Butterfly Valves for Mining & Slurry Applications

Ore Slurry

Ore slurry transportation is one of the most demanding valve applications in mineral processing.

Typical services include slurries containing:

• copper ore;

• gold ore;

• nickel ore;

• iron ore;

• zinc and lead concentrates;

• phosphate rock;

• other mineral concentrates.

The combination of hard particles, high solids content and continuous flow can cause severe erosion of conventional valve components.

BZVF rubber-lined butterfly valves are engineered for abrasive and corrosive slurry applications. The double-eccentric geometry reduces seat wear during operation, while the selected lining protects critical surfaces from direct contact with the process medium.

For ore slurry service, we evaluate particle hardness, solids concentration, maximum particle size and pipeline velocity before selecting the valve lining and disc materials.

Tailings

Tailings pipelines transport mineral-processing waste over potentially long distances and often operate with high solids concentrations.

Typical applications include:

• thickened tailings;

• conventional tailings slurry;

• flotation tailings;

• paste or high-density tailings;

• tailings dam transfer systems;

• decant and reclaim systems.

Reliability is particularly important because valve failure in a tailings system can result in significant production interruption and maintenance work.

BZVF can provide rubber-lined and engineered butterfly valve configurations for tailings isolation and flow control according to slurry characteristics and operating pressure.

For highly abrasive tailings, we pay particular attention to:

• lining wear resistance;

• disc exposure;

• seat geometry;

• valve orientation;

• solids accumulation;

• actuator torque;

• expected operating frequency.

Thickener Underflow

Thickener underflow can contain very high solids concentrations and may exhibit non-Newtonian or paste-like flow behavior.

These services can produce significantly higher valve torque than process water or dilute slurry systems.

Valve selection should consider:

• solids percentage;

• slurry viscosity;

• yield stress where available;

• particle size;

• differential pressure;

• required closing time;

• operating frequency.

BZVF's rubber-lined butterfly valves provide a low-flow-resistance design and are suitable for many viscous and slurry-type applications.

For particularly dense or scaling media, our engineering team reviews the actual process conditions before confirming whether a butterfly valve is the appropriate solution.

Process & Reclaim Water

Mining operations require large volumes of water for crushing, grinding, flotation, separation, washing, dust suppression and mineral transport.

Applications include:

• raw water;

• process water;

• reclaim water;

• recycled water;

• clarified water;

• high-pressure service water;

• water containing suspended solids or reagents.

These systems often use large-diameter pipelines, making butterfly valves an efficient solution for isolation and control.

BZVF manufactures concentric and double offset butterfly valves for water service, as well as large-diameter engineered configurations for major mine-water systems.

Where the process water contains significant solids, chemicals or corrosive constituents, we can upgrade the disc, seat, coating, lining and body materials accordingly.

Leaching & Hydrometallurgical Processes

Hydrometallurgical mining processes frequently use aggressive chemicals to dissolve and recover valuable metals.

Typical media can include:

• sulfuric acid;

• hydrochloric acid;

• sodium hydroxide;

• cyanide solutions;

• chloride-containing solutions;

• fluoride-containing media;

• other acidic or alkaline leach solutions.

BZVF's current mining applications include sulfuric-acid leaching, hydrochloric-acid service, sodium hydroxide, cyanide processes and fluoride-containing media. These applications require careful material selection because corrosion can be just as important as abrasion.

Depending on the chemical composition and operating conditions, BZVF can manufacture valves using:

• stainless steels;

• 316Ti;

• titanium;

• Hastelloy;

• Inconel;

• rubber-lined configurations;

• other corrosion-resistant alloys.

For leaching service, provide the complete chemical composition, concentration, pH, temperature and solids content so that we can select the appropriate wetted materials.

Lime & Reagent Slurries

Lime slurry and other reagent systems are common throughout mineral-processing plants.

Typical applications include:

• lime slurry;

• limestone slurry;

• reagent preparation;

• pH-control systems;

• flotation chemicals;

• neutralization systems.

Lime slurry can be particularly difficult because it combines abrasive solids with a tendency to settle and scale.

Valve geometry, internal clearances and operating frequency therefore become important selection factors.

For suitable conditions, BZVF rubber-lined butterfly valves provide a practical solution with low flow resistance and reduced seat friction.

We select the lining and elastomer according to the chemical environment and operating temperature.

Red Mud & Bauxite Residue

Alumina processing generates highly abrasive and chemically aggressive bauxite residue, commonly known as red mud.

These systems may combine:

• high solids concentrations;

• alkaline chemistry;

• abrasive mineral particles;

• elevated temperatures.

This combination requires careful selection of both wear-resistant and chemically compatible materials.

Depending on the service conditions, BZVF can evaluate rubber-lined, stainless-steel or special-alloy butterfly valve configurations.

For red-mud applications, provide the caustic concentration, solids percentage, temperature and particle characteristics with the enquiry.

Phosphogypsum & Phosphate Processing

Phosphate and fertilizer operations can involve abrasive solids combined with acidic or fluoride-containing process media.

Typical applications include:

• phosphogypsum slurry;

• phosphate rock slurry;

• phosphoric acid process streams;

• fluoride-containing solutions;

• process water;

• fertilizer slurry.

These applications require careful lining and material selection because both erosion and chemical attack can occur simultaneously.

BZVF can provide rubber-lined and corrosion-resistant valve configurations using suitable elastomers, stainless steels, titanium and special alloys according to the process conditions.

Flotation Systems

Flotation plants use air, chemicals and finely ground mineral slurry to separate valuable minerals from waste material.

Valve applications can include:

• flotation feed;

• concentrate slurry;

• tailings slurry;

• process water;

• aeration systems;

• reagent systems.

The selected valve must handle suspended solids without excessive wear or buildup while maintaining predictable operation.

For slurry pipelines, BZVF typically evaluates rubber-lined or wear-resistant configurations.

For plant air and process-water systems, concentric or double offset butterfly valves may provide a more economical solution.

Steam & Heated Process Fluids

Some mining and metallurgical processes operate at elevated temperatures, particularly in pressure leaching, refining and ore-treatment systems.

Applications can include:

• process steam;

• heated slurry;

• hot chemical solutions;

• thermal fluids;

• autoclave-related utility systems.

Where operating temperatures exceed the limits of resilient seats, BZVF can provide metal seated butterfly valves using stainless, alloy-steel and special-material configurations.

For high-temperature mining applications, we evaluate temperature, pressure, media composition and solids content together before selecting the valve design.

Wastewater, Sludge & Effluent

Mining wastewater can contain suspended solids, dissolved metals, acids, alkalis, flotation chemicals and other contaminants.

Typical applications include:

• mine wastewater;

• treatment-plant sludge;

• dewatering filtrate;

• thickener overflow;

• tailings decant water;

• chemically contaminated process water.

Depending on solids content and chemical composition, BZVF can supply rubber-lined, concentric or double offset butterfly valves for these systems.

The correct construction is selected according to abrasion, corrosion, pressure and required shutoff performance.