Our mineral processing laboratory offers both bench-scale and pilot-scale testing to help you make the most of your mining operation. Having both options available allows our clients to do both metallurgical testing and flowsheet development as well as pilot scale-up testwork for the same industrial mineral processing equipment found in mine sites. Combined with our range of services, such as our newly launched microwave testwork, our mineral lab is a one-stop shop for any of your metallurgical testing needs. Here are a few of our most popular services that offer pilot-scale testing to provide the information you need to make informed decisions about your mining project.

Microwave Treatment of Ores Testing

Between increased plant throughput, reduced water use and GHG emissions, and large energy savings, there are plenty of reasons to microwave rocks. As our newest addition to our mineral laboratory, microwave mineral testwork can provide a wide variety of benefits to your project and is well worth a look if you are looking to reduce operating costs. Our bench-scale laboratory microwave can generate a standardized microwave heating curve to determine the amenability of your chosen ore, while our pilot-scale testing allows us to determine the industrial-scale benefits that microwave technology can provide for your specific ore. To provide pilot-scale microwave testwork, our lab requires a minimum sample size of 5000 kg. For information about the microwave treatment of ores, don’t hesitate to contact our team.

Gravity Concentration Testing

Gravity concentrators and concentration has always been a specialty of ours—in fact, you can find our Falcon Concentrators operating in mining operations across the globe. When it comes to our mineral laboratory, we offer a range of bench-scale gravity concentration testing options including spirals, shaking tables, analytical tables, and centrifugal testing on the Falcon L40 unit which allows for simulation of batch, continuous, and ultra-fine concentrators. Pilot-scale options are also available with either a SB400 Falcon Concentrator or a C400 Falcon Continuous Concentrator. Our pilot-scale gravity concentration testing options require a minimum sample size of 500 kg.

Dense Media Separation Testing

As an increasingly popular method of mineral beneficiation, Dense Media Separation (DMS) plants are a great option for reducing operating costs. By offering both pilot-scale DMS testing and bench-scale heavy liquid testing, our lab is able to provide a wide range of custom solutions based on the needs of your project. Our bench-scale program tests particles as fine as 0.5 mm using a safe heavy liquid solution to determine the ideal SG separation points for a given ore. For bulk testing, our pilot plant program can simulate actual production recoveries and product grades. Pilot-scale tests for DMS plants require a sample size of 100 kg minimum, while bench-scale testing only requires 20 kg.

Rotary Scrubber Testing

Rotary scrubber systems are perfect for economically breaking up agglomerates and liberating your target mineral for recovery. Our pilot-scale rotary scrubber unit allows us to provide accurate small-scale testing that can be successfully scaled up to meet the needs of your project. Our 0.75m x 1.25m scrubbing unit bypasses the inaccurate readings provided by other forms of testing (such as attrition scrubbers) and is the ideal size for pilot testing as lower sizes can lead to incorrect plant sizing.

Other Bench/Pilot-Scale Testing Available

Sepro Labs also provides numerous other bench-scale testing services to help you get the most out of your mining project. Reach out to our mineral lab for any of the following testing services.

  • Leach Reactor Testing
  • Bond Ball Work Index (BBWi) Testing
  • Flotation Testing
  • Cyanide Leaching Testing
  • Cyanide Destruction Testing