Launder Valves

Hydrometallurgy

The Kemix launder Gate and Plug valves are designed for open launder circuits primarily in gold adsorption circuits such as CIL, CIP and Pumpcell plants (for carbon / IX Resin). These valves are custom designed and fabricated to suit the launder dimensions pertaining to the specific application.

These valves can be supplied as either manual or automated units. For automated type launder valves, the choice of either pneumatic or hydraulic actuation is available.

A service that Kemix offers clients is the generation of launder layout General Arrangement (GA) drawings. The launder layout GA indicates the positioning of the Interstage screen relative to the agitator and launder interface. The GA will also provide details of the Interstage screen port and launder interface.

The Kemix launder gate is comprised of a U-frame suited to the launder, a isolating spade, frictionless guide, polyurethane coated side seal, polyurethane coated bottom T-Seal, sealing locking cams and either a hand wheel (manual launder gate), hydraulic actuator (hydraulically automated launder gate) or pneumatic actuator (pneumatically automated launder gate).

The operation of sealing the launder through the use of a Kemix launder gate is identical for the manual and automated versions of the launder gate. When in the closed position the isolating spade of the launder gate creates a seal on all three interfaces (both sides and bottom) between the isolating spade and the U-frame using two polyurethane coated side seals and a polyurethane coated bottom seal which prevents the ingress of pulp.

Both vertical side interfaces between the spade and U-frame are sealed through the use of adjustable sealing locking cams, frictionless guides, polyurethane coated vertical sealing faces perpendicular to the wall of the U-frame.

When the spade is lowered into a closed position the sealing action on both sides of the spade and the U-Frame is achieved by a compression force created by the pressure exerted by the adjustable sealing locking cams onto the spade. This causes the polyurethane coated side seals to compress against the sealing face of the isolating spade.

The bottom or third sealing face between the spade and U-Frame is created by the downward force exerted by the closing application (manual or automated) which causes the polyurethane coated T-seal located at the bottom of the spade, to compress against the bottom of the launder gate U-frame.

The Kemix plug valve is comprised of a frame assembly suitable to the support structure above the launder, a plug and spindle assembly and either a hand wheel (manual plug valve), hydraulic actuator (hydraulically automated plug valve) or pneumatic actuator (pneumatically automated plug valve).

The operation of sealing the launder through the use of a Kemix plug valve is identical for the manual and automated versions of the plug valves. When in the closed position the plug of the plug valve creates a seal on all interfaces between the plug and the launder floor which prevents the flow of pulp through the pipe inlet.

When the plug is lowered into the closed position the sealing action between the rubber lined plug and pipe is created by the compression force of the rubber lined plug exerted on to the edge of the specially suited pipe inlet which causes the rubber to seal against the pipe surface.