PGM - Platinum Group Metals

BATEMAN has designed, engineered, procured and construction-managed process facilities for most
primary platinum group metal (PGM) producers worldwide: Rasimone, Potgietersrust, Impala UG2 and
EMPR, Hartley, Western Platinum, Stillwater and Anglo's Waterval, Modikwa and PMR projects. We are
also the only independent contractor to have successfully installed all types of PGM process plants:
concentrators, smelters and precious metals refineries.

Flexible contract structuring accommodates projects large and small, e.g. reimbursable, EPCM,
lump-sum, fixed-fee or joint ventures. BATEMAN also has finance facilitation capabilities.

BATEMAN - our in-house technology and design capability
can be seen in more than 3 000 successful projects worldwide.

Platinum Group Metals Processing - PGM Brochure pdf

extract from pdf text below...

BATEMAN is a world leader in the provision of plants to process platinum-group metals (PGMs) and has
designed, engineered, procured and construction managed (EPCM) process facilities for most primary
PGM producers worldwide. BATEMAN is also the only independent contractor to have successfully installed
all types of PGM processing plant: concentrators, smelters and base- and preciousmetals refineries.

BATEMAN serves the precious, base-metal and industrial-minerals industries worldwide, supplying
services ranging from prefeasibility studies through EPCM services for multi-million dollar facilities. Its
design capability extends from processing minerals containing PGMs to pyrometallurgical and
hydrometallurgical plants. Proprietary equipment is also offered.

BATEMAN understands project needs and the requirement to provide clients with qualified project teams
to fulfill customer requirements. It has major offices worldwide, strategically positioned to service the mining
and minerals industries and its offices are staffed with engineers of all disciplines, fully conversant with
local requirements and supported by the group’s expertise and experience internationally on minerals
technologies. We routinely call on the service of 2 000 professionals worldwide to address specific
technology requirements and project needs.

BATEMAN is registered in the Netherlands as Bateman Engineering BV. It commenced business
almost 85 years ago in South Africa as a supplier of North American minerals-processing equipment
to the South African mining industry. The firm developed systems-engineering and erection-support
capabilities for this equipment and as a natural extension a business developed to provide
process-engineering services globally. It now operates in Africa, the Americas, Australasia and Europe.

Bateman Engineering BV (BATEMAN) is an innovative solutions provider to the naturalresources
industry internationally, providing a comprehensive blend of skills comprising process-orientated
engineering, specialist niche technologies, financial and commercial facilitation and contracting and
project management. The company operates under the BATEMAN banner and provides total solutions
for the conversion of natural resources into marketable products.

BATEMAN is an ISO 9001 certified company.

BATEMAN serves many market sectors, including mining, minerals and metals processing, gas
compression and crude-oil refining, chemicals and fertilisers, environmental protection, bulk-materials
handling and water, sewage and effluent treatment.

BATEMAN has established a focused niche in developing regions with evolving economies where clients
are faced with a daunting web of technical, financial, commercial, political, logistical and cultural difficulties
in bringing their ventures to reality.

We offer our clients project-management capabilities which can cope with these difficulties in the
exploitation of wealth-creating products like copper, lead, zinc, cobalt, nickel, aluminium, PGMs,
diamonds, gold, gas and oil.

For many decades the minerals and metals industry has been the group’s main market. BATEMAN
was involved in gold projects in South Africa from the early days of the last century, but more recently
has undertaken projects such as Beaconsfield, Mt Todd, Henty, Tanami and Nolans in Australasia,
Carlin in the USA and Muruntau, Sukhoi Log, Navoi and several other projects in the CIS.

In the base-metals field recent major BATEMAN projects include Sepon (copper), George Fisher
(lead/zinc), Skorpion (zinc), Kasese and Chambishi (cobalt), Mt Gordon (formerly Gunpowder Copper),
Sanyati (copper), Bulong and Empress (nickel), and the Peñoles bioleach pilot plant (copper). Recently
the group has dominated the PGM market for process plants and major projects include Modikwa,
Rasimone, Potgietersrust, Impala’s UG2, Crocodile River, BMR and EPMR projects, Hartley, Western
Platinum Refinery, Stillwater and the Anglo Platinum PMR expansion.

