I S S U E 1 ■ 2 0 0 1

FEATURING

Refurbished Larox PF ShinesLight on Cosmos Nickel Project

A Star Is Reborn

Larox Solutions for Nickel, Copper, Platinum Group Metals,Niobium and Fine Iron Ore Concentrate

Refurbished Larox PF ShinesLight on Cosmos Nickel Project

A Star Is Reborn

2 L A R O X N E W S 1 / 2 0 0 1

The majority of Larox’s clients are eitherdomestic or international leaders intheir fields of business. Continuousimprovements in our product develop-

ment, operations as well as customer serviceare creating increasingly stronger relationshipswith these clients. They have confidence inLarox’s solutions and services, as evidencedby the considerable number of repeat orderswe are seeing.

As a result of continuous dialogue with ourclients, last year we successfully launched fully renewed pressure filter prod-uct families and a SCADA-based solution for complete plant automation. Thetwo new product families are designed for the specific needs of their respec-tive industries.

Orders for the Larox M Series for mining and metallurgy, the Larox C Seriesfor chemical processing, and the Larox Automation System have been deliv-ered and are meeting or exceeding client expectations. Combined, our newpressure filters and automation solution are raising the standard for filtrationplant performance.

Larox products normally need to operate day and night, year round. Thissets high requirements for the reliability and availability of Larox equipmentand service. To this end, we are continuing to grow our after sales businessand are conducting our first big modernizations. This issue’s main feature onthe refurbishment of a Larox pressure filter for the Cosmos Nickel Project inAustralia is testament to the long-term durability and versatility of Larox prod-ucts.

By ensuring total satisfaction from equipment to process performance –throughout the life of the product – Larox is building a solid foundation forcontinued success around the world. As we continue to add more stars to ourconstellation of winning solutions, we look forward to shining their light onyour business.

Toivo Matti KarppanenPresident

Larox Stars Burn BrightLarox News 1/2001Published in July 2001 by Larox Corporation

Editor-in-ChiefKaisa Nurminen, Larox Corporation

Managing EditorTerence Poje

Design and LayoutGreen Beast Graphics Ltd.

ContributorsSherval & Associates Pty. Limited

PrinthouseFrenckell

Articles and illustrations may be reprinted infull or in part with Larox News credited asthe source.

Larox CorporationP.O. Box 2953101 Lappeenranta, Finland

Telephone +358 (5) 668 811Telefax +358 (5) 668 8277E-mail info@larox.comInternet www.larox.com

Subsidiaries and Sales OfficesAustralia, Canada, Chile, Finland, Germany,Mexico, Peru, Poland, South Africa, UnitedKingdom, United States, Zambia

Representatives27 countries

LAROX is a leader in solid/liquid

separation, liquid polishing filtration and

valve solutions. Larox is dedicated to serving

the world’s process industries by developing

high-performance automatic pressure filters,

polishing filters and pinch valve products.

Larox solutions expand production

capacities, simplify processes, reduce

energy consumption and improve the quality

of end products.

CORPORATE VALUES

Customer Orientation • Reliability •

Continuous Improvement • Innovation and

Expertise • Fair Play

3L A R O X N E W S 1 / 2 0 0 1

I S S U E 1 ■ 2 0 0 1

4 Touring the Cosmos Nickel

Project

6 New Technology EnhancesRefurbishment

8 The Ore of Pará

9 Platinum:South Africa’s Millennium Metal

11 Mining & Metals Harmony in

Brazil

13 Desert Flowers SootheCopper Giant

The Millennium MetalDemand is hot for platinumgroup metals! Meeting thedemand means turning up theheat on filtration efficiency. Seehow Larox meets the challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 9

A Star Is RebornLarox pressure filters keep performing even when they’re recom-missioned for the next owner or project. Read how Larox bringsthe latest technology to refurbished equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 4

Desert FlowersThe copper giant Codelco lovesthe sweet smell of reliability andcost-efficiency. Two Larox-grown desert flowers providethese soothing scents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 13

Just Look for the Larox Red!

