Stirred milling in the PGM industry

Chris Rule
Head of Concentrator Technology
Anglo American Platinum

1
 Presentation outline

• Stirred milling
• Application in PGM industry
• Anglo American Platinum – background
• Why stirred milling for AAP?
• Stirred milling roll-out
• Development of the circuits
• Results
• Future considerations and conclusion

2
 Stirred Milling

Horizontal or vertical milling units

IsaMillTM
Metso Tower Mill & SMD
Deswik
Others

Disc or pin mills predominate

Media
Sand, furnace slag, rock chips
Ceramic medias

Traditionally have been in

concentrate regrind applications
– “UFG” or ultra fine grinding

3
 Stirred mills in mining

PtMile tails – SMD 355 & Deswik 2000 L 2 sets

Sylvania – SMD 185 & SMD 18.5 – 8 sets
Impala – SMD 355 2 sets tails scavenging

4
 Presentation outline

• Stirred milling
• Application in PGM industry
• Anglo American Platinum – background
• Why stirred milling for AAP?
• Stirred milling roll-out
• Development of the circuits
• Results
• Future considerations and conclusion

5
 PGM industry & stirred milling

From 2002 until 2011; 40 milling units and ~ 71 MW installed; mainly in PGM
Concentrators, but also in tailings scavenging for PGMs from primary and
secondary sources – PGM and chromite industry
number of stirred installed power
Operator Operation mills type kW application
PGM Concentrators
Anglo Platinum/JVs WLTR 1 IsaMillTM M10000 2600 UFG/MIG
Waterval UG2 2 IsaMillTM M10000 6000 MIG
Mogalakwena South 3 IsaMillTM M10000 9000 MIG
Mogalakwena North 4 IsaMillTM M10000 12000 MIG
Waterval 4 IsaMillTM M10000 12000 MIG
Amandelbult 4 IsaMillTM M10000 12000 MIG
Amandelbult 1 IsaMillTM M3000 1500 UFG
Mogalkwena North 1 IsaMillTM M10000 3000 UFG
Waterval 1 IsaMillTM M10000 3000 UFG
Mototolo 1 Metso SMDTM 355 355 UFG
RBR BRPM 1 IsaMillTM M10000 3000 MIG
Lonmin Eastern Platinum C 1 IsaMillTM M3000 1000 UFG
Eastern Platinum A/B 1 Metso SMDTM 355 355 UFG
Platmin Boynton 1 IsaMillTM M3000 1500 MIG
PGM Tailings retreatment
Impala Rustenburg TRP 2 Metso SMDTM 355 710 UFG
Platinum Mile Paardekraal TRP 2 Metso SMDTM 355 710 UFG
Paardekraal TRP 2 Deswik-2000 litre 1065 UFG/MIG
Chromite tailings retreatment
Aquarius/JV RK1 chromite tails 1 Deswik-1000 litre 500 MIG
Sylvania Steelpoort 2 Metso SMDTM 185/18.5 203.5 UFG/MIG
Lannex 1 Metso SMDTM 185/18.5 185 UFG/MIG
Lannex 1 Kings 75 MIG
Millsell 2 Metso SMDTM 185/18.5 203.5 UFG/MIG
6 Tharisa Brits chrome TRP 1 Deswik-500 litre 220 MIG
 Summary of installations

• PGM from chromite

• 8 mills, up to 1000 litre

•Tailings scavenging
• 6 mills up to 2000 litre

•PGM operations
• 26 mills up to 10000 litres
7
 Presentation outline

• Stirred milling
• Application in PGM industry
• Anglo American Platinum – background
• Why stirred milling for AAP?
• Stirred milling roll-out
• Development of the circuits
• Results
• Future considerations and conclusion

8
 AAP operations

Anglo American Platinum is

the largest platinum metal
producer with annual
production at 2,5 million
ounces

By-products include
palladium, rhodium,
ruthenium, gold , nickel,
cobalt and copper
All operations are in southern
Africa and concentrate on the
Bushveld and Great Dyke ore
bodies

