Metso upgrades flotation circuit at Kennecott concentrator to boost recovery
The installation of center launder technology in flotation cells has improved copper and molybdenum recovery rates at the Kennecott facility in Utah.
Metso has successfully upgraded its TankCell-300 flotation technology at the Kennecott copper and molybdenum concentrator in Utah, resulting in improved metallurgical performance. The retrofit involved installing center launder packages to optimize the froth zone, a modification designed to address inefficiencies in coarse particle flotation.
Operational data from the site indicated that the initial flotation setup struggled with froth transport distance and surface area in large-scale forced-air cells. By implementing the center launder design, operators reduced the froth transport distance by 71% and the froth surface area by 38%. A three-month comparative study against non-upgraded parallel rows showed a recovery increase of 0.74% for copper and 0.82% for molybdenum.
Beyond yield improvements, the technical adjustment provided operational efficiencies. The system required lower airflow rates to maintain optimal froth depth, which contributed to a reduction in blower energy consumption. The project demonstrates how incremental hardware modifications to existing flotation infrastructure can yield measurable improvements in mineral processing output.