Technology solutions provider Tenova Mining & Minerals South Africa is marketing a full range of magnetically susceptible density tracers used for the performance testing of dense-media and diamond recovery plants.

Density tracers simulate the density characteristics and particle dimensions of precious stones, such as diamonds, or other valuable products, such as platinum-group metals, chromite, andalusite, base metals and coal.

The new tracers offer easier recovery, compared with the previously marketed standard density tracers.

Tenova Mining & Minerals is the broad-based black economic-empowerment operating arm of the global Tenova Mining & Minerals group.

Manufactured and marketed by Tenova Mining & Minerals Laboratory in Kempton Park, South Africa, density tracers are a standard and inexpensive aid to determine whether dense-media separation cyclones and other beneficiation plants that exploit density differentials in processed materials are functioning at an improved level.

They have traditionally found widespread application in the diamond processing industry, but are increasingly being used for other commodities, particularly coal. As a result, the laboratory has registered that the demand for these tracers more than doubled in recent years.

The new range of magnetically susceptible density tracers was developed by Tenova Mining & Minerals South Africa Laboratory to facilitate the recovery of the tracers after their passage through the plants, as the tracers’ magnetic qualities enable magnets to recover them easily from the host material.

The tracers are colour coded according to their specific gravity (as were the standard density tracers) for those operations preferring to continue using visual means to recover the individual tracers.

The tracers are supplied in the form of cubes, with sizes ranging from 0.8 mm to 20 mm and are produced as standard over a density range from 1.20 to 4.20, with the most popular density tracer range being from 2.70 to 3.53 for diamond-processing applications and 1.20 to 2.00 for coal processing. They are applied worldwide in large and small production plants, laboratories and academic research institutes.

Strict quality control ensures that the tracer particles are an exact size and shape, while their special robust formulation enables many passes through a plant. With regard to size and density, the tolerance limit is 0.1 mm and 0.01–0.03 mm respectively.

The Tenova Mining & Minerals South Africa Laboratory is ISO 9001-compliant.