metallurgical laboratory
Metallurgy Pty Ltd, affectionately called "the met lab", is different to other facilities because it uses embedded lab-based metallurgists to continuously monitor and direct outcomes of all test work programs.
The lab is fully equipped and able to treat commonly mined metals and industrial minerals. It was founded on the directors' experience in both mining, and from running various Normet metallurgical facilities.
In 1998, the met lab started life as Independent Metallurgical Laboratories (IML). Fast forward several iterations, and Metallurgy Pty Ltd still continues offer the same quality metallurgical laboratory services from the same Welshpool premises, with many of the original staff.
IMO Metallurgical Laboratory Services (Metallurgy Pty Ltd)
sample preparation
Receiving drill core, drill chips, slurry samples or liquid samples through a range of processes including, but not limited to, core logging/cutting/photography, sizing, screening, sub-sampling, crushing & grinding, pulverising, de-sliming;
comminution & beneficiation
Crushing, screening and grinding techniques used for process design factors such as Bond Work index, Unconfined Compression Strength, Drop Weight index;
hydrometallurgy
Leaching techniques for stirred reactors, continuous and intermittent bottle rolls, column leach tests, with applications including CIP/CIL, solution purification, heap leaching;
flotation
Assessing the viability of flotation of sulphide, transitional and oxide ores using bench scale, locked cycle testing and pilot plant continuous flotation trials;
gravity separation
Using a combination of standard gravity techniques such as heavy liquids, wet tables and spirals, as well as enhanced gravity techniques including lab scale FalconTM and KnelsonTM concentrators;
solvent extraction & electrowinning
Assessing the separation of common and specialty elements using ion exchange resins and organic solvents, and the ability to concentrate, purify and electrowin as a marketable commodity;
dewatering
Determining the dewatering characteristics of test-work products or tailings through flocculation testing, thickening and clarification test to assist with thickener and filter design;
analytical services
Analysing metallurgical testing with in-house wet chemistry, aqua regia digestion, titrations, diagnostic gold analysis, AAS, Leco and TGA analysis.