Complementary equipment

Tanks and reactors

For a greenfield project a complete agitated tank or reactor is required instead of just the mixer. Ū-Tec has a vast European partner base that allows us to offer a packaged solution from scratch. Whether it is a simple reagent preparation tank or a complex 3-phase pressurized autoclave, we work with the right specialists to design, configure and produce the vessel.

Depending on the scope of work, a project might include the following stages:

• process evaluation / process design,
• CFD analysis,
• scale and pilot testing,
• tank configuration,
• detailed engineering drawings,
• tank fabrication and supply.

Slurry tanks are made from carbon or stainless steel and rubber lined. Reagent preparation vessels and chemical reactors are made from various austenitic, duplex, super duplex steels, special alloys and Titanium.

Gas sparging systems

Ū-Tec offers several options for air and gas sparging including ring and tube spargers.

The latter are the preferred technology for such tasks in precious and non-ferrous metals refining as:

• oxidation,
• leaching,
• adsorption,
• detoxification,
• flotation.

Tube sparging systems offer several advantages over traditional sparging systems:

1. Ultrafine bubbles and high shear for maximum mass transfer,
2. Non-clogging design,
3. Special sealing system that allows to eject the spargers one by one without the need to stop the process and empty the tank.

Interstage screens

Interstage screens are used in gold and silver refining in Carbon in Pulp and Carbon in Leach (CIP/CIL) circuits or their alternatives where instead of activated carbon, resin is used to adsorb the gold from the pregnant leach solution.

The interstage screens are installed in agitated tanks usually arranged in cascades. Having one tank higher than another allows the pulp to flow from one tank to another by gravity.

To simplify the design and construction of the site, the tanks in the circuit might be arranged evenly. In this case, an interstage screen with a pumping feature would be needed. In this case, additional up-pumping impeller in the interstage screen generates an upward motion allowing the pulp to be transferred to the next tank in the circuit.

Another customization we offer is interstage screens with two material options of the filtration media.

A stainless-steel wedge wire screen is the most widely spread execution and is the low CapEx option. Despite the low initial cost, this option has its drawbacks. The stainless-steel wedge wire screens are less abrasion resistant and are more vulnerable to blinding. This leads to more frequent servicing of the equipment.

On the other hand, polyurethane screening media is highly resistant to abrasion and blinding which makes this option a low maintenance option. But this comes at a cost of higher CapEx.