Improved flotation performance at Karee Platinum Mine through better levelcontrol

Mintek has developed a level-control system, FloatStar, for use in flotatio n circuits. Instead of controlling levels separately in each unit, the cont roller monitors levels throughout the circuit. It can thus take account of the global effects of any control actions, A collaborative project between Mintek and Karee Platinum Mine has begun, l ooking at aspects of notation control. Karee plant was chosen as the site f or this work because of its good existing control infrastructure, As a firs t stage of the joint project FloatStar was installed. Analysis during insta llation and running of the FloatStar has illustrated how circuit design and measurement technology can affect process control. Severe interactions hav e been observed in the levels of adjacent banks. The effect of Floatstar on flotation performance was tested and an improvem ent in level control was observed. Similarly, a faster settling of the plan t after start-ups was observed. Both the improved level control and faster start-ups lead to higher platinum recovery.