Weir Minerals hydrocylones reduce circulating load
Weir Minerals has installed 19 Cavex 400CVX10 hydrocyclones at OceanaGold’s Didipio Project gold and copper mine in the Philippines leading to a significant reduction in grinding circuit recirculation and substantial cost savings.
The Didipio mine had expanded its production capacity, which increased the incumbent cyclones’ feed density beyond what they could effectively manage, leading to a circulating load of up to 700%.
The Cavex 400CVX10 hydrocyclones significantly improved separation efficiency due to their finely tuned spigot liner diameter and the strength and corrosion resistance provided by its cast housing. As a result, the introduction of Cavex hydrocyclones reduced the circulating load from 620% to 374%. The direct savings in power consumption, ball consumption, cyclone and pump maintenance costs exceed US$815,000 per annum.
The improved performance of Cavex hydrocyclones can be attributed to their 360° laminar spiral inlet geometry design, which provides a natural flow path into the hydrocyclone. This shape allows the feed to blend smoothly with rotating slurry inside the chamber, reducing turbulence.
Gary Webb, processing manager, OceanaGold Didipio Project, said that the changeover to Cavex hydrocyclones had enabled higher throughput and lower consumable costs without reducing grind size.
