A major gold miner from the Far East conducted industrial trials (ОПИ) of Element sand nozzles for a CAVEX 500 hydrocyclone. Ceramic nozzles produced by Mining Element were installed on a hydrocyclone battery in the grinding and classification section in November 2023. The operating conditions under which the Element product was tested are as follows: Hydrocyclone sands with a solids content of 65-70% are returned to the mill for further grinding to the required size. Hydrocyclone overflows with a solids content of 30-35% for chip separation go to six trommel screens. Before installing the product from Mining Element, the mill operated with rubber and polyurethane nozzles, which could not withstand abrasive wear and failed before the required service life. Specialists from Mining Element and the official distributor Nordfelt proposed a universal solution made from a composite material. Element nozzles are made of ceramic on a polyurethane substrate. Unlike polymers, this material possesses properties such as high wear resistance, inertness to aggressive environments, and a low coefficient of friction. These characteristics together significantly increase the nozzles' service life. After two months, the test results were obtained. The Element sand nozzles operated for 1,510 motor hours, which fully meets the customer's requirements. As noted by Kirill Uvarov, a representative of Nordfelt, the lower liners of hydrocyclones are subject to the most significant abrasive wear due to the concentration of heavy solid particles. They most often fail and require replacement. At the same time, the characteristics of the wear part material are of great importance: "A correctly selected sand nozzle material effectively resists abrasive load. Due to this, the equipment's service life and maintenance interval increase," noted Uvarov. The industrial trials demonstrated the quality and reliability of the nozzles. Based on the testing results, the enterprise included the Element product in the list of recommended components for procurement.

Far Eastern Mill Tests Element Sand Nozzles

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