High-Rate Thickener & Dewatering Suite for Iron Ore Beneficiation

Apex Minerals required a high-throughput solid-liquid separation and tailings dewatering circuit to upgrade their existing beneficiation facility in Odisha. The primary objective was increasing water recovery rates to 92% while handling high-density iron ore tailings with minimal flocculant consumption.

Metzix engineered, fabricated, and supervised the installation of a 32-meter High-Rate Thickener system paired with heavy-duty slurry pumps and automatic polymer dosing equipment. The system was fully integrated into the customer's SCADA infrastructure for real-time torque and underflow density monitoring.

The commissioned installation successfully raised underflow slurry density to 68% solids, significantly reducing tailings pond load and lowering recycled process water costs.

Key Results & Performance Metrics:

• 92% process water recovery achieved within first month of continuous operation
• Underflow slurry density consistently maintained at 68% solids
• Reduced flocculant chemical consumption by 18% using auto-dilution feedwells
• Full turnkey commissioning delivered 2 weeks ahead of project schedule