Coal Under-pans

Over the last two years Islex has been at the forefront of producing engineered coal under-pans and chutes. Previously manufactured from ceramic lined and painted steel, under-pans manufactured from HDPE have proven to be highly wear resistant and completely resistant to corrosion. The extremely low coefficient of friction of HDPE also reduces material hold-up and the potential for blockages.

For particularly wear prone areas, Islex can fit Ultra high molecular weight Polyethylene sheet as a extra protection layer on top of the High density PE. The materials can be easily stitch welded or bolted together and have the same thermal expansion coefficients.

With Islex expert advice, the structures can be fitted to allow for a wide variation in ambient temperatures with no potential for thermal induced buckling or creep – common problems for many poorly designed HDPE fabrications.
 

Reject Sumps

With the addition of proprietary controlled heating technology Islex has been able to form and weld heavy duty HDPE spiral-ended vessels lined with Ultra-high molecular weight plastic. This capability allows the production of non-corrosive and non-wearing structures capable of developing a high speed vortex for separation of coal fines from large scale reject sumps (see picture.) Smaller cyclones can also be manufactured.
 

Flotation Columns and Cells

Flotation technology has proven itself to be one of the most important technological developments for the refinement of coal in the last 30 years. As such, it has become a particular focus of Islex in their plastic fabrication operations.

Utilising the latest German Design and manufacturing standards for polyolefins, in conjunction with sophisticated Finite Element Analysis techniques, Islex is capable of building the entire range of flotation equipment. Large 11m high columns down to small “Jameson-style” entrained air units can all be completely manufactured out of high density thermoplastics.

Unlike roto-moulded plastics, high density plastics are manufactured in sheet form under high pressure. The resultant material has properties that are consistent with known allowable stresses and calculable creep characteristics leading to a known design life, under all conditions. This is particularly important with flotation systems where high head pressures can be present.
 

Electro-winning Cells

Electro-winning cells manufactured from polypropylene have largely overtaken rubber-lined steel cells utilized in the past for the recovery of gold and silver. The non-stick, non-conductive properties of Polypropylene allow a superior cell to be manufactured with minimal build-up and more efficient operation.

Utilising our automated (link) butt-welding and 90 degree forming equipment we are able to efficiently manufacture electrowinning cells capable of recoverable efficiencies of 99% for typical barren solutions.

Our cells also offer inherent safety features. Because the basic structure of the cell is fully Polypropylene there is no danger of unseen leakage of any chemical through a rubber barrier. In steel cells this can result in hidden degradation of steelwork and ultimate leakage of caustic and cyanide based solutions into the environment.

Quick-Run slotted pipe for gas extraction

Quick-Run is a high density PE100 plastic pipe with precisely shaped perforations to maximize gas collection whilst minimising blockages.

In consultation with industry leaders, Quick-Run was originally developed to extract methane from lateral wells of coal fields. However, the applications have rapidly progressed with Quick-run now being employed in harvest methane from landfills, collecting gas from Anerobic digesters and for monitoring stations in landfills.

Quick-Run offers several advantages over other perforated pipes:
 

• Supplied in continuous lengths to customer specification – no need for joining onsite.
• Manufactured from High Density PE100 rated materials.
• Slotted, not round holes, maximizing gas transmission whilst minimizing chance of foreign particle entry.
• Remnant pipe poses no threat to future drilling.
• White – highly visible – to prevent accidental damage.
• Completely resistant to sulfides and almost all corrosive gases and liquids
• Fully compatible with all standard PE fittings and socket welding equipment.
• Our current range for Quickrun is as follows:
• 45mm dia. white on a reel (typical length 1600 M)
• 50mm dia. white on a reel (typical length 1600 M)
• Capability in both coils and straight 12 & 20 metre lengths:
  •    45mm
  •    50mm
  •    63mm
  •    75mm
  •    95mm
  •    110mm

   

Conveyor Trays

Today’s OH & S regulations no longer allow any spillage from overhead conveyors onto trafficable areas. Islex conveyor trays offer a cost effective solution. Completely corrosion resistance and with a high degree of impact resistance our conveyor trays are designed for long life with minimal maintenance.

Supplied in sections and custom sized to suit any belt width the Islex trays are easily installed. The trays are manufactured with an overlapping joint ensuring no chance of debris falling through any gap. Manufactured from non-stick HDPE they are easily washed down and can be supplied with drainage fittings if required.

Launders

Launders are often the cause of excessive maintenance costs due to excessive wear and a build-up of sludge leading to blockages. Two methods of increasing their efficiency is by reducing the propensity of the slurry to stick to the walls and by carefully ensuring the velocity profile of the slurry is maintained along the launder length. Manufacturing from HDPE and Ultra high polyethylene (UHMWPE) can dramatically reduce both problems.

HDPE and UMPWPE have excellent non-stick properties, second only to PTFE, reducing the potential of slurry to stick to the surface. In addition, utilising heat-molding techniques, launders can be manufactured from HDPE with a linearly varying cross-section. This helps maintain surface velocity even along small gradients.

Islex can supply launders manufactured completely out of HDPE and, where required, lined with extremely wear resistant UHMWPE. We can also advise you on the appropriate thickness of material required to support the slurry using our proprietary FEA techniques for thermoplastics.

Underground Sullage Tanks

Underground mines increasingly expose equipment to Sulfur based chemicals as they get deeper. Steel sullage tanks are particularly prone to degradation in these areas and are usually costly items to refurbish or replace due to their location. To solve this problem Islex has come up with a series of rugged HDPE based tank designs that enable effective sludge separation. Installed on a skid and designed to be lifted or dragged, the complete corrosion resistance of HDPE construction ensures long life and minimal maintenance.
 

Thickeners

Gravity sedimentation, or thickening, is the most widely used dewatering technique employed in Australia due to its cost effectiveness and high capacity. However, a problem which often occurs is pin-hole corrosion behind the rubber lining in the steel tanks.

Pin-hole corrosion by its very nature is often very difficult to see yet it can have disastrous consequences.

Islex, in conjunction with their corporate partner Merit Lining have developed a solution to this problem. Experience from applying HDPE lining to high-speed channels and other aggressive applications has enabled the development of a lining system especially suited for thickeners.