The new Research Centre will accelerate flotation innovation and flowsheet development
Metso has opened a new Separation laboratory and pilot area at its Research Centre in Pori, Finland, providing its customers with expanded research and development services
Antti Rinne, Vice President, Flotation, at Metso, said, “Our new Separation laboratory in Pori encompasses our latest flotation technologies for the beneficiation of fine and ultrafine but also coarse particles. It has been expanded with a Concorde CellTM laboratory unit, that can be modularised for more complex test work and R&D, and auxiliary equipment for swifter sample preparation and processing. This will allow us to deliver high-quality test work faster and develop complete flowsheets for the flotation plants of tomorrow. With a fully integrated beneficiation and assays lab, we can handle a larger volume of testing while maintaining the highest standards.”
The latest development at the Pori Research Centre is the new coarse particle flotation (CPF) cell, which provides a novel deep-froth pneumatic design, eliminating the need for fluidised beds and is set to launch in 2026 following industrial-scale testing.
Metro Plus flotation technologies, including Concorde Cell and FloatForce+, were validated at Pori prior to their launch. The FloatForce+ rotor-stator system for TankCell flotation cells is enhancing flotation performance while retaining the qualities of its predecessor. The Concorde Cell is a high-intensity pneumatic flotation cell that can selectively float fines and ultrafines, which were previously unrecoverable.
Research capabilities
The Metso Research Centre located in Pori is one of Metso's hubs for research and product development, focusing on smelting technologies, hydrometallurgy, mineral processing, and battery material process solutions.
With 180 experts and lab and plant facilities, the centre can deliver unique testing capabilities for process development, equipment selection, and optimisation. It can also provide mineralogical and chemical analytical services, as well as materials research.
