Cases – Xinhai Mineral Processing EPC

6,000 t/d Gold CIL Plant — Guinea

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 04:34:32 +0000

Background

This profile represents a typical large gold project in Guinea, one of West Africa’s most active gold regions. The deposit was a free-milling oxide-to-transitional ore at a moderate head grade, and the owner needed a high-throughput plant that could be built quickly and reach design recovery without a long ramp-up. The brief was for a complete 6,000 t/d concentrator delivered as a single contract, from ore testing through to a plant producing dore on site.

Solution

Xinhai began with bench and pilot testwork to confirm gold deportment, optimum grind size and reagent demand. The confirmed flowsheet paired early gravity recovery with carbon-in-leach cyanidation. Run-of-mine ore passes through three-stage crushing and closed-circuit grinding to roughly 75-80% passing 200 mesh, after which a gold centrifugal concentrator captures coarse free gold and reduces downstream reagent load. The bulk of the gold is recovered in a train of leaching agitation tanks running a CIL circuit, where leaching and carbon adsorption occur together to limit preg-robbing losses. Loaded carbon is treated in a gold elution and electrowinning system, with barren carbon regenerated and returned. Thickeners and filters recover process water and dewater tailings.

Because the scope was full EPC+M+O, Xinhai supplied the engineering, manufactured the main equipment in-house, coordinated civil works and installation, and supported commissioning and operator training on site. Single-source delivery kept the equipment, flowsheet and construction schedule aligned and reduced the interface risk that often slows multi-vendor projects of this size. At 6,000 t/d the leach was sized for adequate residence time at the design solids density, with the tank train and carbon transfer matched so adsorption keeps pace with leaching across the circuit.

Outcome

On a free-milling ore of this type, a gravity-plus-CIL circuit typically achieves around 90-94% gold recovery once the leach residence time and reagent regime are tuned to the orebody. The plant was built and commissioned to the agreed schedule, and the combination of early gravity recovery and CIL helped the operation approach design recovery during ramp-up. Figures here are representative ranges for this ore type rather than guarantees; actual results depend on head grade, grind and residence time.

For the full process logic behind this build, see the gold processing solution. To size a comparable plant to your deposit, contact us for an ore test.

2 Mt/a Spodumene (Lithium) Plant — Zimbabwe

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 04:34:32 +0000

Background

This profile represents a typical large spodumene project in Zimbabwe, one of Africa’s leading hard-rock lithium provinces. The orebody was a coarse-grained pegmatite-hosted spodumene, and the owner needed a high-throughput plant to upgrade run-of-mine ore to a saleable spodumene concentrate of roughly 6% Li2O. The target market was lithium converters, so concentrate grade and low impurity content drove the flowsheet.

Solution

Testwork characterized the spodumene liberation size and the proportion of coarse, gangue-free material suitable for pre-concentration. The confirmed flowsheet combined dense-media separation (DMS) with spodumene flotation. After crushing and screening, a DMS stage rejects barren gangue at coarse sizes, sharply reducing the tonnage that must be ground and floated and lowering overall energy use. The finer fraction is ground in a wet ball mill in closed circuit, then upgraded in a spodumene lithium processing line using a flotation circuit with mica and amphibole depression to reach concentrate grade. Magnetic separation removes iron-bearing minerals to control impurities, and the concentrate is thickened and filtered for shipment.

Delivered as EPC+M+O, the project spanned ore testing, in-house manufacturing, construction, commissioning and operator training. Using DMS ahead of flotation was the key economic decision at this scale: rejecting waste early cut grinding and flotation load and improved the plant’s cost per tonne of concentrate. The flotation circuit ran a desliming stage and selective reagents to depress mica and amphibole gangue while floating spodumene, since fine mica is the most common contaminant that drags down concentrate grade. Reagent temperature and pulp pH were controlled to hold spodumene recovery without over-floating gangue.

Outcome

A DMS-plus-flotation flowsheet on coarse-grained spodumene typically produces a concentrate around 6% Li2O at 75-85% lithium recovery, depending on liberation, mica content and concentrate grade target. The combined route balanced grade and recovery while keeping energy use in check. These are representative ranges for this ore type, not guarantees; actual results depend on mineralogy, grind and impurity limits.

Operator training during ramp-up focused on reagent dosing and the DMS density set-point, the two controls that most affect concentrate grade and lithium recovery. For the full process logic see the lithium processing solution and our spodumene flowsheet guide. To size a lithium plant to your pegmatite, contact us for an ore test.

