FALCON SB

Sepro Mineral Systems History

1986
Falcon Concentrators LTD
Founded in Canada by todays director Steve McAlister
World leaders in the design and supply of Centrifugal Gravity Concentrators
1987
Sepro Mineral Processing International
Founded in the UK by a dedicated team of engineers led by founder Mike Burton
Developed tyre driven mineral processing equipment: Scrubbers, Agglommerators, Mills
2008
Sepro Mineral Systems
Created through the purchase of Sepro MPI by Falcon Concentrators
Numerous installations world wide
Offices in Canada, UK, Ghana, Austria
World wide representative network

Sepro Equipment Lines

Falcon Semi-Batch Concentrators
Falcon Continuous Concentrators
Falcon Ultra-Fine Concentrators
Sepro Scrubbers
Sepro Grinding Mills
Sepro Agglomeration Drums
Sepro Dense Medium Separators
Sepro Crushers
Sepro-Sizetec Screens
Sepro Leach Reactors
Sepro Pumps
Sepro Mobile / Modular Plants

Falcon SB Introduction

Periodically discharges a high grade concentrate

Centrifugal fields up to 200Gs
Single unit capacities from 1-400t/h
Typical concentrate yield of <0.01%
Typical concentrate grade: +1000 gAu/t
VFD and Dynamic Brake to reduce offline time
Recovery and upgrade down to ~20 microns
Mostly used within grinding circuits (cyclone feed
or U/F)

Falcon SB Applications
Recovery of gold from cyclone feed,
underflow or overflow within the grinding
circuit
Recovery of gold in alluvial gold operations
Recovery of gold from aggregate plants
Recovery of precious metals in recycling

Falcon SB How it Works

Water manifold
SFC Water Manifold + AutoPAC
Sepro Flow Control (Fully Automatic)
Strainer (Filter)
Rinse + Flush Solenoid Valves
Flowmeter + Flow Control Valve

MFC Water Manifold + VFD

Manual Flow Control
Strainer (Filter)
Rinse + Flush Hand Valves
Flow Control Hand Valve

Processing cycles

Fluidization water spray

Concentrating cycle

Rinse cycle

Test Work
L40 Low Mass Yield (LMY) test with SB bowl
GRG test The industry standard: 3-pass LMY test with intermediate grind
Mathematical modelling of potential gravity recovery based on the bahaviour of gold in
a grinding circuit:
Gold grinds 6 to 20 times slower than gangue
Gold reports to Cyclone U/F at a smaller particle size than gangue due to high SG
GRG (Gravity Recoverable Gold) may turn into NON-GRG by over-grinding and smearing

Increased Recovery: Flotation

Gravity circuit reduces overgrinding and the amount of coarse gold reporting to flotation
Recovery of GRG by flotation is lower at the fine and coarse end of particle sizes
Overall gold recovery increase potential of 1-10%

Increased Recovery: Leach

Gravity circuit reduces overgrinding and the amount of coarse gold reporting to leach
Finer distribution of gold reporting to conventional leach circuit = faster leaching / shorter leach retention
Reduced carbon stripping effort
Intensive leach for gravity concentrates
Overall gold recovery increase potential of 1-3%

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Metallurgical considerations
Most important parameters for gravity circuit gold production (LaPlante):
1. Centrifuge Throughput in relation to plant throughput (Percentage of circulating load treated)
2. Cyclone Efficiency
3. Centrifuge Availability
4. Centrifuge Stage Recovery (G-Force) (Fluidization) (Cycle time)

G FORCE

FLUIDIZATION
WATER

14 psi

20 psi

26 psi

60

100

140

180

2.274 kg
34.9% Rec

2.882 kg
35.0% Rec

3.032 kg
77.3% Rec

4.525 kg
66.3% Rec

2.115 kg
31.9% Rec

1.781 kg
31.0% Rec

2.611 kg
32.6% Rec

2.201 kg
32.6% Rec

2.868 kg
46.4% Rec

2.747 kg
40.1% Rec

3.712 kg
65.4% Rec

3.487 kg
70.4% Rec

PERCENTAGE OF CIRCULATING LOAD

TREATED

POTENTIAL BENEFIT

(%)

(%)

10

48

25

70

50

88

75

95

100

100

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Placement considerations
Gold grade
Liberation
Pulp density
OPEX
CAPEX

SB

SB
SB

Location of the gravity concentrator

Cyclone Underflow

Mill discharge / Cyclone Feed

Cyclone Overflow

Multiple pass environment

(Circulating load)
Generally 25% or 100% treated

Multiple pass environment

(Circulating load)
Generally 25% or 100% treated

Single pass environment

(Open circuit)
Generally 100% treated

High gold grade

(Circulating load)

High gold grade

(Circulating load)

Lower gold grade

(Open circuit)

Potentially low liberation

Increased liberation

Maximum liberation

Coarser Feed
High wear

Finer feed than Cyclone U/F

Reduced wear

Fine Feed
Low wear

Suboptimum feed pulp density

for screening (+60%-wt. solids)

Suitable feed pulp density for

screening (45-60%-wt. solids)

Protection screening not

urgently necessary

Fines by-pass

Fines by-pass
(Mill discharge)

Treatment of fines
(Cyclone O/F)

Higher structural elevation of

mill building

Lower structural elevation

Lower structural elevation

Increased head for cyclone feed

pump
No additional pumps required

Additional pumps normally

required

Additional pumps may be

required

Feed Scalping Screen

Scalping at 2mm (slotted screen panel) is todays standard
Scalping at 1mm screen aperture requires more screen area
Additional effort is often offset by reduced wear on the BCC
Finer screening has metallurgical advantages especially for recovering fine gold (- 53 micron)
VSMA guidelines recommend dilution of both cyclone feed and cyclone U/F for optimum
screening. Less dilution required when screening cyclone feed

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Bypass
Bypass during rinse cycle: approx. 2 min
Gold trap in feed line rather than by-bass line
Pinch Valve or Knife Gate Valve

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Published fluidization water consumptions:

Falcon SB5200:
25 - 35 m3/h
Knelson KC-XD48:
28 - 86 m3/h
Annual difference: 200,000 m3 (8000 h/a)
Affects water balance around grinding mill
Affects operating costs, downstream capital costs
High quality, clean water required, typical specification:
< 100 ppm solids
< 5 micron
Poor water quality affects maintenance and downtime
Typical minimum supply pressure: 40-50 psi

OSHA Office of Training & Education

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Rotor comparison
Impeller
Stratification zone: Acceleration and stratification
Retention zone
Optimum fluidization water utilization at most effective point

OSHA Office of Training & Education

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Availability Zoned approach

Mechanical availability of gravity circuit is second largest
determinant of gravity gold production.
Zoned approach: Impeller
Lower strike point
Lip ring
Major wear parts are not recovery related
Wear items are separate exchangeable parts

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Concentrate Handling Options

Blend gravity concentrate with Flotation concentrate
Sell gravity concentrate separately
Shaking table (to Smelting)
Intensive Leach (to Electrowinning/Smelting)

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Caso Prctico

OSHA Office of Training & Education

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Recuperacin diaria por Gravimetra

OSHA Office of Training & Education

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Recuperacin mensual

OSHA Office of Training & Education

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Prueba GRG

OSHA Office of Training & Education

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OSHA Office of Training & Education

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Gravity Devices

Sepro Mineral Systems

Thank You For Your Time and Attention

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