SX/EW Pacesetter provides solutions for your application

A Pacesetter that fits your application’s needs

The Pacesetter separator removes free oil and suspended solids from aqueous streams or entrained aqueous from loaded organic. It’s been proven advantageous in the following three applications: reducing organic losses in the raffinate, reducing aqueous entrainment in the loaded organic and reducing organic entrainment in the electrolyte.

No matter the specifications you need for your Pacesetter, it meets your needs. The Pacesetter is able to handle wide variations in feed concentrations, upset conditions and crud runs. They are also pre-engineered in a variety of sizes, different corrosion-resistant metals and FRP suitable for the application. There’s also minimal need for operator support and maintenance required.

Solution for reducing organic losses in raffinate

Plants have multiple reasons to maintain their organic losses. For one, organic losses account for a notable percentage of operating expenses. Plus, it becomes an environment liability when organic builds up on ponds and recycle onto leach heaps. The Pacesetter separator reduces organic losses even before circulating aqueous phase back through the raffinate pond. At this point, the organic is in concentrated form, meaning it doesn’t need more processing for recycle to the process. When organic is recovered from ponds, its quality is compromised. But because this organic hasn’t been subjected to UV degradation, it’s higher quality.

Solution for loaded organic entertainment reduction

When there’s entrained aqueous leach liquor in the loaded organic, there can be impurity build-up in the electrolyte/strip extract phase and lower quality cathode copper, build-up in the final product or loss of current efficiency. The Pacesetter is able to resolve these potential issues. It reduces the aqueous entrainment in the organic, which lowers the electrolyte/strip extract bleed and cobalt consumption.

It’s inefficient to stop or reduce flow when there’s crud movement. With a Pacesetter, this isn’t necessary. It removes crud from the organic. And it can do so while the operation continues to change procedures and maintain full production.

Solution for electrolyte clarification

When there’s entrainment of the organic into the tankhouse, electrolyte/strip extract causes production of inferior grade cathode or final product. With a Pacesetter installed, it will catch any coarse amounts of organic from process upsets and reduce the organic in the electrolyte/stip extract typically between 60-90 percent, depending on the concentration. It’s also able to prevent premature blinding and overloading media filters, which maximises time between backwash cycles. 

High operating efficiency

In separating, it’s important to reduce organic losses. The Pacesetter’s technology allows it to be much more efficient reduce organic losses.

Cost-efficient

When compared to any other gravity separator, this Pacesetter is the most economical.

Compatible for your application’s needs

From size to type of metal, we can adjust your Pacesetter so it’s set for success in your specific application.

Unique oil and suspended solids removal

Conventional separators use a cross-flow technology. The Pacesetter separator’s two-stage process is able to prevent re-entrainment. For easier separation, a coalescer pack diffuses influent energy which makes small oil droplets collide. These separate the particles more easily. Afterwards, a separator pack provides separate surfaces and flow paths for oils and solids, which prevents re-entrainment. In order to resist chemical attacks, the packs are made of oleophilic polypropylene. They also increase the solids’ discharge by incling the packs at a steep 60 degree angle. Finally, to make maintenance simpler, the plates are assembled in rugged, modular packs that can easily be lifted from the vessel.

Solution to accumulated solids

Low-density solids often gather between the water and oil that’s just been separated. These accumulated solids cause separation efficiency problems over time. They restrict oil discharge once they collect, become thick and reach the plate pack. To keep this rag layer from forming, the Pacesetter separator includes a continuous skimming assembly. This protects the separation process.

Convenient plate cleaning technology

In conventional separators, plates need to be removed to be cleaned. But with the Pacesetter, plates remain in the vessel while gas lances and water jets rinse from around the plate packs. By draining the tank, plate surfaces can be cleaned from excess sludge and build-up by water lances near the perimeter of the plate pack. Gas lances create turbulence that removes attached solids while the vessel is full.

After settlers

In addition to other Pacesetter technology, final surge volumes designed to enhance final settling of entrained phases are able to reduce organic losses and aqueous contamination. When these are combined with Pacesetters and hydrocyclones, the solvent extraction plan designs have hardly any entrainment losses.