1,000 t/d Gold CIP Plant — Nicaragua

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 04:34:32 +0000

Background

This profile reflects a typical mid-scale gold operation in Nicaragua, part of Xinhai’s active Latin American market. The ore was a clean, free-milling, fast-leaching gold ore with a recoverable coarse-gold fraction. The owner wanted a 1,000 t/d plant with controlled operating cost, where the leach kinetics favored carbon-in-pulp rather than the simultaneous leach-adsorb of CIL.

Solution

Testwork confirmed the ore leached quickly and showed no significant preg-robbing, which made CIP the more economical route. After crushing and closed-circuit grinding to roughly 75-80% passing 200 mesh, a gold centrifugal concentrator and a shaking table recover coarse free gold ahead of leaching, cutting cyanide and carbon demand. The pulp is then leached in agitation tanks, after which carbon adsorbs the dissolved gold in a separate CIP train. Loaded carbon is stripped in a gold elution and electrowinning system to produce dore, and tailings are thickened and dewatered for water recovery.

Delivered as EPC+M+O, the project covered ore testing, in-house equipment manufacturing, installation, commissioning and operator training. Separating leaching from adsorption in the CIP layout reduced carbon inventory and attrition compared with a CIL circuit, which suited the clean ore and the owner’s cost target. The leach tanks were sized for full gold dissolution before the pulp reached the adsorption train, and inter-stage screens retained loaded carbon for counter-current transfer toward the feed end. Lime addition controlled pulp pH around the optimum for cyanidation while limiting reagent consumption.

Outcome

On a clean, fast-leaching free-milling ore, a gravity-plus-CIP circuit typically returns around 90-95% gold recovery once residence time and reagent dosing are tuned. Removing coarse gold by gravity first shortened the leach and helped contain reagent cost. These are representative ranges for this ore type, not guarantees; actual recovery tracks head grade, grind and leach conditions.

Operator training during ramp-up focused on carbon management and reagent control, the two variables that most affect day-to-day recovery on a CIP circuit. To compare adsorption routes, read our guide on CIL vs CIP vs heap leach and the underlying gold processing solution. To match a flowsheet to your ore, contact us for an ore test.

700 t/d Gold CIL Plant — Tanzania

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 04:34:32 +0000

Background

This profile represents a typical 700 t/d gold operation in Tanzania, a core market within Xinhai’s East African work. The ore was largely free-milling but carried a mild carbonaceous, preg-robbing tendency, meaning some dissolved gold could re-adsorb onto the ore during leaching if not captured promptly. The owner needed a robust circuit that would protect recovery against that risk at a moderate throughput.

Solution

Diagnostic leach testwork measured the preg-robbing tendency and fixed the grind and reagent regime. The selected flowsheet used carbon-in-leach so that activated carbon is present throughout leaching, keeping dissolved gold on carbon rather than letting it re-adsorb onto carbonaceous matter. After crushing and grinding in a closed circuit with a wet ball mill to roughly 75-80% passing 200 mesh, a gold centrifugal concentrator recovers coarse free gold. The pulp then enters a CIL train of leaching agitation tanks, and loaded carbon is stripped in a gold elution and electrowinning system.

Delivered as EPC+M+O, the project covered ore testing, in-house manufacturing, construction, commissioning and operator training. Choosing CIL over CIP was the key metallurgical decision: on a preg-robbing ore, keeping carbon in contact through the leach is the most reliable defense against soluble gold losses. The circuit ran a higher carbon concentration in the lead tanks where dissolution is fastest, and inter-stage screens moved loaded carbon counter-current toward the feed. Residence time was set with a margin over the diagnostic leach result so dissolved gold is adsorbed before the carbonaceous matter can re-capture it.

Outcome

For a mildly preg-robbing free-milling ore, a gravity-plus-CIL circuit typically achieves around 89-93% gold recovery once leach residence time and carbon concentration are tuned to the ore. Early gravity recovery and the CIL configuration together limited soluble losses during ramp-up. These figures are representative for this ore type rather than guarantees; actual recovery depends on the degree of preg-robbing, grind and residence time.

Operator training during ramp-up centered on carbon activity and cyanide dosing, the controls that keep a CIL circuit ahead of preg-robbing losses. See the broader gold processing solution for the full flowsheet logic. To diagnose preg-robbing on your ore and size a plant, contact us for an ore test.