Katowice 2001

Katowice, PolandSeptember 4-7, 2001International fair for mining, power gen-eration metallurgy and chemistry

Extemin 2001

Arequipa, Peru September 10-14, 200125th annual event organized by thePeruvian Institute of Mining Engineerswww.conv-min.com

Expo 2001

Acapulco, MexicoOctober 17-20, 2001 Trade show at the next Congress ofMexican Geologists, Mining Engineersand Metallurgistswww.geomin.com.mx

ChemShow

New York, USA October 23-25, 2001The leading source for new products,process equipment, systems and ser-vices for all process industrieswww.chemshow.com

Chemtech&Pharmatech

Mumbai, IndiaNovember 9-12, 2001International chemical and pharmaceuti-cal exhibition and conference

Exponor 2001

Antofagasta, ChileNovember 20-24, 2001Regional mining show in Antofagasta,the mining capitol of Chile www.exponor.cl

Visit us at these trade shows to learn more about our latest products and services!

4 L A R O X N E W S 1 / 2 0 0 1

Prized as much for their durability asfor their performance and versatil-ity, most Larox pressure filters thathave outlived their original assign-

ments are snapped up either by machinerybrokers for resale or by process plant oper-ators looking to minimize capital expendi-ture. This is the story of one such machine.

On to the Next JobIn April 1992, two new Larox pressure fil-ters were commissioned at the Woodlawnmine, near Goulburn, Australia. Themachines were the key components in anequally new turnkey filtration plant,designed and built by Larox to replace out-dated vacuum filters, driers and ancillaryequipment installed to process copper, leadand zinc concentrates.

Operating in a highly automated envi-ronment, both machines ran virtually unat-tended – apart from routine maintenance– until the Woodlawn mine ceased oper-ations in 1998. When the process plantwas decommissioned, the filters werepartly dismantled, sold to a machinery bro-ker and removed to a storage yard inGoulburn.

Touring the Cosmos

Like a star that keeps

burning, Larox pressure

filters continue to shine

even after they move on to

the next owner or project.

Nickel Project

The Larox pressure filter after refurbishment and commissioning at the Cosmos plant.

5L A R O X N E W S 1 / 2 0 0 1

The larger of the two machines was thefirst to find a new home. In May 1999 aMelbourne-based company purchased theLarox PF. Destined for a radical careerchange, the unit was later refurbished byLarox and then recommissioned for cam-paign production of starch products.

Cost-Effective Plant for Jubilee In the same year the first ex-Woodlawn fil-ter was refurbished, Jubilee Mines NL ofWestern Australia was following up thediscovery of a modest but viable nickeldeposit in the Australian outback.Preliminary exploration drilling on thenewly named Cosmos Nickel Project hadrevealed an ore body of about 420,000tons, averaging 7.25% Ni and promisingsome 31,850 tons of contained metal.

Given the size and character of thedeposit, mine life was initially estimated atonly 33 months, leading to the initialrequirement for a relatively small plant ofabout 20 tons/hour capacity. When oper-ational, the Cosmos plant would processabout 150,000 tons a year to achieve aprojected nickel yield of 10,000 tonsannually.

With that in mind, Jubilee called tendersfor the design and construction of a basic,conventional plant that would be eco-nomical to build, operate and maintain.Additionally, the owners did not want to beleft with a costly inventory of near-newmachinery to dispose of once the pro-cessing plant was no longer required.

Based on a feasibility design preparedby JR Engineering Pty Ltd, of Perth, theplant was subsequently built by GDRMinproc around a conventional processflow-line incorporating a single-toggle pri-mary jaw crusher, a SAG mill and cyclonecircuit, a 10-cell flotation circuit, concen-trate and tailings thickeners and a pres-sure filter discharging directly to theproduct stockpile.

A Star Is RebornProject management for construction andcommissioning of the plant was theresponsibility of Perth-based engineeringconsultant Alan Senior, of SeniorConsulting Pty Ltd. With an eye to con-taining costs, Senior and his colleagueshad scoured the country for used but well-maintained process machinery that could

be fully refurbished, transported to theCosmos site and quickly put back to work.Among their most rewarding finds was theremaining ex-Woodlawn filter, for the finalstage of concentrate production.

Acquisition of the pressure filter inOctober 1999 coincided with com-mencement of open cut mining and con-struction of the process plant on theCosmos site. The machine was first trans-ported from Goulburn to Sydney, where itunderwent a 12-week refurbishment pro-gram before traveling a further 4,500kilometers by road from Sydney to its newhome in Western Australia. Undertaken byLarox and completed in January 2000, the

program encompassed:■ Complete disassembly of the machine■ Cleaning and repainting of all external

components■ Refurbishment or replacement of all

hydraulic components and systems■ Modifications to accommodate the

addition of solids-washing andsecondary pressing cycles

■ Mechanical re-assembly■ Electrical rewiring■ Testing, final repainting and packing for

road transportation to the Cosmos site

The plant and the refurbished filter werewet commissioned in mid-April. In early

Checking out the concentrate end product, Larox West Australian sales manager BernieTreichel (left), with Cosmos process technician Neil Conroy.

