FRC to provide mining wastewater treatment system in Chile

ATLANTA, GA, Oct. 31, 2011 -- Under a new contract, FRC Systems International will manufacture and deliver a 450 m³/hr (2,000 gpm) Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) mining wastewater treatment system for a copper mine in Chile Minera Doña Ines de Collahuasi.

The FRC Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) unit will be installed in the port where copper mine concentrate is loaded to the vessels. Copper concentrates produced by mines are sold to smelters and refiners who treat the ore and refine the copper.

Wastewater treatment for the mining industry has many challenges particularly in Chile. "The understanding of the local requirements is essential in our mining wastewater treatment business," explained Adriaan van der Beek, "Chile has been at a convergent plate boundary that generates earthquakes for a long time. All Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) equipment supplied for the mining wastewater treatment in Chile need to be in compliance with Seismic zone 4. The Chilean requirements seem more strict then the Californian standards."

Non stainless steel based Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) consequently will not comply. The FRC Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) is fabricated out of Stainless Steel 316

Each mineral mine industry presents a different treatment challenge which requires the use of different treatment technologies. For example the wastewater treated in the FRC Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) is coming from overflow of thickeners of copper concentrate. The overflow from the copper concentrate thickeners is combined with wastewater from the scrubbers. The scrubber wastewater is treated to precipitate H2S previously oxidized with ferrous sulfate. The solids are first send to a lamella plate settler for solid removal followed by Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) for final solids removal of the fine dispersed solids prior to discharge.

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