Syensqo, formerly part of Solvay, has launched its Transfoamer line, which it said is mining’s first “switchable” frother.
The technology, which addresses persistent copper recovery challenges and has been designed to support demand growth spurred by electrification, is the first groundbreaking frother innovation in more than 65 years.
Well-suited for coarse particle recovery, Transfoamer frothers are based on a novel technology that changes froth strength in response to pH, leading to more efficient copper recovery from even the most challenging ores, a critical need as copper demand grows in response to electrification and the energy transition.
“As ore grades decline, many mining companies are grinding coarser particles to push tonnage or save energy,” says Ricardo Capanema, global marketing and business development director, Mining Solutions, Syensqo.
“Mines often use a blend of strong and weak frothers, which results in a steady froth but prevents the frother from performing at peak potential. Our new single-frother solution addresses this limitation and overfrothing issues common in the cleaner stage.”
Transfoamer frothers start as strong, robust frothers in the rougher circuit. Then, in response to pH, they “switch” to weaker frothers in the cleaner circuit, where less froth is needed. This unique property is particularly attractive for use in bulk copper and molybdenum flotation.
For more challenging ore types, Transfoamer frothers can be further tailored with the Syensqo Cube connected dosing unit to optimize efficiency and recovery. Additionally, Transfoamer frothers do not build up or recirculate, which improves circuit stability.
The Transfoamer technology is already in use commercially in Latin America, where its ability to promote fast kinetics and mobility of value minerals has resulted in improvements to throughput, recovery and energy consumption. The products are also available in North America as well as in parts of Asia-Pacific, and will be introduced in other regions as demand arises.
Source: Syensqo