6 L A R O X N E W S 1 / 2 0 0 1

Larox in the Process

Cosmos Process Flowsheet

When a Larox pressure

filter is refurbished,

incorporating the latest

technology is an integral

part of the job.

The initial Cosmos find wasexpected to provide resources foralmost three years of mining andprocessing. But as construction of

the process plant began, Jubilee Minesdiscovered a second nickel find at about400 meters. The deposit would providean estimated 560,000 tons averaging8.2% nickel and containing a further46,000 tons of metal. With the discoveryof the Cosmos Deeps, mine lifeexpectancy was suddenly extended byfive years.

Given the extended mine life, increas-ing head grades and an ongoing neces-sity to monitor and minimize processwater salinity, Larox engineers recom-mended installation of an automated con-trol program for maintaining the desiredsolids thickness. Since December 1999,

a similar program had been successfullyoperating in a Larox pressure filter forzinc concentrate on another WestAustralian mine site.

Consistent Thickness BoostsProductivityIn pressure filtration, machine throughputand solids washing efficiency are bothaffected by variations in solids thickness.Other key factors affecting solids thick-ness include variations in particle size,feed rates, feed pressures, feed densitiesand – most importantly – feed cycleduration. This determines the volume ofslurry admitted to the filter plate chamberand is the key to the effectiveness of thesolids thickness program.

When setting up the program, plantoperators first determine a solids thick-ness set-point or datum that producesoptimum results in terms of machinethroughput and product quality. The oper-ator enters the set-point via the PLC sys-tem’s touch-screen interface. When theprogram is running, any significant dif-ference between the set-point and thesolids thickness produced triggers an

immediate, automatic adjustment of thenext feed cycle’s duration. The result is ashorter filtration cycle, leading toincreased machine throughput and uni-form moisture content.

24% Higher ThroughputFollowing installation of the solids thick-ness program, Cosmos metallurgistJason Chaplin ran a series of tests todetermine the thickness that wouldachieve optimum solids-washing resultswithout compromising either the machinethroughput or the moisture content of theend product.

With the Cosmos concentrate slurry,the optimum solids washing results wereachieved when the solids thickness wasmaintained between 25mm and 30mm.Under these conditions, chloride readingswere reduced to specification, tonnagesper hour were proportionately increasedand plant throughput overall wasincreased by almost 24%. Additionally,the moisture content of the concentrateproduct consistently averaged around8%, below the required TML of about10%.

New Technology Enhances Refurbishment

7L A R O X N E W S 1 / 2 0 0 1

August the first shipment of Cosmos con-centrate, a consignment of 8,000 dry tonswith a very satisfactory nickel content of16.26%, was dispatched from the mine tothe port of Esperance, there to begin itsjourney to the smelters of Inco Limited, inCanada. Since then, production targetshave consistently been met or exceeded,despite abnormally high chloride levels inthe process water.

Cutting Down the ChloridesOn many Australian mine sites, artesianbores are the only available source ofprocess water. For the Cosmos NickelProject, the water is piped overland fromthe Yakabindie Bores, more than eightkilometers away, where the chloride levelsvary greatly and frequently exceed2,000ppm, far in excess of the 250-300ppm normally considered acceptablein the nickel concentrate end-product.

While the salinity problem was greatlyreduced by solids-washing and secondarypressing cycles, the condition of theprocess water is still monitored due to thehigh variation in salinity caused by thearea’s extremes of rainfall and drought.Cycling times and machine settings areadjusted to achieve optimum solids-wash-ing efficiency while maintaining plant pro-ductivity and product quality.

Fully exposed to the elements, and oper-ating two 12-hour shifts daily, the Cosmosconcentrate plant is comfortably exceed-ing its specified concentrate productioncapacity of 8.75 tons/hour by approxi-mately 20%. Processing mill feed gradesthat sometimes vary from 5% to 11%, theplant produces about 8.0 cubic meters/hrof nickel concentrate slurry having a den-sity of 1900g/l, a dry solids content of 60-65% and a filter feed sizing of 80%passing 60-70 microns.

