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High-Pressure Slurry Ablation (HPSA)—An Innovative
Liberation Technology for Improvement of Grade and Recovery
in Mineral Processing
Andrew Halverson, Bryan G. Pluid, Erik A. Pfeif, Garrett Pierpoint,
Greyson Buckingham, John Lee, Jordan Dick,
Disa Technologies
Courtney Young
Montana Technological University
Sanja Miskovic
The University of British Columbia
ABSTRACT: High-Pressure Slurry Ablation (HPSA) is Disa’s patented process for liberation of valuable
minerals from gangue and other impurities. Originally developed for treating low-grade uranium waste rock,
HPSA has also demonstrated promising ability to improve grades and recoveries while reducing grinding and
downstream operation costs. HPSA processing is an autogenous grinding process using particle-on-particle
collisions, selectively liberating target minerals without overgrinding, to improve efficiencies of flotation and size
classification processes. System development continues, in parallel with commercial applications and production
scaling, priming HPSA to revolutionize the mineral processing industry and significantly reduce costs associated
with mineral liberation processes.
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
High-Pressure Slurry Ablation (HPSA) technology is a
patented process owned by Disa Technologies Inc. that has
been shown to offer sustainable solutions for the min-
eral processing and remediation industries (Coates &Lee
2022, Coates 2022, 2018, 2014). The process consists of
a liquid processing circuit with several collision chambers
where two opposing slurry jets cause particle-particle inter-
actions that fracture and selectively liberate feed material.
Autogenous processes, like HPSA, utilize feedstock mate-
rials to act as mineral grinding/liberation media, HPSA
specifically results in selective liberation rather than the
random comminution performed by traditional ball/rod
mills. The process can be inserted into traditional grind-
ing circuits and inherently does not require grinding media
(or associated costs) or chemicals. A typical HPSA system
consists of:
• Power, Controls and Safety Systems integrated into
the HPSA Circuit
• a HPSA Circuit Slurry Feed Supply &Discharge
System to homogenize, suspend, and discharge min-
erals and
• a HPSA Circuit System to impart consisting of
pumps to impart kinetic energy to the particles and
collision chamber circuits where particle-to-particle
collisions occur.
High-Pressure Slurry Ablation (HPSA)—An Innovative
Liberation Technology for Improvement of Grade and Recovery
in Mineral Processing
Andrew Halverson, Bryan G. Pluid, Erik A. Pfeif, Garrett Pierpoint,
Greyson Buckingham, John Lee, Jordan Dick,
Disa Technologies
Courtney Young
Montana Technological University
Sanja Miskovic
The University of British Columbia
ABSTRACT: High-Pressure Slurry Ablation (HPSA) is Disa’s patented process for liberation of valuable
minerals from gangue and other impurities. Originally developed for treating low-grade uranium waste rock,
HPSA has also demonstrated promising ability to improve grades and recoveries while reducing grinding and
downstream operation costs. HPSA processing is an autogenous grinding process using particle-on-particle
collisions, selectively liberating target minerals without overgrinding, to improve efficiencies of flotation and size
classification processes. System development continues, in parallel with commercial applications and production
scaling, priming HPSA to revolutionize the mineral processing industry and significantly reduce costs associated
with mineral liberation processes.
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
High-Pressure Slurry Ablation (HPSA) technology is a
patented process owned by Disa Technologies Inc. that has
been shown to offer sustainable solutions for the min-
eral processing and remediation industries (Coates &Lee
2022, Coates 2022, 2018, 2014). The process consists of
a liquid processing circuit with several collision chambers
where two opposing slurry jets cause particle-particle inter-
actions that fracture and selectively liberate feed material.
Autogenous processes, like HPSA, utilize feedstock mate-
rials to act as mineral grinding/liberation media, HPSA
specifically results in selective liberation rather than the
random comminution performed by traditional ball/rod
mills. The process can be inserted into traditional grind-
ing circuits and inherently does not require grinding media
(or associated costs) or chemicals. A typical HPSA system
consists of:
• Power, Controls and Safety Systems integrated into
the HPSA Circuit
• a HPSA Circuit Slurry Feed Supply &Discharge
System to homogenize, suspend, and discharge min-
erals and
• a HPSA Circuit System to impart consisting of
pumps to impart kinetic energy to the particles and
collision chamber circuits where particle-to-particle
collisions occur.