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Scaling Up High Voltage Pulse Technology for the Mining
Industry—The Novel JKMRC HVP Electrode–Grizzly System:
The Path from Concept to Reality
Christian Antonio, Frank Shi, Daniel Lay, Flávio P. André, Kym Runge
Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland, Australia
Mengbing He
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China.
ABSTRACT: Ore pretreatment using High Voltage Pulse (HVP) technology has been gaining much attention
in the mining industry. The technology is known for achieving pre-weakening, pre-concentration, and improved
mineral liberation of ores. Scale-up of the technology to meet throughputs required for the mining industry is
a major hurdle that must be overcome for acceptance in the industry.
Recent developments at the JKMRC have demonstrated a novel HVP electrode-grizzly system that is scalable
to meet the high-throughput demands of mining applications. The patented process attains pre-concentration,
coarse gangue rejection, and pre-weakening in one single step, all at relatively low energy requirements. This
breakthrough system is a significant advance towards implementing HVP for mineral processing. This paper
presents this novel technique, its benefits, a summary of results, its current state, and planned future work.
INTRODUCTION
The impending global energy transition necessitates a
significant increase in the supply of metals and minerals,
a demand that the mining industry is expected to ful-
fill. However, the industry faces internal challenges, such
as declining ore grades and the extraction of harder and
more complex ores (Mudd et al. 2007). This scenario puts
substantial pressure on the mining sector to meet global
demands while maintaining economic and efficient pro-
duction practices.
While incremental improvements to current mining
and mineral processing practices are valuable, they may
no longer suffice (Powell and Bye 2009). There is a grow-
ing recognition that step-changes in processing methods
or the adoption of innovative technologies are essential
to overcome these challenges. Consequently, the mining
industry is actively seeking novel approaches to address
these imminent issues.
One such innovative technology is the High Voltage
Pulse (HVP) Technology. HVP has demonstrated multiple
benefits for the mining industry, including pre-weakening
(Wang et al. 2011), pre-concentration (Huang and Shi
2018), and improved mineral liberation of ores (Andres
2010). By utilizing electrical energy, HVP can selectively
target mineralized particles, distinguishing them from bar-
ren particles. This technology has the potential to unlock
complex ore bodies, utilize low-grade reserves, and enhance
energy and processing efficiencies.
However, despite its potential benefits, the adop-
tion of HVP technology has been limited by the massive
Scaling Up High Voltage Pulse Technology for the Mining
Industry—The Novel JKMRC HVP Electrode–Grizzly System:
The Path from Concept to Reality
Christian Antonio, Frank Shi, Daniel Lay, Flávio P. André, Kym Runge
Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre, Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland, Australia
Mengbing He
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China.
ABSTRACT: Ore pretreatment using High Voltage Pulse (HVP) technology has been gaining much attention
in the mining industry. The technology is known for achieving pre-weakening, pre-concentration, and improved
mineral liberation of ores. Scale-up of the technology to meet throughputs required for the mining industry is
a major hurdle that must be overcome for acceptance in the industry.
Recent developments at the JKMRC have demonstrated a novel HVP electrode-grizzly system that is scalable
to meet the high-throughput demands of mining applications. The patented process attains pre-concentration,
coarse gangue rejection, and pre-weakening in one single step, all at relatively low energy requirements. This
breakthrough system is a significant advance towards implementing HVP for mineral processing. This paper
presents this novel technique, its benefits, a summary of results, its current state, and planned future work.
INTRODUCTION
The impending global energy transition necessitates a
significant increase in the supply of metals and minerals,
a demand that the mining industry is expected to ful-
fill. However, the industry faces internal challenges, such
as declining ore grades and the extraction of harder and
more complex ores (Mudd et al. 2007). This scenario puts
substantial pressure on the mining sector to meet global
demands while maintaining economic and efficient pro-
duction practices.
While incremental improvements to current mining
and mineral processing practices are valuable, they may
no longer suffice (Powell and Bye 2009). There is a grow-
ing recognition that step-changes in processing methods
or the adoption of innovative technologies are essential
to overcome these challenges. Consequently, the mining
industry is actively seeking novel approaches to address
these imminent issues.
One such innovative technology is the High Voltage
Pulse (HVP) Technology. HVP has demonstrated multiple
benefits for the mining industry, including pre-weakening
(Wang et al. 2011), pre-concentration (Huang and Shi
2018), and improved mineral liberation of ores (Andres
2010). By utilizing electrical energy, HVP can selectively
target mineralized particles, distinguishing them from bar-
ren particles. This technology has the potential to unlock
complex ore bodies, utilize low-grade reserves, and enhance
energy and processing efficiencies.
However, despite its potential benefits, the adop-
tion of HVP technology has been limited by the massive