To the delight of the investors, mill feedgrades have also been significantly higherthan expected, resulting in increased pro-duction of nickel concentrate.

Shining Day and NightInterviewed on site, Cosmos plant super-intendent Barrie Hancock said that exten-sive use of the refurbished Laroxmachinery appears to have had little or noeffect on process plant utilization, avail-ability or productivity.

“We’re certainly getting value for money,”says Hancock. “Working two 12-hourshifts a day, seven days a week, we’re tar-geting 22 hours plant utilization out every24, or 91.6%.”

Since commissioning in April 2000,Cosmos averaged better than 92% uti-lization for the remaining eight months ofthe calendar year. One year later the plantwas running at about 95%.

Process plant availability, he said, is aver-aging 95.5%, and the plant is comfortablyprocessing throughputs over 20% higherthan initially expected.

Up to Maximum Power Commenting on the performance of therefurbished Larox PF, plant foreman Stuart

Milne said that machine availabilitymatched or exceeded that of the processplant.

“The pressure filter is always there whenwe want it,” says Milne, “and we’ve neveryet had to shut down the upstream plantbecause of a filtration stoppage.”

As of April 2001, the filter hadprocessed more than 40,000 tons ofnickel concentrate, with gradings in theDecember 2000 quarter averaging 19%.

Given the potential of the CosmosDeeps find, and plans for a further fiveyears of operations due to a second nickelfind, Cosmos’ pressure filter might yet real-ize its full potential and be upgraded to itsmaximum filtration capacity. ■

Operating two 12-hour shifts per day, the Cosmos concentrate plant exceeds nameplateproduction capacity by 20%.

8 L A R O X N E W S 1 / 2 0 0 1

In the late 1960s a helicopter carryinga crew of geologists landed on aclearing in the forested southernregion of Pará, Brazil and discovered

a massive iron ore bed. Today, 34 years and $3 billion later,

monstrous trucks ceaselessly exit themine’s excavations to dump their 240-tonloads into crushing machines. The high-grade hematite, after going throughgrinders and sieves, is rolled down themountain on conveyor belts. From theCarajás range iron is transported to theneighboring state of Maranhão and thenshipped to destinations around the world.The mine’s output reaches almost 50 mil-lion tons a year. Local deposits areexpected to last 250 years.

In the heart of the Amazon region, Paráhas engaged in extractive activity for cen-turies, beginning with medicinal plants andlater rubber. Today the Carajás range inPará is considered the largest mineralprovince in the world.

Iron Ore and MoreIn addition to iron ore, Companhia Vale doRio Doce (CVRD) also extracts 120 tonsof manganese and gold in a typical year,and is considering the possibility of miningfor copper and nickel.

The other activities of the CVRD groupin Pará constitute a fine example of amodern extractive industry. Bauxite

obtained from mines near the TrombetasRiver is transported by ship to the port ofVila do Conde, 50 kilometers to the south-west of the state capital Belém. The clayrocks are first converted into aluminumoxide by Alunorte, which is then cast intoingots by Albras.

With an output of 357,861 tons in 1999,Albras ranked first worldwide among 162competitors. The company endeavors tocreate a stimulating atmosphere foremployees. The prestigious Exame maga-zine classifies Albras among “the bestcompanies where you can work.”

Committed to ConservationThe industrial complex on the shores ofthe Pará River is flanked by a green belt

comprising more than 3,500 hectares ofreforested area. In the south of the state,CVRD’s commitment to conservationincludes partnership with the environmentand renewable resource authority IBAMAand the native Brazilian foundation FUNAI,to protect the Carajás National Forest.

Three conservation units and an Indianreservation create a truly green island in aregion that also supports agriculture. Thecompany has also built a town in the for-est for its 4,500 workers. The CVRDgroup is directly and indirectly responsiblefor almost 10,000 jobs and invests morethan $450 million a year in the state’seconomy.

Based on a story by Werner Rudhart forÍcaro Brazil magazine, May 2000 ■

The Ore of Pará

New Application for Iron Ore ConcentrateIn 2001 Larox will install four Larox M 60 pressure filters for the filtration of fineiron ore concentrate (hematite) at CVRD’s iron ore mine in Carajás, Pará. Larox auto-matic pressure filters significantly improve the overall cost-efficiency of the iron orepelletizing process. This new application was jointly developed with Companhia Valedo Rio Doce. CVRD is the world’s largest iron ore producer and exporter and one ofBrazil’s premier industrial enterprises.