BATEMAN has the largest reference list in Southern Africa for the design and construction of
ferroalloy-processing plants. Projects include smelters, metal-from-slag facilities, upgrading of
ores and modular air-pulsed jigs and BATEMAN’s involvement in build, own and operate activities
has been extended to other business sectors. Their capabilities complement the group’s other
abilitiesto implement base-metal projects.

BATEMAN has a comprehensive range of in-house and licensed engineered technologies covering
bulkmaterials handling, pneumatic conveying, environmental-control and processing systems. This
portfolio includes load-out stations and train pushers, pipe conveyors, stockyard stacker and reclaimer
systems, multi-cell and dome silos, overland conveyors in excess of 10 km, Pneumo-Driers, small-goods
handling including capsule conveyors and monorailtransport systems, electrostatic precipitators and
hot-gas cleaning systems, and slag and matte granulation know-how. Processing systems include all
the key types of equipment, from feeders, to mills and crushers, screens, separators, flotation plants and
thickeners and specialised conveyors and elevators. International technology links ensure that the group
remains abreast of state-of-the-art process technologies.

BATEMAN engineers are specialists in applying such technologies to the design and construction of
process plants tailored to fully satisfy client requirements. A wide range is on offer and includes
solvent-extraction and molecular-recognition technology, leaching technology (ammonium thiosulphate,
atmospheric acid leaching and standard-, medium- and high-pressure autoclaves and heap leaching),
modular and transportable process plants for on-land and marine processing, Apic air-pulsed jigs for
the recovery of metal from slag dumps and both DC open-arc and AC submerged-arc furnace technology
with particular applications in the ferroalloys industry. Our track record of more than 4 000 successful
projects in many industries covers nearly 70 countries.

BATEMAN has a global infrastructure targeted to serve its markets in Africa, the Americas, Australasia,
Europe and the Middle East with offices in Boksburg, Gaborone and Germiston; Denver, Tucson and
Vancouver; Brisbane and Perth; and Almaty, Altendorf, Amsterdam, Paris and Moscow.

What We Do ‘Mine to metal – the complete solution’

We are active in all stages of project development, from feasibility studies through to plant modifications
and new plant construction; taking greenfield and brownfield sites from concept to handover and
commissioning. We embrace all of the latest proven technologies to extract the maximum benefit
from resources.

Concept Development

Project Delivery

Finance and Facilitation

Equity Participation

Build-Own-Operate-Transfer Toll Treatment

Operational Consultancy

Spares and After-Sales Services

Process Modelling

Heat and mass balances that closely simulate plant operation form the basis of successful plant
development and operation. BATEMAN utilises various simulation programs to perform front-end
modelling of chemical and physical processes.

Steady State Simulation

We have developed Limn, Metsim® and Pyrosim models for a range of unit operations commonly
used in comminution, flotation, hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical operations and also use
the JK-SimMet modelling package for examination of comminution circuits.

Dynamic Simulation using SysCAD

The Windows-based package used for the dynamic simulation of processes, Metsim®, models
transient-operating conditions, providing upset analysis, surge verification and downstream
de-bottlenecking. When interfaced with actual control hardware, it becomes a time-saving control
system for de-bugging and an excellent training tool.

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

FEA and CFD are applied in the design of furnace components and for the design of a wide range of other
process and mechanical equipment. We can determine the response of structures to loads and the flow
characteristics of fluids and gases without the need to build and test costly prototypes and conduct lengthy
field trials.

Comminution

Efficient comminution that takes into account the specific requirements of the downstream metallurgical
processes is needed to unlock the mineral wealth in an orebody.

Crushing

BATEMAN has designed and constructed all forms of crushing systems including inpit, primary, secondary,
tertiary and quaternary crushing systems. Four-stage crushing circuits to -3,2 mm have been successfully
applied on the Muruntau heap leach project in Uzbekistan. Multiple crushing installations were also
recently incorporated in the Skorp on Zinc plant in Namibia.

Grinding Circuits

BATEMAN has the services of a world authority in the field of semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) circuits
and its experience includes the design and construction of large autogenous grinding (AG) and SAG
circuits. For example, BATEMAN has completed conceptual designs for a 40 ft (12,2 m) AG mill for
Olympic Dam, installed a 26 ft (7,0 m) SAG mill at Hartley, provided two wet overflow mills at Skorpion
Zinc, one 5,5 m in diameter and 6,4 m in length for ore grinding and one 4,2 m in diameter and 7,95 m
in length for limestone grinding. It also has many rod- and ball-milling references.

