Case Study: a large copper mine in Chile achieves higher water recovery and throughput with BASF Mining Solutions

Large Copper Mine in Chile - Customer Case Study

BASF worked with a large copper mine in Chile that was facing a significant change in mineralogy, including higher clay content, which reduced site efficiency and created operational troubleshooting. The mine’s goal was to increase daily throughput and stabilize the process steps, and BASF tested several flocculants before identifying a suitable rheology modifying flocculant, Rheomax® DR 1050.

BASF then ran a six-month plant trial with Rheomax® DR 1050 in the tailing thickeners, where it improved operational efficiency and exceeded expectations. The mine increased water recovery by 7% and throughput by 5%, reduced reagent use by 15%, saved over USD 10 million per year in operating costs, and cut CO2 emissions by up to 30,000 tons annually, while also stabilizing thickener operations with high-clay ore.