The delivery will also include the new Larox Automation System. This SCADA-basedsolution optimizes the performance of Larox pressure filters under variable processconditions. The system brings complete online information, process visualization andreporting to plant control rooms.

Companhia Vale do Rio

Doce (CVRD) is both

protector and developer of

one of Brazil’s most

important economic

regions. The state of Pará is

home to the world’s largest

mineral province, as well as

a growing number of Larox

applications.

9L A R O X N E W S 1 / 2 0 0 1

Platinum deposits were first dis-covered in South Africa in 1923near Naboomspruit, but were oflimited extent. The following year

Dr. Hans Merensky found platinum on theMaandagshoek farm, 200 kilometers tothe east. By the late 1920s the plat-inum–bearing horizon, which becameknown as the Merensky Reef, had beentraced around the perimeter of theBushveld Igneous Complex, a bowl-shaped, layered intrusive underlying anarea of about 40,000 km2.

Merensky Reef is between 0.2 and onemeter thick. Under the reef lies a platinum-bearing chromitic layer known as theU.G.2, which is 0.5 to 2.5 meters thick. Thenarrow deposits are mined by open pitmethods at surface outcrops, or under-ground to depths of 1,500 meters.

Processing PlatinumSouth African platinum mineralogy is com-plex. In the Merensky Reef, PGMs occurin the approximate proportions of Pt 57%,Pd 25%, Au 4%, Ir 1%, Ru 8%, Os 1%

and Rh 4%. Predominantly, PGMs areassociated with pyrrhotite, pentlandite andchalcopyrite, and to a lesser extent withferroplatinum alloys. The PGM mineraliza-tion can extend beyond the reef into thehanging and footwalls. Stoping methodsrecover all three rock types, which havedifferent grinding and recovery character-istics.

PGM is primarily recovered throughflotation of the associated base metal sul-fides, although some “metallics” are pro-duced by gravity concentration. Basemetal head grades in PGM ore are lowerthan the tailings grades of conventionalconcentrators. The low grades, andpyrrhotite’s slow flotation kinetics, requirerelatively long rougher and scavenger res-idence times, and multiple cleaning stagesare used to increase concentrate grade.Depressants are required to eliminate talc,and chromite must also be eliminated toavoid slag viscosity problems at thesmelter.

Flotation concentrates are smelted toproduce a PGM-rich copper-nickel sulfide

matte. The matte is processed hydromet-allurgically to recover the base metals andfurther concentrate the PGMs, before finalrefining to separate the individual PGMs.

Supplying the WorldAnglo Platinum, of South Africa is thelargest single platinum producer in theworld. Production exceeded 2.2 millionounces in 2000. In 2000 the companyannounced a program to increase pro-duction by 75% within five years. Part ofthis increase will come from new mines,and part from expansions and de-bottle-necking.

Anglo Platinum mines and processesplatinum ore at sites spanning theBushveld Igneous Complex. Concentratesare transported by road, for distances ofup to 400 kilometers, to Anglo Platinum’ssmelters at Rustenburg and UnionSections. Dry concentrate is required toreduce transport costs, improve handlingand blending, and cut dryer fuel con-sumption.

Platinum has been identified as the “Millennium Metal”

because of the popularity of jewelry manufactured from

the white metal. The new millennium has witnessed a

dramatic rise in the price of platinum, palladium, and other

platinum group metals (PGMs). Demand has increased for

jewelry, autocatalysts, electronics, and fuel cell

development, as have uncertainties over supply.

PLATINUMSouth Africa’s Millennium Metal

Pd & Pt Supply Pd & Pt Demand

10 L A R O X N E W S 1 / 2 0 0 1

Anglo Platinum Chooses LaroxLarox Southern Africa has worked closelywith Anglo Platinum to optimize PGMflotation concentrate filtration.Mineralogical variations between under-ground, open pit, Merensky and U.G.2 oressignificantly affect filtration characteristicsof the different concentrates produced.Larox has conducted filtration tests onconcentrates from all ore sources, and oreblends, for all of Anglo Platinum’s opera-tions.

A Larox pressure filter was commis-sioned at Potgietersrus Platinums in1998, to dewater the additional concen-trate produced by the expansion of theopen pit operation. The concentrate is rel-atively difficult to dewater, but theachieved moisture of 11.5% represents a

significant improvement on previouslyinstalled equipment.

