IsaMill™ - Building on Success

Brisbane, Australia

Since its introduction the IsaMill™ has transformed mineral processing by achieving ultra-fine grind sizes below 10 µm, unlocking previously untreatable orebodies. A long-established solution in milling and grinding, the IsaMill™ first came onto the scene in the 1990’s and now has more than 150 installations across 23 countries around the world.

Widely known in the global mining industry as the only horizontal fine-grinding mill in the world, Glencore Technology is applying its 40 years’ experience in research and development to broaden the IsaMill™ technology into secondary grinding, with already impressive results.

As the mineral processing industry strives for greater efficiency and a lower carbon footprint, stirred milling technology is gaining momentum. This shift is reflected in the development of larger rolled ceramic media (up to 24 mm) and the introduction of high-capacity stirred mills (up to 12.5 MW).

A major milestone was reached in October 2023, when Glencore Technology conducted secondary grinding trials at Hudbay’s Stall Mill site in Manitoba, Canada. Using 8 mm and 10 mm ceramic media, the trials demonstrated over 50% reductions in specific energy consumption compared to traditional tumbling mills. These findings underscore the IsaMill™ potential to enhance efficiency in new grinding applications, further cementing its status as a game-changing solution for the mining industry.

With safety and reliability at its core, the IsaMill™ is quick to install, simple to maintain, and widely used in base metals, PGMs, iron ore, gold processing, and industrial applications. It remains the optimal solution for regrinding concentrates, fine and ultrafine grinding, and is now expanding into secondary grinding duties.

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For further information, please contact:

glencoretechnology@glencore.com.au 

Sources:

Significant Potential of an IsaMill™ in Secondary Grinding Duty