On the Bushveld three ore

reefs are exploited, Merensky,
UG2 and Platreef

9
 10
10
 Multi plant platform
• Rustenburg - Waterval (620 ktpm) Managed Operations
• Rustenburg - Waterval UG2 (450 ktpm)
14 plants with total monthly
• Rustenburg – WLTR (450 ktpm) nameplate capacity of 3.5 million
• Amandelbult – Merensky (320 ktpm) tonnes ROM per month
• Amandelbult - UG2#1 (220 ktpm)
In FY 2010 produced 1.74
• Amandelbult - UG2 #2 (210 ktpm) million ounces Platinum
• Union - Mortimer UG2 (240 ktpm)
• Union - Mortimer Merensky/UG2 (110ktpm)
• Union - Mortimer Slag/UG2 (65 ktpm) Further production from JV/ shared
• Union – Ivan (110 ktpm) mining operations, (7 plants).
• Mogalakwena – MSC (385 ktpm) Kroondal/Marakana – UG2, 3 plants
• Mogalakwena – MNC (600 ktpm)
Bokoni, UG2 and Merensky 2 plants
• Mototolo UG2 – (220 ktpm)
• Unki MSZ – (120 ktpm) Modikwa UG2: BRPM
Merensky/UG2
11
 Summarized process flows

Merensky and Platreef processing – stage crushing, ball

milling, MF2
MIG stirred
Mill

-8mm
Ball mill Regrind
Primary
Rougher Ball mill MIG stirred Secondary
milling Rougher

Final tails

Overtime, classical crushing /wet screening was replaced with ROM with top
size control feeding primary milling . Platreef – 1993; this did not work at all
and was replaced by complex FAG, pebble crushing and pebble ball milling
circuits and eventually 3stg crushing with HPGR technology today

12
 Summarized process flows

UG2 processing – “MF2” with split regrind and flotation

Primary Silica MIG stirred Mill

Rougher ball mill

Chrome
ROM split
FAG/SAG cyclone
Feed
primary Tank Secondary
mill Rougher

Final tails

Chrome FF/ Chrome

ball mill Rougher

Majority of ore is now processed through these circuits as UG2 or

UG2/Merensky mixed feeds – only two plants out of twenty one still 100%
Merensky, one MSZ, one tailings retreatment and two Platreef
13
 Stage milling and flotation
70.0

• Stage grinding introduced in late

65.0
80s-early 90s to improve MF2 circuit
MIG stirred
liberation and recovery

Final Grind (%-75um)

Mill
60.0
-8mm

• At Waterval - 1987 first two 55.0 Ball

mill Primary
Rougher
Regrind
Ball mill
Secondary
Rougher
Final tails

regrind mills; second two in 1990 50.0

• Merensky only processed in this 45.0

period
40.0

• MF2 circuits critical for UG2

J MM J A O D F A J A O D F A J A O D F A J A O D F A J A O D F A J A O D
1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991

and Platreef due to liberation 9

90.0
size now much finer 89.0

88.0
• Waterval first site, quickly 87.0

followed group wide and at all

Recovery (%)

86.0

new flow sheets employed from 85.0

84.0
1990s 83.0

• UG2 from late 1980s and 82.0

81.0
Platreef exploited from 1993 80.0
J MM J A O D F A J A O D F A J A O D F A J A O D F A J A O D F A J A O D
14 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991
 Presentation outline

• Stirred milling
• Application in PGM industry
• Anglo American Platinum – background
• Why stirred milling for AAP?
• Stirred milling roll-out
• Development of the circuits
• Results
• Future considerations and conclusion

15
 More difficult operating platform
Ore profile Merensky declining rapidly
changing • 2002, 14.1 million tonnes; 2011, 7.4 million tonnes
UG2 and Platreef growing
• 2002, 10.5 million tonnes; 2011, 24.1 million tonnes
• 2002, 4.4 million tonnes; 2011 11,0 million tonnes
Ore type and
head grade Headgrades:
declining rapidly 2002 = 4.9 gpt 4E PGM now 3.2 gpt 4E PGMe

16
 UG2 Ore predominant
UG2 was only first
exploited on large
scale since 1973 and Ore Mix to AP Concentrators 1999 to 2008
has now become the % UG2
processed
4T BUH PGM head
grade (gpt)
predominant ore 70 6

source 60

5
50
Platreef ore has been
exploited from 1993, 40
Great Dyke ore since 4
30
1996
20
3
Merensky reserves,
10
exploited since the
1930s, have depleted 0 2
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
and new areas deeper
and increasingly more
expensive to access
17
 Ore Mineralogy
UG2 ore typically 15 µm
contains finer PGM
mineralization and
often a greater
proportion is
dissociated from larger
grain sulphides 25 µm

