:: Multotec Cyclones Supplied to Tati Nickel

Multotec Process Equipment has secured an order to supply dense medium cyclones and densifiers to Tati Nickel in Botswana.

The company has extensive experience in designing process requirements for complex ore bodies, and in this instance the locally manufactured cyclones will be installed in the process plant which treats material from this sulphide nickel ore body in Botswana. The company has the necessary expertise and technical know-how to provide solutions for both lateritic and sulphide nickel ore bodies.

There are two dense medium separation (DMS) plants at Tati Nickel located between the crushing/screening and milling parts of the process. A Multotec DMS cast iron cyclone with a 710 mm diameter, a Multotec densifier with a 200 mm diameter and a 350 mm diameter Multotec degrit cyclone have been installed in the DMS Plant No 1A.

A similar set up is installed in the DMS Plant No 1B, however in this case the DMS cyclone has a 800 mm diameter and is lined with high alumina ceramic tiles.

The sized ore will be treated using these DMS cyclones, which will recover the higher density nickel ore using ferrosilicon as the separation medium. The densifiers will be used to maintain the relative density of the ferrosilicon required for the DMS cyclone to operate efficiently. On the DMS plant feed preparation screen the ore is washed with spray water and screened to remove adherent fines which could contaminate the ferrosilicon. Multotec degrit cyclones are used to recover water from fines screened out from the feed source.