Project description and overview:

Process Plants International (PPI) has developed a proven proprietary anti-block sparge for the minerals processing Pressure Oxidation (POX) autoclave industry. In this project, PPI are aiming to apply Australian based additive manufacturing technology to enable a more flexible sparge design and to allow for the assessment and use of more exotic high-performance alloys to prevent corrosion and erosion.

The PPI anti-block sparge design utilises a vapour lock geometry that means that when operation is stopped or held for a period, slurry, rock, and scale from inside the vessel does not backflow into the sparge. The vapour lock design principle is the same as that which prevents water entering a glass when it is inverted and submerged in a bucket of water. Despite the water being denser than the air trapped in the glass, the vapour lock prevents flow up into the glass. The PPI sparge design has been tested in industrial applications on multiple occasions at multiple sites, with excellent results.

This project aims to utilise more expensive exotic alloys with better corrosion and erosion properties. The ability to manufacture a sparge out of high-performance materials will eliminate the need for ceramic coating work on the sparge, previously undertaken offshore.