Platreef manifests
different speciation 25 µm
and association linked
to aggressive
alteration PGM

The recovery potential Silicate

at conventional grinds BMS
will deteriorate unless
circuits change
10 µm
18
 Mineralogy – the key
To fully evaluate and identify the potential By 2004 the decision was made to
applications of any metallurgical invest in extensive mineralogy
improvement technology or initiative capability and to apply this to routine
understanding the ore body and how it monthly plant composites in
performed in the plant was essential combination with size by size assay

The hardware and software to investigate Anglo Research has 13 MLA

PGM deportment had moved on from the systems in operation currently –
QEM SEM period the bulk of the workload is for
the Concentrator applications

1 µm

19
 Mineralogical information provided:
Routine monthly composites

Feed
• Determine bulk mineralogy i.e. the presence of any deleterious minerals e.g.
talc
• Type, liberation and size of value mineral
Concentrate
• Bulk mineralogy – what has floated, any preferential flotation of any gangue
minerals
• Gangue liberation – has it floated due to locked sulphides or entrainment?
• Value minerals – type, liberation and size. Have any middlings been
recovered?
Tailings

• What hasn’t floated

• Type, liberation and size of value minerals
• Any preferential loss of particular species
 Typical UG2 plant mineralogy data

PGM distribution and association data for

typical monthly composites of
Bar graph illustrating the
Amandelbult UG2 plant samples
PGM association data
100%

80%

60%
Area %

40%

20%

0%
Feed Concentrate Tailings Tailings -10 Tailings +10 Tailings +53

Liberated Enclosed in BMS Attached to BMS PGM/BMS associated* Enclosed in silicate

Attached to silicate Grain Boundary Enclosed in oxide Attached to oxide

21
 Platinum Group Mineral
deportment focussed

Mineral map showing PGM locked in silicates

and chromites in the tailings of UG2 operation
22
 Composite data -tailings

Histogram showing the size (ECD) of silicate particles

that host PGM in a UG2 tailings sample.

23
 MIG and UFG regrind testing on sites

The fctr flotation rig at

site Mogalakwena South
2004

The M20 IsaMill rig

at Mogalakwena
24
South 2004
 DML pilot work-mine - sludge
PROCESS FLOW

Classifying
Screen

Primary Mill
Regrind Mill
Ore Feed
MIG
IsaMill

Roughers

M20
Final Tails IsaMill
Recleaners Cleaners

Cleaner Tails

Sampling points Reagent dosing points

25
 Particle size distributions
GRIND RESULTS

 79% - 53mm – Single Stage Ball Milling

 95% - 53mm – MIG IsaMilling
Rougher Feed PSD
100
MIG UFG

90 MIG
Cum % Passing (Volume)

Ball
80
UFG
70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
1 10 100 1000 10000
Size (µm)
26
 Platinum metallurgy
PLATINUM RESULTS

 Improved Flotation Kinetics with MIG & UFG Circuit

Plant Recovery vs. Time - Pt

70

60
Cum Recovery (%)

50

40

30
Ball UFG

20 MIG MIG & UFG

10

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Flotation Time (Min)
27
 Presentation outline

• Stirred milling
• Application in PGM industry
• Anglo American Platinum – background
• Why stirred milling for AAP?
• Stirred milling roll-out
• Development of the circuits
• Results
• Future considerations and conclusion

28
 Stirred milling Project
• Liberation in-efficiency in the
Concentrator plants was identified
as an opportunity,
– PGM losses were largely due to
incomplete liberation,
– Poor flotation recovery of very fine
PGMs

• Technology of stirred milling

commercially available at large
capacity from 2000

• AAP chose IsaMillTM technology ;

manufactured by Netzsch

• Recognized as an opportunity to
address PGM recovery as ore
quality deteriorated

