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Quality equipment directly

impacts safety and efficiency

by John Dean

Mine dewatering  The mining industry is supported by a vast           times the substance being mined is extracted
skid.                system of pumps and pipes. Whether to            from sludges and slurries created by the mining
                 transport slurries filled with product or to siphon  process. In this case, the material must be safely
                 away waste and excess water, pumps surround          pumped away for further processing.
                 the operation. However, mined materials are
                 not always soft, safe and easy to handle. A lot          When mining for precious metals and
                 of damage can be done to the pumps trying to         minerals, stone bearing these substances is
                 process these materials, and this costs money        often crushed into a slurry that then must
                 in repair and compromises safety. In order           be transported for chemical extraction and
                 to ensure safety and efficiency in the mining        processing via pumping systems. While water
                 industry, it is important to install the pumping     is sometimes added to make transport easier,
                 equipment that can handle the job.                   many slurries are eventually thickened to help
                                                                      separate the desired solids and to help with waste
                 Pumping and conveyance in the mining                 management. The waste from processing and/or
                 industry                                             extraction, called the tailings, is pumped into a
                                                                      waste area or facility for later disposal.
                 A variety of media must be conveyed
                                                                          Pumps are also required to dose materials
                 during mining projects. As companies penetrate       with additives such as adding different kinds of
                                                                      chemicals for treatment and processing or adding
                                     deeper into the earth            flocculants to waste water to promote clumping
                                                                      and ease of filtration. Mining operations drain
John Dean is project manager,        seeking natural resources        water from slurries of product to help extract
NETZSCH Pumps North America,         they encounter a host of         the desired substance and from waste to simplify
email john.dean@netzsch.com.         extraneous and/or waste          waste storage and minimize the potential for
                                     materials that must be
                                                                                                         www.miningengineeringmagazine.com
                                     siphoned away. Other

2 june 2017     Mınıng engıneerıng