ones shown below
Our product has long been the industry standard for the depression of calcite in fluorite flotation processes. Our product is the premier specialty reagent used worldwide to produce chemical grade fluorspar. Upgrading from metallurgical grade fluorspar to acid grade fluorspar generates a significant benefit as acidspar goes for $50-100 more per ton than metspar, and our product is the solution.
| Source and Grade | 2013 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Acidspar: Mexican, f.o.b. Tampico, filtercake | 350 | 290-330 |
| Metspar, Mexican, f.o.b. Tampico | 230-270 | 230-270 |
Zinc leaching
When elemental sulfur is present in leaching, it can coat zinc particles, limiting the effectiveness of the leach. Our line of zinc reagents are excellent dispersing agents for sulfur and greatly increase the efficiency of the leach.
Clay dispersion
For the dispersion of high content active material like clay, Silvateam has developed Guarani P3M, an eco-friendly tannic dispersant that prevents the absorption of fine particles by neutralising its electrical charges. Guarani P3M is user friendly and works in a wide pH range and it does not interfere with other additives used.