Measurement solutions for the mining industry
Industry brochure
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Density measurement of slurries and suspensions
If the solid content is too high, the friction and stress on the pipeline and pumps drastically increases. On the other hand, if the amount of water is too high, more energy and water is needed to reach the target transported quantity. Since slurries and other mining suspensions are often very abrasive, corrosive, and viscous, many measuring methods are not able to reliably measure concentrations under these conditions or would not withstand them long enough to be economically viable.
Berthold provides noncontact and nonintrusive density measurement solutions, which are long-lasting and without frequent maintenance. The concentration, density, and solid content of slurries and suspensions are measured continuously.
Impact of density measurement precision on water consumption
Precise density measurement is critical, as even small deviations, such as detector drift, can lead to disproportionately high water consumption. In typical tailings applications, a deviation of just 1% in solids content can result in approximately 4% higher water usage.
Example:
■ 40,000–60,000 t/day tailings throughput
■ 4 % higher water content = 1,500–2,000 m³/day additional water
■ 0.5–0.7 million m³ water lost per year
Berthold radiometric density measurement systems eliminate these risks through built‑in drift compensation and exceptional detector sensitivity – up to 2.5 times
higher than conventional systems. This ensures consistently accurate measurements over many years without frequent recalibration.
As a result, operators avoid systematic over‑watering caused by measurement drift and maintain precise control of the water‑to‑solids ratio at all times. This leads to optimized water usage, stable tailings transport, and reliable, continuous operation.
At the same time, the high detector sensitivity enables extended source lifetimes, reducing lifecycle costs while ensuring long‑term process stability and confidence in the measurement.
Customer benefits
- Reduced freshwater consumption through precise density control
- Optimized water‑to‑solids ratio in tailings transport
- Improved operational stability and reduced risk of pipeline clogging
- Lower stress on pumps, pipelines, and tailings storage facilities
- Increased process reliability with minimal operating costs
Features
- Non‑contact and non‑intrusive installation on pipelines
- Continuous, real‑time radiometric density measurement
- Long‑term stability with built‑in drift compensation
- No need for frequent recalibration
- Independent of slurry composition, particle size, and abrasive properties