29
 Stirred Milling MF2 PGM Flow sheet
Mainstream Inert Grinding (MIG) is designed to Ultra-Fine Grinding (UFG) reduces the mass pull
improve recoveries by optimising liberation in an through better liberation, surface cleaning and
‘inert’ media environment improving the selectivity between gangue and
value minerals

Mainstream MIG Circuit

Feed from Primary Secondary Tailings

Flotation Flotation
the Mine Milling Milling
Bypass

Sidestream

UFG Circuit
Tailings
Cleaning Flotation Flotation

High Grade Bypass High/Medium Grade Low Grade

Smelters

30
 UFG and MIG applications

Two circuit applications

UFG – concentrate regrind;

Objective – improve the grade/recovery relationship; reduce product

mass but not metals recovery
Typically targeting 80% -15/20 micron
Mineral surface attritioning and liberation improvement

MIG – mainstream inert grinding

Objective – improve liberation and hence metals recovery

Typically targeting 80% -53 microns after secondary ball milling
Better liberation but improved slurry chemistry

31
 Stirred Milling – scale up
Larger scale mills:
Mt Isa Mines –Pb/Zn circuits 1995 3000 litres
Anglo American Platinum 2003 10 000 litres

Laid the foundation for mainstream application

in PGM industry

32
 Stirred Milling – AAP’s timeline
2001, The WLTR; Western Limb Tailings Retreatment Project was identified as
the low risk “vehicle” to be used to scale up and prove the IsaMill stirred milling
technology to unit size that would support the mainstream opportunity:

2003, World’s first M10000 IsaMill developed with Xstrata Technology and
Netzsch Feinmahltechnik; commissioned on silica sand in UFG duty

2004, A focused on site pilot test work programme was initiated to identify the
applications that could be financially motivated
2006, First mainstream or MIG IsaMill application commissioned in 2006 at
Mogalakwena South C section - regrinding secondary ball mill product
2006, Establishment of a dedicated ceramic media development programme to
ensure the sustainability of stirred milling technology with ceramic medias

2009, 23 MIG and UFG stirred mills in operation; 22 IsaMills and 1 Metso SMD:
18 MIG applications and 5 UFG applications, 64.5 MW of capacity

33
 Rapid growth in IsaMillTM installations

140
Climax
GREEN - M1000
130 Penasquito II (Goldcorp) Red Dog
BLUE - M 3000 Dominicana Gold Somincor
RED - M 10,000 Leinster Nickel (BHPBilliton)
Boynton
120 Penasquito I (Goldcorp)
Anglo Platinum BRPM
110 Anglo Platinum PPRust North UFG
Cumulative Installed Pow er (M W)

Anglo American Platinum MIG Anglo Platinum PPRust North

100 and UFG IsaMill Projects Anglo Platinum Waterval Retrofit UFG
250 $ million investment Anglo Platinum Waterval Retrofit
90
Anglo Anglo Platinum Amandelbult UG2 #1

80 American
Anglo Platinum Amandelbult Merensky Plant
Platinum Anglo Platinum Amandebult UG2 #2
70 Anglo Platinum Amandebult UG2 #2
McArthur River
60
Oceana Prominent Hill
Caribou
50 Australia Au industry Anglo Platinum Waterval UG2
Phu Kham
Anglo Platinum PPL-A/B
40 Pb & Zn industry Anglo Platinum WLTRP Anglo Platinum PPL-C
Centerra Gold Kumtor
30 Lonmin EP-C
Phelps Dodge Morenci
KCGM Fimiston
20 McArthur River Expansion KCGM Gidgi
George Fisher

10 McArthur River M10,000

TM
Mt Isa Pb Circuit IsaMill Commercialisation Development
0
1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
10/22
34
 Chromite control – AAP view
4-fold increase in Cr2O3 in
furnace feed over past decade!
Not a smelter problem!
3.0 60
– must be solved in the
Concentrators
Cr2O3 in concentrate feed to Waterval Smelter (%)

2.5 50

UG2 mined of total output (%)

2.0 40 New technology is the only
solution and is available now
1.5 30
 UFG stirred milling

1.0 20
Column flotation technology

0.5 10 Circuit configuration

0.0 0
Blending – Platreef, MSZ
and Merensky
1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