1,500 t/d Copper Flotation Plant — DR Congo

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 04:34:32 +0000

Background

This profile represents a typical 1,500 t/d copper operation in the DR Congo Copperbelt, one of the world’s richest copper regions and a key market for Xinhai. The ore was a sulfide copper ore at a moderate head grade, and the owner needed a plant to upgrade run-of-mine ore to a saleable copper concentrate for sale to smelters and traders. Concentrate grade and copper recovery were the primary targets.

Solution

Testwork fixed the grind size for copper liberation and the reagent scheme (collector, frother and lime for pH control). The flowsheet is a conventional sulfide flotation circuit. After crushing and closed-circuit grinding with a wet ball mill to a suitable flotation feed size, the pulp is conditioned and floated through a rougher-scavenger-cleaner arrangement of JJF flotation cells. The packaged copper flotation plant integrates the cells, reagent dosing and froth handling. Rougher concentrate is reground as needed and cleaned to grade, while tailings are thickened in a deep cone thickener to recover process water before disposal. The final concentrate is filtered for shipment.

Delivered as EPC+M+O, the project covered ore testing, in-house manufacturing, construction, commissioning and operator training. Matching grind size and reagent regime to the ore in testwork was the decisive step: copper recovery in flotation is highly sensitive to liberation and pulp chemistry, so confirming both before sizing the circuit protected the recovery target. Rougher cells were sized for adequate residence time at the design solids density, and the scavenger bank recovered slow-floating composite particles that would otherwise report to tailings. Cleaner concentrate was upgraded in stages, with middlings recirculated to balance the grade-recovery trade-off rather than forcing grade in a single pass.

Outcome

A conventional rougher-cleaner flotation circuit on a moderate-grade sulfide copper ore typically recovers around 88-93% of the copper to a saleable concentrate, with concentrate grade tuned in the cleaning stages. Closed-circuit water recovery from the thickener also reduced fresh-water demand. These are representative ranges for the ore type, not guarantees; actual results depend on mineralogy, grind and reagent regime.

For the full flowsheet logic see the copper processing solution and our copper beneficiation flowsheet guide. To size a copper plant to your ore, contact us for an ore test.

500 t/d Gold CIP Plant — Sudan

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 04:34:32 +0000

Background

This profile reflects a typical 500 t/d gold operation in Sudan, an established gold-producing market for Xinhai in northeast Africa. The ore was a clean, free-milling gold ore amenable to direct cyanidation, and the owner wanted a compact, quick-to-deploy plant with low operating cost rather than a large, complex circuit. Throughput and simplicity drove the design.

Solution

Bench testwork confirmed fast leach kinetics and good cyanide recovery with no significant preg-robbing, which pointed to a gravity-plus-CIP flowsheet. Crushing and closed-circuit grinding with a wet ball mill reduce the ore to roughly 75-80% passing 200 mesh. A gold centrifugal concentrator captures coarse free gold first, then the pulp is leached in agitation tanks before carbon adsorbs the gold in a separate CIP train. The packaged CIP gold processing plant bundles the tanks, carbon transfer and reagent system, which shortens installation. Loaded carbon is stripped and gold electrowon to dore on site.

Delivered as EPC+M+O, the scope ran from ore testing through in-house manufacturing, installation, commissioning and operator training. A packaged CIP layout suited the modest throughput, kept the plant footprint small and allowed faster on-site assembly in a remote location. The leach tanks were sized for complete dissolution ahead of a compact adsorption train, with inter-stage screens retaining carbon for counter-current transfer and lime dosing holding pulp pH in the optimum cyanidation band. Standardized, skid-mounted modules reduced field welding and shortened commissioning, which mattered given the distance from major supply routes.

Outcome

On a clean free-milling ore at this scale, a gravity-plus-CIP circuit typically returns around 90-94% gold recovery once dosing and residence time are tuned. Recovering coarse gold early reduced reagent consumption, supporting the owner’s low-cost target. These are representative ranges for the ore type, not guarantees; actual recovery depends on head grade, grind and leach conditions.

Operator training emphasized carbon handling and cyanide control, since on a compact circuit these are the levers that keep recovery steady. For the full process rationale see the gold processing solution, and for budgeting a smaller operation read our small-scale gold plant guide. To size a plant to your ore, contact us for an ore test.

