Client: Mineral Sands Mine
Industry: Mining
Region: West Coast, South Africa
Product: Kleerflo (various models)
Installation Date: From 2003, Ongoing

Challenge

• At a Mineral Sands Mine on the West Coast of Southern Africa they use sea water as process water.
• Chlorine helps to eliminate biological fouling of the pipelines (including colonization from mussels).
• Shells and other solids dislodge into the water stream.
• To remove these suspended solids, the mine required efficient, in-line filtration that would deliver an uninterrupted clean water supply to their own processes.
• The filters had to stand up to the tough operating conditions: – Chlorinated seawater – Marine, coastal environment – A range of solids, including hard

Application

• Final Filtration / Gland Service Water (GSW).
• Final Filtration / Spray nozzle protection.
• Final Filtration / WHIMS (Wet High Intensity Magnetic Separation) wash water

Solution

• Design of the Kleerflo filter is rooted in the principle of inherent simplicity: – no rotating parts – very few moving parts – no close tolerance elements – no electric motor – high quality, durable, stainless steel wedgewire screens.
• Kleerflo filters are designed specifically for tough industrial applications.
• Low maintenance- and running costs.
• Long uninterrupted filter runs, efficient filtration and filtrate in compliance with client acceptance standards.
• Integral processing of oversized particles – so no manual pre-screens required.
• The Mine installed 10 x Kleerflo Automatic SelfCleaning Filters at different locations throughout the process plant to remove suspended solids, including: – 2 x Kleerflo model CS6E4 filters, 1000µm, 1500m³/h per unit.

Results

• Efficient filtration results in reduced wear and tear on the gland and shaft seals of high-pressure pumps, reducing maintenance costs.
• Efficient filtration protects the WHIMS wash water spray nozzles, reducing down time.