Mineral and metal processing

Whether they need to optimize mineral recovery from natural deposits, enhance mineral purity, or improve metalworking performance, mining and metallurgy players need to meet their biggest challenges while reducing energy and water consumption. With our chemical solutions and expertise, Arkema helps generate more value at every stage of mineral processing. We also help metallurgic manufacturers improve formulations to achieve greater performance in terms of durability and safety. We market this expertise around the world, in particular through our subsidiary ArrMaz.

We help generate greater value from your operations at every stage of mineral processing including mineral suspension and slurry handling, flotation and other enrichment technologies, mineral concentrate improvement, and tailings management, and water recovery. Our chemical solutions and mineral processing expertise facilitate lower energy consumption and reduced water use in mining operations.

We provide consultations for engineering and process design for new mine projects. We help to integrate reagent formulation with flowsheet design and equipment selection, as well as metallurgical laboratory work to design better solutions adapted to new deposits.

Develop tailor-made solutions for each unique deposit,

The market is constantly challenged to achieve greater value from operations at every stage of mineral processing including mineral suspension and slurry handling, flotation separation and other enrichment technologies, mineral concentrate improvement, tailings management, and water recovery. We help to optimize your processes with tailor-made mining and mineral processing solutions which maximize operational and product benefits while minimizing environmental impact.

Improve your high purity silica beneficiation process with cost-efficient, high-performance flotation reagents for improved recovery and grade, and optimized mineral conditioning.

Solutions designed specifically for titanium dioxide mineral processing.

Discover Rheosperse™

Kaolin mines are located kilometers away from the processing plant requiring it to be transported through pipelines. Our solutions help to improve the efficiency of energy- and water-intensive kaolin operations.

CustoFloat® and CustAmine® collectors and frothers to remove impurity minerals;

Quell™ defoamers used as froth modifiers and to improve concentrate thickening;

CustoFloc™ filter aids to improve filtration and final cake moisture.

CustoFloc™ de-watering aids to improve concentrate thickening and recycle water quality.

Our broad range of mining chemicals include flotation reagents such as anionic and cationic collectors, frothers and surfactants, defoamers, float oils, flocculants, pH modifiers and more. Whether it be direct or reverse, primary, secondary or cleaner flotation, we have the mining chemicals to support your operation from the beginning during the feasibility study, to the end during plant commissioning. Our mining chemicals are tailor-made for each customer's unique ore and operational scenario, and are compliant with all applicable industry regulatory requirements.

Learn more about Rheosperse™ dispersants and anti-settling agents for industrial minerals and Opale™ solutions - rheology modifiers for metallic ore industry here.

Discover our solutions for other minerals on Arkema Group Specialty Surfactants website.

Methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) is an organic chemical compound that acts as foaming agent in the flotation process to separate metal concentrate from the slurry. MIBC is the frother of choice for sulfide ores such as copper, zinc and lead, because it is able to deliver optimal interaction of all components in the flotation process.

Albone®  is a hydrogen peroxide solution that acts as an oxidizing agent in metal extraction and separation from ores. Compared to alternative treatments, Albone® main advantages are the simplicity of use and a much lower effluent production. Albone® is useful in precipitating or separating metal from solutions in the recovery processes for base metals (Copper, Lead, Zinc, Cobalt), precious metals (Gold, Silver, Platinum) and rare earth metals (Uranium, Radium, and Beryllium).

Alpure®​ is a sodium chlorate is an oxidizing agent for the metal leaching process. Sodium chlorate makes the mineral concentrate more soluble in water.  

Go to Alpure® range page

N-dodecyl mercaptan (NDM) is an organic compound that is used as a collection agent in the copper sulfide scavenger circuit. It functions over a very wide pH range, and it can be added in dosages 10-50 % lower than alternative materials.

More on NDM

TGA and its derivatives are also used as depressants in flotation processes for separating valuable metals from ores in mining operations. TGA derivatives are a safer alternative to the more traditional sodium sulfhydrate (NaSH), particularly in mining environments.

More on TGA

PennFloat® 3 (PF3) is a formulated collection agent based on . It offers improved copper sulfide recovery (5-10% higher) using lower dosages than alternatives. It can also be used as a primary collector for chalcocite and chalcopyrite ores.

Tert-dodecyl mercaptan (TDM) is an organic compound that is used as a collection agent for copper, zinc and iron sulfide ores. It is an effective primary collector of sphalerite. It is also stable over a very wide pH range.

More on TDM

CustoFloat®, CustAmine® collectors and CustoFroth® frothers to remove impurity minerals;

Quell™ defoamers used as froth modifiers and to improve concentrate thickening;

CustoFloc® filter aids to improve filtration and final cake moisture.

CustoFloc® de-watering aids for water clarification to improve concentrate thickening and recycle water quality.

The principal separation techniques used to beneficiate rare earth minerals include combinations of magnetic separation, electrostatic separation, gravity separation and froth flotation.

We have proven expertise in froth flotation and our metallurgical labs can work with you to develop the best collector and flowsheet for your unique rare earth minerals ore.

CustoFloat® and CustAmine® collectors for mineral flotation;

CustoFroth® frothers for froth modification;

CustoPrep® depressants for mineral or gangue depression.

CustoFloc™ flocculants for water clarification.

Effective water recovery, filtration as well as recycling are crucial steps in reducing the environmental impact of mining operations. We provide our mining water management expertise at every stage of your operation that involves the use of water. Our solutions help to recover the maximum amount of water for recycling as well as improve water quality. Our experts help you develop tailor-made solutions specific to mineral type or deposit: water filtration solutions, de-watering aids, tailings flocculants, water clarification solutions.

Our CustoFloc™ product line includes:

Customized solution adapted to mine ore or process, Opale™ solutions increase solid content and control viscosity of concentrates. A solution that addresses different challenges such as limited water availability, mechanical failure of equipment due to high torque or limitation of pumping.  The hydro transport benefits from higher solids content and throughput, and debottlenecking is possible together with water and energy savings. 

Our solution for effluent water treatment is designed for to help reduce environmental impact from industrial operations by effective removal toxic pollutants from effluent waters:    

Albone® hydrogen peroxide acts as an oxidizing agent for refinery wastewater treatment. Albone® is suitable for catalyzed and uncatalyzed oxidation without additives for efficient destruction of pollutants such as cyanides, phenols, sulfides and other toxic compounds.

We stay ahead of developments concerning our customers in the metalworking industry. Arkema's solutions cover metal cutting, forming and surface treatment technologies. We help to improve processes to achieve efficient formulation and improved performance in terms of durability and safety.

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Find more details about oiur solutions for metallurgy

Arkema's mining and mineral processing solutions

Mining & metallurgy expertise of Specialty Surfactants

Mining & metallurgy expertise of Coatex, an Arkema subsidiary