OUTOTEC has announced that Rio Tinto’s Paraburdoo project is the first iron ore mine in Australia to receive the PSI 500 particle size analyser.
The company says that the installation is also one of the first PSI 500 iron ore installations in the world. The PSI 500 is designed to save time, labour and money while increasing product quality and value in highly competitive markets.
Outotec says that the on-stream PSI 500 uses laser diffraction technology to provide real time particle size analysis which is essential to maximising throughput and recoveries.
Outotec’s Application Engineer, Automation in Australia, Mr Brian McPherson says that the PSI 500 system, selected by Paraburdoo to reliably and continuously monitor feeds from the cyclones to the thickener, gives infinitely better process control than typical intermittent manual sampling methods. He claims that this user-friendly automation technology increases production value by enhancing output quality and reducing downtime.
One of the main reasons why PSI 500 technology was selected for Paraburdoo is its highly reliable monitoring. With 80 cyclones per stream, the cyclone overflow reporting directly to the thickener, and tailings pumped 7km, it was critical to ensure correct cyclone operation at Paraburdoo. Dependable monitoring is vital for mass recovery and optimised thickener/tailings operation.
McPherson says that the analyser is also one of the few in the market which can actually cover particle size measurement in the 1-500um range. It monitors particle size distribution and therefore cyclone performance. Also, laser diffraction is a well-established, proven technology, delivering greater precision for particle size analysis.
Particle size monitoring and control increases average throughput and reduces particle size variability in grinding circuit products, leading to easier thickening as there is a more consistent feed.