Subsequently, another Larox pressurefilter was commissioned at AngloPlatinum’s new Bafokeng Rasimone minein December 1999. Open pit ore is beingprocessed initially, but as the undergroundmine develops, the plant will treat onlyMerensky Reef. The filtration rate forMerensky Reef flotation concentrate canbe six times higher than that of concen-trate from open pit ore.

Another two Larox pressure filters werecommissioned at Amandelbult concentra-tor in April 2000 to replace vacuum drums.Per month, Amandelbult mills approxi-mately 360,000 tons from Merensky Reef,130,000 tons U.G.2 (increasing to190,000 tpm) and 28,000 tons open pit

ore. Separate concentrates are produced,and dewatered to <12% moisture for roadtransport.

In early 2001, Anglo Platinum ordereda further three Larox automatic pressurefilters for its Waterval and Maandagshoekconcentrators.

Delivering Continuous SupportThe Larox Southern Africa office inMidrand, where a comprehensive stock ofspare parts is maintained, provides ongo-ing maintenance, automation, engineeringand optimization support to AngloPlatinum.

Larox has also supplied filters for dewa-tering PGM concentrates at Mimosa Mine,Zimbabwe; Lac des Isles, Canada; andStillwater, USA. ■

Amplats (SA) Impala (SA)Lonplats (SA) Northam (SA)Aquarius (SA) North AmericaRussian Sales OtherSecondary Supply

PtPd

9,0008,000

7,000

6,0005,000

4,0003,000

2,000

1,000-

Autocatalyst Chemical Dental

Electronics Jewellery Glass

Investment Petroleum Other

PtPd

9,0008,000

7,0006,0005,0004,0003,000

2,0001,000

-

Estimated palladium and platinum supply and demand in 2000. Palladium supply is dominated by Russia, whereas platinum supply isdominated by South Africa.

11L A R O X N E W S 1 / 2 0 0 1

The pyrochlore deposit of Araxá inthe Minas Gerais state of Brazil isthe world’s largest knownexploitable niobium resource. This

mineral deposit represents 70% of theknown economically extractable reserves.

Minais Gerais is also the home ofCBMM, the world’s largest niobium pro-ducer and the first mining and metalscompany to be granted the ISO 14001certification.

Secured FutureAt the present rate of niobium consump-tion, the reserves at Araxá will last for cen-turies. The reserves of soft material andfresh-rock material have been calculatedto sustain 500 years and 1000 years ofmining, respectively, at the current con-sumption rate.

Today CBMM provides more than 65%of the world’s niobium consumption, whichtotals 28,000 metric tons of ferroniobiumalloy annually (1998). However, with itsproduction capacity of 45,000 metric tonsof ferroniobium per year, CBMM alonecould guarantee the whole world supply.Ferroniobium prices are very stable in themarketplace, which presently stand atabout USD 15/kg Nb contained.

The most important application for nio-bium is as a micro-alloying element forhigh-strength-low-alloy steels used inautomobiles, high-pressure gas transmis-sion pipelines, offshore platforms and con-struction. Niobium also provides creepstrength in super alloys operating in thehot section of aircraft gas turbine engines.

Niobium is also used in stainless steelautomobile exhaust systems and in theproduction of superconducting niobium-titanium alloys used for building MRI(magnetic resonance imaging) magnets.

For years, nearly 350 CBMM customershave enjoyed the company’s commitmentto consistent product quality, just-in-timedelivery and price stability. This has beenachieved by continuously upgrading pro-duction and distribution processes, whichincludes strategic inventories in the mainconsuming areas.

On a Sustainable PathWhile investments in state-of-the-art tech-nology play an integral role in price stabil-ity and steady production capacity, theyalso reflect CBMM’s concern for the envi-ronment. “All our industrial activities are

based on sustainable development con-cepts,” says Bruno Fernando Riffel, coor-dinator for the company’s environmentalmanagement system. “Landscaping, con-servation and ecology have been man-agement concerns since the founding ofthe company in 1955. The consolidationof all initiatives into an environmental man-agement system enabled CBMM to haveall its operations ISO 14001 certified.”

Environmental Management SystemThe ISO 14001 certificate granted in1997 applies to the entire productionprocess including the mine and the plantsto process the concentrates, ferroniobiumstandard, ferroniobium vacuum grade, nio-bium oxide, nickel-niobium, niobium metaland niobium-zirconium.