Fine Grinding

We have utilised tower mills, stirred mills and ISA mills for flotation-concentrate grinding and are experienced in the
operational and maintenance requirements of equipment essential for the development of efficient plant designs.

Preconcentration

Physical separation processes can often be used prior to flotation to upgrade the flotation feed by making
use of differences in the physical properties of ore and gangue minerals.

Dense-Media Separation (DMS)

BATEMAN has designed and installed DMS plants in the diamond, precious stones, coal, industrial
minerals, PGM and zinc industries and pioneered the removal of waste from concentrator-feed streams
using DMS.

Gravity Separation

BATEMAN’s experience includes the use of spirals to recover chromite concentrate from PGM flotation
feed and the application of jigs to recover metal from slag. We have also investigated the use of
centrifugal separators to recover precious metals from milling circuits.

Magnetic Separation

BATEMAN has been involved in a number of studies and projects incorporating the use of magnetic
separation in the processing of mineral sands, as well as to concentrate PGM from slow cooled converter
matte into a magnetic fraction.

Flotation

During flotation, surface chemistry is applied to selectively recover either valuable minerals or gangue
materials.

Flash Flotation

In circuits employing multiple stages of milling, flash flotation cells are used to recover liberated mineral
species after each stage, in order to prevent overgrinding.

Conventional Flotation

BATEMAN has many references of plants using banks of conventional flotation cells and supplies
proprietary cells in addition to providing design and installation services.

Tank Cells

Large tank cells have become very popular and BATEMAN has completed several such installations
in recent years.

Column Cells

Our experience in the design of flotation circuits includes column and Jameson cells. This experience
includes the pumping of high air content froths associated with fine grinding of concentrates.

Reagent Plants

BATEMAN has designed and installed numerous packaged reagent plants, e.g. Impala UG2 plant,
Lonmin, Anglo Platinum, Aquarius, etc., either as standalone or as part of concentrator plants.

Dewatering

Following flotation, both the concentrate and tailings streams generally have to be dewatered before
being transferred to the next process.

Thickeners

BATEMAN has wide experience of the use of conventional, high- and ultrahigh-rate thickeners to dewater
both concentrate and tailings streams. The more recent use of the BATEMAN Ultrasep thickener has been
very successful in areas in which water conservation is important.

Vacuum Filters

BATEMAN’s experience extends to drum, disc and belt filters on a wide range of projects.

Filter Presses

Recessed chamber and membrane presses have been used successfully to generate concentrate cake
for sale and occasionally even dry tailings for dumping in arid locations. They are used widely in base-
and preciousmetal refineries.

Continuous Pressure Filters BATEMAN has recently installed several horizontal plate pressure filters at a
number of different metallurgical plants, including both concentrators and refineries.

Pyrometallurgy

Pyrometallurgical plants still process a high percentage of all non-ferrous metal flotation concentrates,
although this percentage is probably declining as new hydrometallurgical treatment routes are developed.

Smelting

BATEMAN has a number of electric-arc furnace plant references. We have also been exposed to other
technologies such as flash smelting, Noranda and Teniente processes, and top-submerged lance furnaces.

Converting

As well as Pierce-Smith installations, BATEMAN has worked on top-blown rotary-converter installations and
has been involved in Ausmelt converting studies.

Peripherals

BATEMAN offers proprietary engineered systems around belt, chain and pneumatic conveyors, tapping
and granulation, scrubbing, bag houses and electrostatic precipitators. We also have experience on acid
plants and drying installations.

Leaching

BATEMAN has wide experience of leaching processes and designs to process ore, concentrate and
smelter mattes. Hydrometallurgical processes appear to be gradually becoming more favoured than
smelting processes for the treatment of ore and concentrate.

Tank Leaching

BATEMAN has experience of both cyanide and acid leach processes carried out in trains of agitated tanks.
In this type of plant, selection of materials is critical.

Medium Pressure Leaching

BATEMAN has a strong process group experienced in autoclave design. This experience has been used to
process high-grade sulphide ore, concentrates and converter mattes.

High Pressure Leaching

BATEMAN was involved in the design for the Bulong lateritic nickel project in which the leach process
utilises a titanium clad autoclave designed to operate at 240 °C and 47 bar.

