Kell Process
The Kell Process has been developed for extraction of platinum group metals (PGM), gold silver and base metals from sulphide flotation concentrates without having to use smelting. The hydrometallurgical process has been successfully demonstrated on several different flotation concentrates, including those from the UG2 and Platreef in South Africa and polymetallic concentrates from North America. It has been shown to provide high (95 to 99 %) and selective extraction efficiencies for the key base metals and precious metals, i.e. Pt, Pd, Rh, Au, Ni, Co, Cu.
Kell presents leap forward in PGM and base metal concentrate processing technology, binging enhanced economics by reduced power costs, ease of processing, and environmental benefits.
Applications
Existing PGM producers (majors with own smelters) - expansions, smelter bottlenecks for UG2 due to chromite limitation, cost reduction, overall recovery increase
Existing PGM producers (juniors who sell concentrate to smelters) - increase payability and recovery, become independent of majors
PGM Explorers/developers - provides better revenue stream and maintains independence
Base metal and polymetallic (BM and PGM) producers and explorers - concentrate sellers who are seeking to increase overall revenues. Kell can treat a bulk concentrate rather than having to produce individual concentrates to suit smelter terms. Increase metal payability, reduce shipping costs and smelter penalties and grad constraints reduce float recoveries.
Complex ores - Kell can recover base metals and Au/Ag from complex ores, a separation that cannot be processed by conventional means.