Companhia Brasileira

de Metalurgia e

Mineração

harmonizes

business with

social

responsibility and

environmental

management.

Mining & Metals Harmony

CBMM’s new pyrometallurgical plant is supported by the latest in Larox technologyand equipment.

12 L A R O X N E W S 1 / 2 0 0 1

The two hundred routine activities of theenvironmental management system(EMS) include effluent, emission, wasteand dam monitoring; proper waste dis-posal and recycling of scrap from alloysproduction as well as from the bag-housesand lubricating oils; transportation of orethrough a 3.2 km belt; recirculation ofprocess waters, and inspection of the tanktrucks. CBMM suppliers all co-share theseand other responsibilities.

Concern for the environment is visibleeverywhere at CBMM. The unique pro-duction area is lush with flower and treesettings; all facilities are well maintainedand even follow a similar color scheme.Old production areas have been demol-ished and replaced by tree plantations orgardens.

Environmental Development CenterTo keep its harmony with the environmentthriving, CBMM hosts an Environmental

Development Center. The facility occupiesan area of roughly 26,000 m2 of Araxá’sproduction facilities and includes a con-servation-oriented wildlife nursery, a plantnursery and an environmental educationcenter.

The animal nursery reproduces threat-ened animal species of Brazil’s Cerradoregion. Particular attention is paid tospecies from Minas Gerais such as curas-sow and manned wolf. Each year the nurs-ery, located inside the production facilities,produces 35,000 saplings of 65 Cerradotree species. A total of 200,000 treeshave been planted on company premisesand in surrounding areas.

“For us - CBMM personnel and share-holders - implementing sustainable devel-opment concepts is a concrete way ofdemonstrating our commitment to future

generations as well as to environmentaldevelopment involving human, societal andtechnological aspects,” explains Riffel.

New Pyrometallurgical ProcessMining is performed using the open-pitmethod. A 3.2-kilometer conveyor belttransports the mineral ore from the mineto the concentrator plant. The concentra-tor plant has an installed productioncapacity of 84,000 tons per year. It utilizeswet grinding, magnetic-process separa-tions, desliming and flotation processes.

CBMM’s new pyrometallurgical processis part of the company’s environmentalmanagement system. Concentrate refin-ing reduces the phosphorous, sulfur andlead content of the concentrate, ensur-ing the purity levels required by the indus-try.

“In addition to actions preventing pol-lution and meeting regulatory require-ments, continuous process development

plays an integral part in the EnvironmentalManagement System implemented atCBMM,” comments Alberto Borges Filho,Production Superintendent. “The latestresult of this ongoing development workis the pyrometallurgical process to replacethe wet leaching process for floated con-centrate.”

The new process is aligned to meet allthe environmental laws of the state MinasGerais. The technology upgrade will alsoenable a decrease in production costs andraw material consumption.

Plant Gets Latest Larox TechnologyCBMM’s new 25-meter-high pyrometallur-gical plant was completed in January 2000and houses a Larox PF 30-60 (now theLarox M 30), which was commissioned thefollowing month. After the upstream

processes of excavation, milling, flotationand thickening, the process slurry contain-ing pyrochlore (niobium) concentrate is fedto the Larox pressure filter. Slurry temper-ature is kept between 15 to 30 degreesCelsius. The solids containing pyrochlorehave a particle size of 63% < 37 µm. Thespecific filtration rate is 16 tons of dry solidsper hour.

In the downstream process the dry solidsof 7.5% w/w moisture are pelletized andsintered. The end product, sinter ofpyrochlore concentrate (purified niobiumconcentrate) is fed directly into the metal-lurgical process. The Larox pressure filter’scarefully planned location in the plant allowsthe unit to make use of two separate silos.One is used only when the pelletizingprocess is not running, in which case thedry solids are bagged and stocked.

According to Adriano Porfírio Rios, pro-duction engineer, CBMM hopes to doublethe refined pyrochlore concentration pro-

duction capacity with the help of Laroxonce all the production processes are fullyup and running. The new plant has anannual production capacity of 84,000 tonsof dewatered concentrate.

“The Larox pressure filter has provided uswith consistent process results for sinter-ing. Even for us dry solids moisture andcapacity are the key issues. We also valueLarox’s testing, service and spare parts sys-tem in Brazil.”

