Dense Media Separation (DMS), a Pre-Concentration Method
The Halyard team offers proven expertise in the design, engineering and operations of pre-concentration methods, Dense Media Separation (DMS) (best known for the recovery of diamonds and the cleaning of coal streams). You can count on Halyard’s specialist knowledge in numerous pre-concentration methods, plus the expertise for evaluating the best method to use.
Your DMS Experts
In recent years the DMS process has been employed effectively as a pre-concentration step to improve the recovery economics of various commodities including: platinum group metals, lead-zinc ores, nickel ores, lithium (spodumene) and gold bearing ores. Halyard has successfully applied DMS pre-concentration to a gold process in British Columbia. In addition, Halyard provided DMS plants to True North Gems, Canada Fluorspar and Vital Metals. Our team have worked together on several large and small DMS plants in Africa, Canada and Kazakhstan.
General information on DMS
A DMS plant can be sized from five to ten tons per hour (tph) to a large installation like a 1,600 tph plant. The benefit of DMS pre-concentration is the reduction of mining and process operating costs while maintaining economic metal recoveries. The growing adoption of its use associated with other minerals (lead-zinc, copper, gold, potash) reinforces the underlying acceptance of the technology throughout the mineral processing industry.
Motivations for employing the DMS process for pre-concentration include:
- In underground mining, the ability to use bulk mining methods like long hole open stoping as opposed to less efficient and more expensive shrinkage and cut & fill. DMS helps minimize effects of dilution on the Run of Mine (ROM).
- The reduction of the cut-off grade.
- Reduction of project capital by constructing a smaller plant that processes concentrated feedstock only.
- Reduction of operating costs and energy consumption for the project by using a smaller mill to process a large quantity of ROM.
- The reduction of the Cut-Off Grade. Waste material is rejected by the DMS Plant and only mineralized ore is sent to the plant.
- The elimination of dilution and accidental waste in the ROM reporting to the flotation mill.
- The potential provision of a competent backfill material from the DMS floats waste stream.
For more information regarding DMS and its application, please contact us.