RHEWUM screening machines for zirconium

02.11.2011, Secundarabad

On 10th of August 2011 RHEWUM gained the order for the construction and supply of a multi-deck screening machine type MDS for the separation of ultra-clean zirconium.

Scope of supply besides the screen itself is the planning of the feed system as well as of the discharge equipment for the various product fractions. Due to the upscale price of the screened product the focus when choosing this machine type was on the high quality screening process. Feed rate for the machine is 2.000 kg/h. The RHEWUM multi-deck screening machine type MDS separates the Zirconium at 2,0 mm / 0,85 mm / 0,6 mm / 0,5 mm / 0,425 mm / 0,3 mm / 0,25 mm / 0,18 mm / 0,15 mm / 0,125 mm / 0,075 mm and 0,045 mm!

Zirconium

Zirconium was first discovered by Martin Heinrich Klaproth in the year 1789. Even though it is more common in the earth crust than e.g. chlorine and copper it is found only low concentrated. Deposits are often bound to granite. Due to its high fusing point the production of pure zirconium is not easy and very energy-intensive. The major producing countries are Australia and South Africa. The most important compound is zirconium oxide which e.g. is used for refractories.

Foskor Zirconia Belongs with 51% to Coromandel International Ltd. based in Secundarabad, India. Coromandel ist the largest individual enterprise of the Murugappa Group and the worldwide largest producer of zirconium. The Murugappe Group is based in Chennai, India. Besides the production of abrasives nowadays the group is active in 29 different business areas. Murugappa Group has joint ventures with renowned companies as Mitsui Sumimoto, Foskor, Cargill and Groupe Chimique.

Foskor

Foskor was founded in 1951 and is producing phosphate based fertilizers as well as nitric acid at its facilities in South Africa. The products are distributed world wide. Foskor gains the raw materials from its own deposit at Phalaborwa Mine. The rock phosphate is transported to Richardsbay by railway and then used for the production of to sulphuric acid and mono ammonium phosphate as well as di-ammonium phosphate (MAP resp. DAP). The fertilizers produced by Foskor are distributed world wide.