35 Cr2O3 UG2 mined of total output 30 per. Mov. Avg. (Cr2O3)

 UFG stirred milling
• 4 mills installed and recently
commissioned
– Amandelbult UG2
– Waterval
– MNC
Product – Mototolo, (SMD)
grade &
recovery
shift • Results promising to date
– All testwork we have done
shows the grade/recovery
shift

• Benefit due to better

liberation but also due to
intense surface attritioning
action in inert grinding
environment
36
 IsaMill installations at Anglo Platinum

Amandelbult UG2 #2
Waterval Concentrator Concentrator MIG & UFG
MIG & UFG

Mogalakwena South Concentrator

Mogalakwena South C section – the first MIG
Concentrator A & B MIGs

37
 Presentation outline

• Stirred milling
• Application in PGM industry
• Anglo American Platinum – background
• Why stirred milling for AAP?
• Stirred milling roll-out
• Development of the circuits
• Results
• Future considerations and conclusion

38
 MIG IsaMillTM commercialisation

Performance at Mogalakwena South during

comparative test work in 2007 – the first MIG!

Statistically 3-4% recovery benefit seen

Early problems identified

with:

 Media position
management with flow
o surge tank
o 7 disc configuration

 Tramp material
o linear screen

 Media loss
39
 MIG IsaMillTM commercialisation

• Waterval UG2 MIG operational problems

2008

 Tramp steel

 Media compression

 severe damage to mill internals

40
 MIG IsaMillTM commercialisation

Major fixes, 2009

 management acceptance issues

process recycle implementation

 set-point volume flow control

 tighter “recipe” controlled plant

operation- a difficult learning curve

 mass split optimisation on UG2 and

mixed ore plants

 higher mill powers as bearing over-

temperature problem addressed

 surge tank design problem

addressed – bursting!
41
 Technology optimization

• MIG, UFG and FG classification, duty and feed size

• Equipment Optimisation,
• component design for duty, SDD and disc geometry, 7 vs 8 disc,
rotor design, inlet; rotor reversal for maintenance; media recovery
and feeding – “jet pump” replacing screw feeder
• materials of construction; alternative supply
• evolution of coarse mill design – M5000/(M3000)

• Circuit optimization;
• tramp protection; media load positional control; on line
temperature measurement; DEM; acoustic; PET,
• reccyle and feed preparation and delivery,
• ceramic media development

42
 Design improvements – MIG circuits

MIG circuit feed

stream
S/R

PID

PID

Constant mill feed

• Eliminates the effect of upstream circuit instability.
• Allows for constant and optimized media distribution
• Require site specific tuning to allow for minimal recycle.

18/22
43
 Ceramic media – types of media

Relative cost
US$/kg

>20
Zirconia, Yt/Ce
15 - 20

Zirconium silicate
 5 - 10 Zirconia toughened
alumina – ZTA

4-7 Alumina
2 - 4

 2-4
Alumina silicates

44
 Ceramic media development

Development of a sustainable ceramic media was critical for the

programme

• a testing and quality analyses facility was set-up in 2006

• ongoing engagement with the supply base worldwide was initiated in

2006

• to date more than 130 medias have been tested through the protocol

• currently 3 main suppliers, but many commercial trial programmes

conducted or planned with other suppliers

• cost have reduced and superior alloys developed

•Ongoing initatitive

45
 UG2 circuit development

Mineralogical examination of process streams in UG2 operations identified

the opportunity to treat only the PGM rich silicate stream with stirred milling
technology

Energy efficient and permitted chromite product recovery by gravity, before

regrinding - further enhancing energy efficiency and also reducing chromite
carry over to flotation product

Current best practice UG2 ore processing circuits - AAP

46
 Presentation outline

• Stirred milling
• Application in PGM industry
• Anglo American Platinum – background
• Why stirred milling for AAP?
• Stirred milling roll-out
• Development of the circuits
• Results
• Future considerations and conclusion

47
 Stirred Milling – does it work?

48
 Stirred Milling – does it work?

Grind (%-75um)
95.0
2006 2007

90.0
% -75um

85.0

80.0

75.0 A/B Sections

C Section
70.0
an eb ar pr ay un Jul ug ct o v e c an eb ar pr ay un
J F M A M J A O N D J F M A M J
Month

