Optimize your mining operation, increase the recovery of copper and save millions of dollars in energy and water with KRheo, the first rheometer multi-sensor in-line in the world designed for intelligent mining. This patented technology monitors in real time the critical properties of the pulp, mineral, delivering instant recommendations to make informed decisions that improve the productivity and sustainability of their work.
What is rheology?
Rheology is the science that studies the deformation and flow of matter, the behavior of the pulps minerals. In the context of mining, refers to the measurement of these properties in the pulps mining to understand their behavior.
To understand the rheology of the slurry is the key to optimize the processes in concentrator plants, these by their high density and viscosity make it difficult to ongoing monitoring, which historically has been forced to make decisions with limited data and out of date, affecting the operational efficiency and increasing the consumption of water, energy, and reagents.
What is KRheo?
The technology KRheo is a rheometer multisensor line designed for the mining industry. This device, patented in Chile in 2018, optimizes the operation of concentrator plants in copper mining. Unlike traditional measurements, KRheo is the first device in the world that offers a continuous monitoring and real-time critical parameters such as Yield Stress, apparent viscosity, percent solids, ORP (Redox potential) and pH, with an accuracy of 95%.
To measure the deformation and the flow of the minerals, the device delivers guides optimization snapshots. These allow operators and managers of the plant to take informed decisions to improve the levels of recovery of copper, optimize processes and, in turn, reduce the consumption of water. This is especially important in conditions of drought and climate change, affecting to a greater extent to the mining areas.
How the KRheo saving millions of dollars annually?
The technology KRheo directly supports the sustainability in mining to address two challenges are complementary: (1) the efficiency of the metallurgical recovery and (2) the use of water. For example, to improve the recovery of copper, the technology enables to extract more valuable mineral of the same amount of material processed. Not only does this increase the profitability of the business, but also reduces the environmental footprint of the overall mining operation to reduce the amount of waste generated per ton of copper produced.
The idea of this technology emerged in 2017 and, the following year, Konatec won a contest that awarded funding and the opportunity to be part of an incubator, in this case Incubated UdeC, the business incubator #1 of Chile. This allowed the company to acquire knowledge about startups and the innovation ecosystem.
In 2018, Konatec signed a license agreement for the technology of “in-line rheometer” with the University of Concepción. This strategic partnership enables our company to further development and deepening of our technologies.
KRheo operations
KRheo is operating in a plant for the concentration of the main mineral deposits of Chile, Codelco Andina, Sierra Gorda, Collahuasi, Minera Escondida and BHP, being the technological standard of the intelligent mining on the world's leading producer of Copper in the world.
The technology KRheo has demonstrated its effectiveness in the optimization of mining processes, especially in concentrator plants copper. Its deployment seeks to resolve common problems such as discontinuity and operational embancamiento equipment, which generate significant losses.
An example of its application is given in a leading company in the mining of copper in Chile, where KRheo joined a thickener tailings of great ability. Over 11 months of monitoring and control, the technology allowed a precision management of the conditions rheological pulp.
This approach resulted in an average increase in the percentage of solids discharge (Cp) of 48% to 52%. This improvement not only reduced the variability of the operation and the risk of embancamiento, but also generated a savings valued at more than us $ 6 million (+ $6.000.000.000 CLP) in less than 1 year, to reduce the need for water replacement and increase their availability in the process.