Emerging Technologies

We have worked on many projects employing heap leaching, including bacterial heap-leach processes.
Several bacterial tank-leach plants have been designed and constructed, and we have investigated
sulphide oxidation using microwaves. We also have experience of project investigations using various
novel proprietary leach processes.

Residue and Impurity Removal

The removal of leach residues and dissolved impurities with minimum loss of product is a critical
step in most hydrometallurgical processes.

Neutralisation

Between leaching and the downstream purification processes, it is often necessary to neutralise the
slurry or solution leaving the leach process. This process is often coupled with iron removal and we have
extensive experience of such processes using a variety of reagents.

Clarifying, Thickening & Filtration

Our experience covers a range of counter-current decantation (CCD), counter-current filtration (CCF)
clarifiers, pinned-bed settlers and sand filters.

Precipitation & Cementation

Efficient dissolved impurity removal is essential in most hydrometallurgical processes. We understand
the basic unit operations and apply our experience in the design process to develop plants that minimise
operating cost and maximise metal recovery.

Other Processes

BATEMAN has used solvent extraction, ion exchange (IX) and MRT to remove minor impurities from
solution streams before routing the solution to electrowinning circuits. We also have experience at
designing organic removal circuits using various physical separation processes.

Purification

Copper, zinc, cobalt, nickel, PGMs, precious metals and iron sulphide minerals found in nature can
be selectively separated by molecularrecognition (MRT) and ion-exchange (IX) technology. BATEMAN
expertise includes impurities removal by purification or cementation and classical precipitation techniques.

Ion Exchange (IX)

BATEMAN provides a one-stop solution combining several IX technologies.

Through an exclusive agreement with Mintek, traditional fixed-bed or fluidisedbed technology, as well as
the novel resin-in-pulp technology, is available. The Mintek application base combined with a test-work
capability enhances the delivery of effective process solutions.

Typical applications

Metals recovery

Trace amounts of metal contaminants may be extracted from large volumes of solution flowing at many
bed-volumes per minute, often in a form and concentration worth processing further.

Environmental clean-up

Resin-in-pulp systems can n clean effluent streams and recover trace elements without the need for
costly ultrafine filtration

Bateman Reverse-Flow Enhanced-Coalescence Settler ®

This innovative development provides substantial operational and performance benefits over traditional
mixer settler design and enables side-by-side orientation of the pump mixers, which reduces capital
costs and provides improved access for operators and maintenance. The coalescence-enhancement
channel and other design aspects provide higher process efficiencies and reduced organic loss.

IMI Mixer & Compact Settler

This settler combines high-efficiency mixing with good phase separation in solvent-extraction processes
requiring high throughput volumes. It consists of an advanced generation turbinepump mixer and
compact settler, both marketed by BATEMAN for the original developer.

Conventional Mixer Settlers

We also have the capability to design fully conventional mixer-settlers if required and have several such
reference plants processing copper, cobalt, zinc and PGM.

Electrowinning

BATEMAN designs tankhouses of all sizes, from small heap leach operations to largescale, automated
systems for electrowinning (EW) and electrorefining. Our experience extends across a range of minerals
including copper, zinc, nickel and cobalt.

Bateman Crossflow Electrolytic Cell

BATEMAN’s redesigned cells provide an improved flow pattern around each cathode resulting in
improved cathode quality. The design also accommodates a close capture ventilation system, providing
a safe working environment which is particularly important in the design of zinc, nickel and cobalt
electrowinning circuits.

Tankhouse Layout

BATEMAN understands the importance of design practices that provide low-cost operating facilities for
both manual- and automated-strip plants. Attention to detail in materials handling allows operators to
focus on good operational practices that lead to low-cost metal production.

Electrowinning, Melting & Casting Technology

BATEMAN has a close relationship with all the zinctechnology suppliers and is able to offer this
technology for most zinc-refinery projects. We have worked closely with Umicore, AdZ and Zincobre
in projects and bankable feasibility studies such as Skorpion Zinc, Angouran Zinc refinery and
McArthur River zinc cell and casthouse.

ZINC Process Engineering Brochure - Pdf format

 

Platinum Group Metals PGM Process Engineering Home | Bateman Engineering NV | PGM Track Record | Project Management | Contact PGM

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http://www.bateman-pgm.com/PlatinumGroupMetalsProcessing.pdf

 

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