MINING CASE STUDY
INDUCTION-HARDENED PIPE WITHSTANDS MINING APPLICATIONS
The Mosaic Company is the world’s leading producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash. Phosphate is mined using large draglines and then pumped as a slurry mixture of pebble-sized rock, sand, and clay through a 20- 22” steel pipeline to a beneficiation plant located up to 14 miles from the mining site. CUSTOMER – THE MOSAIC COMPANY
PROBLEM
SOLUTION
The Mosaic Company uses a combination of Abrasion Resistant (A-R) pipe rated at 230 BHN and Ultra Tech's induction-hardened Ultra 600 (600 BHN). Much of the A-R pipe was initially installed before a merger in 2004, but since then “more of the induction hardened pipe is taking the place of the mild steel pipe simply because it’s a better value,” says Pillard.
For highly abrasive applications, mild steel pipe is not hard enough to withstand phosphate for very long. Mining engineers seek superior piping alternatives to reduce maintenance and prolong system life, at a price point that will not significantly impact the budget. “The slurry is so abrasive, that standard-grade, carbon steel pipe just wears out too quickly,” says John Pillard, senior pipe technician at Mosaic Company.
“You don’t want a pipe that is three times better, but costs ten times as much. That’s not cost effective,” says Pillard. “The Ultra 600 induction hardened pipe lasts a lot longer than mild steel, with only a moderate price increase.”
Pillard says his primary concern is to “get the most wear for your money.” Pillard estimates that in an extremely high wear area, like the lead dragline in Mosaic’s mining operation, a mild steel pipe could wear out in as little as a year and a half. He estimates that the Ultra 600 could easily double that duration in the same location. In a lower abrasive-wear application, Pillard has seen the induction-hardened pipe last as long as 6-8 years. RESULTS
PIPING SOLUTIONS BY TRICON WEAR SOLUTIONS, A CFI COMPANY
TRICONWEARSOLUTIONS.COM | 15
Powered by FlippingBook