CSIRO, Metso Outotec sign cooperation agreement to deliver SwirlFlow

Metso Outotec, a Finnish industrial machinery company, and CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, have reportedly inked an exclusive cooperation agreement.

Under the agreement, the SwirlFlow agitation technology will be delivered to the alumina and bauxite sector outside China.

The consolidation of the leading expertise of the companies will enable both parties to create a robust market offering for using the technology in refinery precipitation tanks.

Alessio Scarsella, Director of Light Metals at Metso Outotec noted that the company prioritized sustainability.

Apart from its investments in developing sustainable technology for processing alumina, Scarsella is delighted to announce its alliance with CSIRO.

The cooperation with CSIRO will enable the company to cater to its growing customer demand like reduced spare parts costs, lower capital installation, and a rise in the availability of precipitation tanks.

Andrew Jenkin, CSIRO Research Program Director for Processing stated that the SwirlFlow technology was pioneered at level-one refinery precipitation tanks. This resulted in a substantially enhanced operational time between the descaling event and reduced maintenance costs.

For the unversed, SwirlFlow creates a swirling action like a tornado to deliver superior dispersion and mixing of solids in thick slurries.

The solution leverages a gearbox, motor, and a specially developed radial impeller with a short shaft close to the tank top, and is simple and affordable to fit current tanks.

The system enhances the reliability of the agitator, leading to reduced shutdowns and maintenance owing to higher and uniform wall velocities, the rate of scale formation is also reduced.

SwirlFlow’s capital cost is 50% less than conventional technologies along with lower maintenance costs, partly due to lower wear rates in comparison to the impellers used in conventional systems.

SwirlFlow can be implemented throughout the minerals sector for a broad variety of mixing, comprising the zinc and gold industries.

The method has been used by Queensland Alumina for 25 years at its Gladstone refinery.

Source credit:

https://www.australianmining.com.au/news/metso-outotec-csiro-in-swirlflow-partnership-deal/