49
 Stirred Milling – does it work?

Recovery
90
2006 2007
85
Recovery (%)

80

75

70

65
A/B Sections
60 C Section
ov
n

n
l
g
n

n
ec
b

b
ay

ay
r

r
ar

ar
ct
Ju
Ap

Ap
Ju

Ju
Au
Ja

Ja
Fe

Fe
O
N
M

M
D
M

M
Month

50
 Amandelbult tails results

1.4

Amandelbult #1 UG2 plant PGM gpt

1.3
Typical feed grade 4 Amandelbult #2 UG2 plant PGM gpt
1.2
to 6 gpt PGMs, 60%
Pt 1.1
Commissioni
ng IsaMills

1.0

New circuits 0.9

incorporating stirred
0.8
milling
commissioned in 0.7

2009 0.6

0.5
Tailings grades
0.4
dropped to all time
lows at 0.5-0.6 gpt
PGMs by 2010
51
IsaMillTM layout photograph
Amandelbult UG2#2

Shows the MIG – mainstream

10000 litre 3 MW mill adjacent to
the intermediate flotation
concentrate 3000 litre, 1.5 MW
regrind mill
89.0
Both mills utilize ceramic PGM Recovery Mortimer UG2
87.0
grinding media, MIG utilizes 3-4 PGM Recovery Amandelbult UG2 Commi
mm diameter and UFG 2 mm 85.0 ssionin
g
83.0 Amand
Target grinds elbult
IsaMill
MIG – 80% -50 microns 81.0 s

UFG – 80% -20 microns 79.0

77.0
Investment improvement – Δ2%
75.0
Actual Improvement from 80-
82% to 86-88 % PGM recovery
or Δ6%
52
 WUG2 PGM 4T recovery

88

87

86 MIG circuit MIG circuit

commissioned Re-
85
in 4th Q 2007 commissioned
84
in 2Q 2009

83

82

81

80

79

78

53
 Operating costs
trends
IsaMillTM operating costs have
dropped 2009 to 2010 due to,
number of
mills
• solving the operating issues
Annual
spares costs
• reduction in ceramic media
Ceramic costs
pricing and wear

•Operator buy-in

Costs have reduced further 2011

ytd

Operating powers and circuit

2007 2008 2009 2010
running time continue to
improve US$ millions per year operating costs
for media and spares

54
 Presentation outline

• Stirred milling
• Application in PGM industry
• Anglo American Platinum – background
• Why stirred milling for AAP?
• Stirred milling roll-out
• Development of the circuits
• Results
• Future considerations and conclusion

55
 Projects in feasibility

• MIG IsaMillTM Projects in feasibility

– Approval by end 2011
– Commissioning by 2013/2014
– Completes group roll-out of MIG applications

• Further MIG installations at:

– Modikwa UG2
– Mototolo UG2
– Mortimer UG2
– Mortimer Merensky/Slag, (actually UG2 and slag);
incorporates the closure of Ivan; slag MF2 and Mortimer rationalisation
56
 Trends observed

• Applications widening:
• UFG; UFG and FG
• mainstream and concentrates regrind
• Commodities
•Pb/Zn – Au – Ag – Cu – Ni – PGMs
• Magnetite; Mo;
•Duty
• liberation concentrate regrinding; UFG and FG
• pre leach grinding; UFG
• mainstream liberation regrind; MIG
• coarser applications – media size 6 mm; feed size 300 microns
• Recent
• copper rougher concentrate regrind – Las Bambas/Antapaccy
• comparative energy data being generated vs tower milling/ball
milling
57
 Conclusion
To maximize the economics of extraction of PGMs in Anglo Platinum,
process mineralogy has established itself as the key technology
supporting the development of better flowsheets employing new and
established technology.

Ore change over time at the mining operations is well tracked leading
to an understanding of the impacts of various plant events.

The economics of improvement potential at the plants is an

overwhelming proposition due to the increasing value of the metal in
the ROM ore. This justifies the level of investment in process
mineralogy made and continuing to be made at Anglo Platinum.

To illustrate this it is a sobering fact that an improvement of 1% in PGM

recovery in the Concentrators at Anglo Platinum is equivalent to >75
million US$ annually at today’s metal prices and exchange rates.

58
 Thank you for listening

Questions?

59