Peristaltic pumps are important to the mining industry. In South Africa, they are playing a major role in rebalancing the pH of water in and around the mines. South Africa is a different situation than WA, but it does serve as a warning for what can happen here in WA if the mining industry isn’t careful.
In South Africa, there hasn’t traditionally been a lot of regulation in the mining industry. Consequently, years and years of unregulated activity has caused the acidity of water in South African mines to increase by unprecedented levels. The situation has escalated to a point where it could have a serious effect on the population around the mines.
So, what does South Africa’s mining industry have to do with us here in Perth? Their situation should serve as a cautionary tale for our own mining industry here in WA. Our mining boom is only a few years old, and our safety regulations are much better here, but it is never too early to start looking out for our future.
For the mining industry, it means that they can use South Africa’s situation to peek into the future and help them to eliminate any potential problems before they become big enough to cost them serious money. Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is a serious problem in South Africa, and it can affect crops and quality of water, resulting in less production and a loss of farming jobs.
Dosing Lime with Peristaltic Pumps
South Africa’s CSIR, which stands for Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, has developed a process they call the Alkali-Barium-Calcium (ABC) Process. First, lime and/or CaS are pre-treated. Then, sulphate is removed using Barium treatment. Then, the sludge is processed.
Verderflex peristaltic pumps are used for the treatment. They move the fluids by using positive displacement inside of a flexible hose, pushed by an external “shoe” in a circular motion. With this kind of pumping, the high viscosity of sludge never causes the pump to clog, and the fluid never touches any of the moving parts.
Processing with a peristaltic pump is reliable, energy-efficient, and eliminates the chance of cross-contamination.
Call 1300 922 973 today for more information on keeping WA’s water clean.