The Hunt for Safer Processing Solutions

The entire mining process is fraught with hazards but ore processing is particularly precarious. Powerful crushers use razor-sharp teeth to size the rocks, conveyor belts must transport the material overland without spillage and fragile chemicals like sodium cyanide are mixed into the solution to produce the final product. If any of the machinery used in these processes fails, it could have disastrous consequences for both workers onsite and the surrounding environment. It is no surprise, then, that service providers in this segment do everything to ensure the safety performance of new designs above all else.

“Our number one priority is the safety of our clients,” says Valentin Kaufmann, Sales Manager for Mexico and Central America at COBRA Group, a specialist in conveyor belt manufacturing for mineral transportation industries. “Conveyor belts are particularly vulnerable to fire-starting so we always have to ensure that our belts exceed the standards required by the different safety norms.”

CAUTION: HARMFUL CHEMICALS

The use of dangerous substances in mining has been a thorn in the side of mining companies for centuries. Sodium cyanide became famous for all the wrong reasons when used as a lethal weapon in Nazi Germany. The substance is so toxic that it can be fatal at the consumption of just 5 percent of a teaspoon, according to research from US chemical manufacturer Sigma-Aldrich. But its unique composition makes it essential in the processing, separation and purification of gold.

Scientists have been seeking an alternative to the substance for decades. In recent years, significant developments have emerged in trials for biomining, a technique that uses micro-organisms during separation instead of cyanide, but the technology is still in its infancy and is not yet an economically viable option for large-scale operations. With the short-term future of the business secure, the challenge for sodium cyanide manufacturers is to make the handling of the substance as risk-free as possible. To achieve this, companies must not only stay abreast of new handling solutions and trends but they must also ensure that the end-user has sufficiently trained its personnel on how to receive, unload and use the substance.

“As the manufacturer, we feel that it is our responsibility to take the lead and contribute to developing safer and more robust standards to transport and deliver our products to customers,” says Luis Rebollar, Global Business and Strategy Director of The Chemours Company, the world’s largest producer of solid sodium cyanide. “We carry out regular mine audits to reduce the risk of accidents.”

While sodium cyanide can place workers in jeopardy, heavy metals such as lead or arsenic, often extracted as a byproduct of precious metal mining, can cause great damage to the environment. If mishandled, these elements can release toxic residue that contaminates water or soil. To counter this threat, calcium-rich substances like lime can be used to refine, rebalance and condition metal ores. Enrique Maldonado, Regional Director in North America of Grupo Calidra, a Mexican supplier of lime and lime byproducts, recognizes the vital role his company plays in minimizing environmental risk during ore processing.

“Our company has a strong commitment to the environment,” he says. “Hazardous materials are combined with calcium oxide to create a harmless substance, which reduces the environmental impact by preventing the toxic metal reaching underground water sources.”

SAFE CRUSHING

While mineral processing will always have a substantial risk profile, technology is advancing all the time to reduce this threat. Manufacturers of mineral-sizing equipment, for example, must find a safe way to successfully crush large quantities of hard rock. The technology is supremely powerful and dynamic and operators, often working at heights in remote areas with limited first-aid support, must be sure to follow all safety recommendations. Any fault could mean precious time lost during maintenance and repair work, or worse, an injury to one or several workers.

Metso, a global industrial equipment provider that has a wide range of crushers on its portfolio, has developed an intelligent cone crusher that can save users up to 20 percent in productivity gains by minimizing the risk of system failure. “The Symon cone crusher has a remote setting feature that facilitates adjustments and diminishes maintenance time during bowl removal and installation,” says Leif Lindholm, the company’s Vice President for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. “Crusher upgrades have the ability to breathe new life into operations by making them more productive, cost efficient and safer.”