2,000 t/d Iron Ore Magnetic Plant — Kazakhstan

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 04:34:32 +0000

Background

This profile represents a typical 2,000 t/d magnetite operation in Kazakhstan, part of Xinhai’s Eastern European and Central Asian market. The ore was a low-to-medium-grade magnetite, and the owner needed to upgrade it to a high-grade iron concentrate of roughly 64-66% Fe suitable for steelmaking feed or pelletizing. Because magnetite is strongly magnetic, the flowsheet was built around staged magnetic separation rather than flotation.

Solution

Testwork fixed the liberation size at which magnetite separates cleanly from gangue and set the number of separation stages. The flowsheet uses stage-grinding and stage-separation: coarse cobbing rejects barren gangue early, then progressively finer grinding and cleaning lift the concentrate to grade. After crushing, the ore is ground in a wet ball mill in closed circuit with a hydrocyclone, and the magnetite is recovered on wet drum magnetic separators across rougher, scavenger and cleaner stages. Concentrate is thickened and dewatered on a disc vacuum filter for handling and transport, while tailings are thickened to recover process water.

Delivered as EPC+M+O, the project covered ore testing, in-house manufacturing, construction, commissioning and operator training. The decisive design choice was stage-grinding and stage-separation: grinding only as fine as each stage requires, and rejecting gangue as early as possible, minimizes energy use while protecting both concentrate grade and iron recovery. Coarse cobbing after primary grinding discarded a large barren fraction at low cost, so only the magnetic middlings advanced to regrinding and cleaner separation. Magnetic field strength and drum speed were set per stage to balance recovery against the entrainment of locked or weakly magnetic particles that would dilute the concentrate.

Outcome

Staged wet magnetic separation on a liberated magnetite ore typically yields a 64-66% Fe concentrate at around 90-95% iron recovery, depending on head grade and liberation size. Early cobbing reduced the tonnage sent to fine grinding, keeping energy cost down. These are representative ranges for magnetite, not guarantees; actual results depend on ore grade, mineralogy and target concentrate grade.

For the full process logic see the iron ore processing solution, and to weigh separation methods read wet vs dry magnetic separation. To size an iron ore plant to your deposit, contact us for an ore test.

1,200 t/d Lead-Zinc Flotation Plant — Morocco

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 04:34:32 +0000

Background

This profile represents a typical 1,200 t/d lead-zinc operation in Morocco, part of Xinhai’s North African and Mediterranean market. The ore was a sulfide lead-zinc ore in which galena (lead) and sphalerite (zinc) occur together, so the plant had to produce two separate saleable concentrates rather than a bulk product. Clean separation of lead from zinc, with controlled cross-contamination, was the central metallurgical challenge.

Solution

Testwork established the grind size for mineral liberation and the reagent scheme for differential flotation, the standard route for polymetallic sulfides. After crushing and closed-circuit grinding with a wet ball mill, the pulp first floats galena while sphalerite is depressed with zinc sulfate and other depressants. The lead-depleted pulp is then reactivated with copper sulfate and the zinc is floated in a second stage. Both circuits use JJF flotation cells in a rougher-cleaner arrangement, with regrinding of rougher concentrates to reach saleable grade. Each concentrate is thickened and dewatered on a filter press for shipment, and tailings water is recovered.

Delivered as EPC+M+O, the project covered ore testing, in-house manufacturing, construction, commissioning and operator training. The decisive work was the reagent scheme: selective depression and reactivation are what keep zinc out of the lead concentrate and lead out of the zinc concentrate, which is the difference between two saleable products and a downgraded mixed concentrate. The lead circuit ran at controlled pH with zinc sulfate to depress sphalerite, while the zinc circuit used copper sulfate to activate it and lime to depress pyrite. Each rougher concentrate was reground to liberate locked grains before cleaning, which lifted both concentrate grades and reduced misplaced metal between the two products.

Outcome

Differential flotation on a sulfide lead-zinc ore typically recovers around 85-92% of each metal into its own concentrate, with grades tuned in the cleaning stages and cross-contamination controlled by the depressant regime. Producing separate Pb and Zn concentrates improved the payable value of the ore versus a bulk product. These are representative ranges, not guarantees; actual results depend on mineralogy, liberation and reagent control.

For the full flowsheet logic see the lead-zinc processing solution and the flotation equipment range. To size a lead-zinc plant to your ore, contact us for an ore test.