Metso Launches Sampo Cell for Coarse Flotation

Metso has introduced the Sampo Cell, a novel coarse particle flotation technology designed to enhance the recovery of coarse and less liberated particles without compromising fine particle performance. By expanding the recoverable particle size range, the system allows mining operators to extract additional value from complex ores while improving overall plant efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Unlike conventional mechanical flotation cells, the Sampo Cell utilizes a unique froth-feeding principle. Slurry is gently fed directly into or onto the froth phase under low-turbulence conditions, which minimizes the detachment of heavy, coarse particles from the air bubbles. This design simplifies the processing flowsheet by eliminating the need for feed classification, additional fluidization water, or subsequent concentrate dewatering stages, allowing for straightforward integration into existing plant control systems.

Since March 2026, the Sampo Cell has been continuously operating in a 24/7 industrial-scale scavenger duty at a copper mine in Chile. The deployment successfully captured coarse particles that are typically lost in conventional flotation banks, validating the technology's ability to significantly increase total plant recovery under real-world operating conditions.

Additional Context
This section provides technological and market background not explicitly detailed in the original release.

In mineral processing, comminution (crushing and grinding) is the most energy-intensive operation, often accounting for the majority of a mine's total power consumption. Traditional flotation cells are highly sensitive to particle size, operating efficiently only within a narrow window—typically between 20 and 150 micrometers. To achieve optimal recovery, mining companies have historically been forced to over-grind ore, expending massive amounts of energy and generating ultra-fine tailings that are geotechnically unstable and difficult to manage. Coarse Particle Flotation (CPF) disrupts this paradigm by allowing metallurgists to successfully float much larger, partially liberated particles. By rejecting coarse gangue (waste rock) early in the circuit, operations can safely coarsen their primary grind targets. This effectively debottlenecks the milling circuit, enabling higher plant throughput and significantly lowering the specific energy consumption per ton of ore, while simultaneously reducing overall tailings volumes.

Edited by Lekshman Ramdas, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

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