Weir Minerals expands Cavex hydrocyclone range

The recently launched Cavex 2 took this product range a step further with enhanced performance and design. The Cavex 2 hydrocyclone marked a new era in separation technology, with its LIG+^TM advanced laminar spiral inlet and size of the feed chamber, delivering performance unlike any other cyclone on the market and 30% more capacity.

This latest generation of cyclones incorporates innovative design features, delivering an improvement in volumetric capacity and reduced turbulence – all while occupying a similar footprint as the original Cavex or competitor cyclones. Its enhanced performance is unmatched by any known hydrocyclone in operation today and helps customers improve the sustainability of their operations.

The Cavex 2 650 is the new hydrocyclone size to be released in the Cavex 2 product line, and it is set to deliver unparalleled results. Like all Cavex 2 cyclones, the 650 model has undergone years of research, laboratory testing and in-field testing to ensure it can withstand the rigours of heavy-duty industrial and abrasive applications.

Featuring the advanced performance and design that Cavex 2 cyclone is recognised for, the 650 model addresses the continual demand for increased operational and circuit capacity, and offers customers process improvements combined with digital technology.

It is important to note that enhancements of the hydrocyclone performance go hand in hand with improving the environmental footprint of the equipment. By reducing bypass returning to the mill, fewer fines are returned back to the mill in closed-circuit milling process, thus reducing the need for energy to be used to further process particles that are already small enough to move on to the next stage. This frees up mill capacity, previously used up with fine particles, for the size reduction of larger particles.

As a hydrocyclone that can make a finer separation, the Cavex 2 650 can operate at a lower pressure for further energy savings or a higher feed density for water savings while maintaining the existing cut size from the hydrocyclone.

And finally, using equipment with a higher volumetric capacity required fewer units to be installed upfront as well as fewer consumable spare parts used over the life of the hydrocyclone.

As with all Cavex 2 hydrocyclones, the 650 delivers significant benefits to mining customers, including:

• Increased operational and circuit capacity up to 30%.
• Maximised plant recovery by reducing the quantity of misclassified particles with an average improvement of the alpha parameter more than 10%.
• Improvements in bypass with an average of over 15%.
• Opportunity to retrofit Cavex 2 650 cyclone into existing cyclone cluster footprints.
• Less turbulence during the separation process due to the LIG+ inlet and elongated chamber design.
• Enhanced performance with a Synertrex^®-enabled monitoring system which can detect roping or blockage conditions in advance for continuous, efficient operation of the hydrocyclone.
• Improvement of environmental footprint..

The new Cavex 2 650 hydrocyclone comprises a robust metal casing with a unique elongated chamber design. The additional length guarantees turbulence is decreased inside the cyclone, allowing for additional volume and increased efficiency during the process.

To satisfy all process conditions and slurry types, the Cavex 2 650 hydrocyclone comes with a range of material technology options including Linatex^® premium rubber, the industry standard R55 rubber, neoprene for high levels of hydrocarbon and ceramic.

The Cavex 2 650 hydrocyclone can be customised to suit almost any application with a variety of spigots, vortex finders and cone angles. Weir Minerals’ expert team will tailor the hydrocyclone to suit each unique application and goal.

The new Cavex 2 650 hydrocyclone is suited for use in a range of heavy-duty, industrial, abrasive industries and processes including:

• Mining.
• Aggregates.
• Utility/FGD/General industrial.
• Classification and separation (mining and aggregates).
• Mine dewatering systems.
• Tailings management.

Successful results from mine-site trials confirmed that Cavex 2 is one of the most efficient and powerful hydrocyclone on the market today.

The latest Cavex 2 650 hydrocyclone trial with a customer took place in Chile. The testing was conducted in a large copper ore mine which had a SAG mill in a closed circuit with the cyclone cluster. The trial tested one Cavex 2 650 in a 6-place cluster of existing Cavex cyclones and saw an improvement of up to 48.5% in circulating load and 31.7% in water bypass vs the original cluster.

A laboratory water test with the same hydrocyclone fittings as above also yielded positive results: a 211 mm inlet and 260 mm vortex finder delivered 16% more capacity at 100 kPa, and 17% more capacity at 250 kPa.

These improvements in efficiency and bypass translate to increased savings for brownfield sites where the existing hydrocyclones do not have enough capacity and are maxed out, while greenfield projects benefit from savings in capital expense.

The Cavex 2 650 hydrocyclone is the second in a range of standard sizes that Weir Minerals are planning to release, with more sizes in development to expand the current product range. The commitment to onsite trials, research and development means the expert Weir Minerals team always pursues new improvements to ensure that Cavex hydrocyclones stay at the forefront of the industry.

The new Cavex 2 650 hydrocyclone will be available globally, with assembly in local regions.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/product-news/04112021/weir-minerals-expands-cavex-hydrocyclone-range/