Overview
The Braúna diamond processing plant in Bahia, Brazil has successfully treated 5.87Mt of kimberlite material since commencing operations in July 2016. This state-of-the-art facility features a dense medium separation (DMS) circuit designed by ADP Marine and Modular of South Africa, achieving exceptional water recovery rates of 98% through innovative centrifuge technology.
Key Process Stages
- Primary Crushing: 600mm grizzly feed to jaw crusher (70mm CSS), followed by rotary scrubber and double-deck screening (25mm/1mm)
- Large Diamond Recovery: Tomra XRT machine processes -60mm +25mm material with secure glove-box recovery system
- DMS Circuit: Three 70tph dense media cyclones using ferrosilicon medium (average consumption 140.2g/t)
- Tertiary Crushing: 11mm closed-side-setting crusher for recirculating +10mm material
- Final Recovery: FlowSort X-ray machines with double-stage sorting, grease tables for fines
- Water Recovery: Flottweg centrifuge system (25tph capacity) achieving 98% water recycling
Critical Data
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Design Throughput | 100 tph (780,000 tpa) |
| Actual Throughput (2017-2023) | 139-150 tph |
| Water Consumption | 750 m³/hr (654 m³/hr recycled) |
| Power Consumption | 9.41 kWh/t (post-LDR installation) |
| Plant Availability | 93.8% average |
| Flocculant Consumption | 40.5 g/t average |
Circuit Innovations
The Braúna plant features several technological advancements including:
- Containerized XRT diamond recovery unit with triple visual inspection
- Elimination of traditional tailings pond through centrifuge dewatering
- Automated diamond sorting and secure drop-box safe system
- Real-time grade monitoring with daily head grade vs. recovered grade comparisons
Performance Metrics
Since 2017, the plant has consistently exceeded design capacity, processing over 800,000 tonnes annually. The circuit demonstrates remarkable consistency in diamond recovery with maintained operational efficiency despite varying feed characteristics. The water recovery system has proven particularly effective, reducing environmental impact while maintaining process water balance.