Larox is represented by Tornator®Representa ôes Ltda. based in Mogi dasCruzes. For more information, visitwww.tornator.com.br. ■

CBMM’s animal nursery promotes thereproduction of the region’s native mannedwolf.

CBMM has enough production capacityto satisfy the world’s current demand forferroniobium.

Left to right: Production engineer AdrianoPorfírio Rios, Larox representative JaakkoKuntonen and Larox PF operator FabianoSilva.

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Chile has the largest known copperreserves in the world. With 270million tons of known reserves,the country possesses enough

copper to continue current production for75 years. This wealth of reserves hasmade Chile the world’s largest copper-producing country. Chile produced 4.4 mil-lion tons of copper in 1999, equal to 28percent of the world’s copper consump-tion.

Codelco, Chile’s largest copper pro-ducer, owns the Chuquicamata, ElTeniente, Andina, Salvador and theRadomiro Tomic mines. The companyholds about 21% percent of the knowncopper reserves and 16% of the globalmarket share of copper, and accounts forapproximately one fourth of the country’stotal exports. Codelco’s main product iscopper cathode of grade A.

30 Years of Giant ProductionChuquicamata is the leading division ofCodelco. Codelco’s production in 1999reached 1.5 million mt of fine copper withChuquicamata providing 630,000 mt. Thedivision’s annual output of fine copper rep-resents 39% of the company’s total pro-duction. Chuquicamata’s products includeelectro-refined and electro-won cathodesof copper, concentrated molybdenum,molybdenum oxide, metal dore and sele-nium.

The production facilities include twoopen-pit mines, one concentrator plant forcopper and one for molybdenum, a refin-ery with four acid-sulfuric plants and twooxide plants. The division employs over7,000 employees.

The main open-pit mine has a diame-ter of eight kilometers and a depth of 800meters, the reserves of which are esti-

mated to last for at least 30 years. Most ofthe ore comes from the main open-pitmine, with approximately 10% being pro-duced at the adjacent Mina Sur mine. TheChuquicamata refinery has a capacity of740,000 tons, but is currently run at a rateof 600,000 tons. Water supplied by Boliviais transported through 300 kilometers ofpipeline. Chuquicamata recycles its water,and initial actions are being taken to gainISO 14001 certification.

Partnering with LaroxSince 1993 Chuquicamata had sought analternative to the vacuum filters then in useat the filtration plant. Four suppliers wereconsidered for the modernization. In 1997Codelco and Larox signed a strategic part-nership agreement, setting up the condi-tions for the company to provide ongoingprocess design support to Codelco.

Desert Flowers SootheCopper GiantHighly reliable, cost-efficient Larox pressure filters

produce the sweet smell of success at Codelco.

Chuquicamata is situated approximately 250 kilometers from Antofagasta at 2800 meters above the sea level. Man has mined in theregion since prehistoric times, but it was not until 1910 when the Group Guggenheim followed by Chile Exploration Company andAnaconda Copper company initiated exploration activities. The region’s treasures are now mined by Codelco’s Chuquicamata division.

The deal held special significance forLarox. Not only did the Codelco ordercome as Larox celebrated its 20thanniversary, but the first delivery repre-sented the 500th Larox pressure filter tobe commissioned. A Chile-based company,Metaproject Ingeniería e Innovación S.A.,did its share in helping Larox close thedeal comprising the first pressure filtersale. A consulting and engineering busi-ness, Metaproject, advised Codelco on its

investment decision using risk andexpense analyses.

Larox’s Desert FlowersIn December 1997, two Larox pressure fil-ters were shipped to the Chuquicamataplant in the Atacama Desert. The newplant was commissioned in June 1999,and during their first year in operationPaulina and Liliana (the names given tothe units by the start-up and automation

engineers) both performed to the satis-faction of Chuquicamata management.Larox provided guarantees on availability,solids moisture, dry production in tons,energy and water consumption, spareparts and auxiliaries.

“The operating costs of Larox pressurefilters are less than competing technolo-gies. This means reliability,” commentsErnesto Rivas of Codelco Chuquicamata.

“Not only have we been pleased withthe performance of the filters but also withthe service back-up Larox has offered.Larox Service’s account manager systemhas been of great use to us,” he adds.

The Codelco Chuquicamata account ismanaged by Mr. Sixto Monje. He is basedat Larox’s office in Antofagasta.

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Larox in the Process

Codelco Chuquicamata refinery’s desert flowers “Paulina” and “Liliana” soar above Codelco and Larox representatives.