Laboratory of Engineering Support of Production at Talnakh Concentrator, Center for Engineering Support of Production, Company “Nornickel”, Polar Division, Norilsk, Russia:

L. F. Akhmedova, Processing Engineer, e-mail: cisp@nornik.ru
Yu. G. Sidorenko, First Category Processing Engineer
D. S. Antonenok, Second Category Processing Engineer
E. N. Cheptsova, Processing Engineer

On December 13, 1936, Research Concentration Shop (renamed to Research Concentration Laboratory in 1939) was established beyond the Polar circle. In 2018, Mining and Metallurgical Testing and Research Center (nowadays Production Engineering Support Center) celebrated its 80^th anniversary. In 1971, Testing and Research Concentration Laboratory located at Talnakh Concentrator became a part of Mining and Metallurgical Testing and Research Center. A similar laboratory was established at Talnakh Concentrator that was launched in 1981. Since 1984, the Laboratory is subordinated to Production Engineering Support Center. Over the decades, the efforts and investments for the development of scientific engineering potential brought tremendous results. The specialists of Center have developed technologies that became the ground for the designing and starting-up mines, concentrators and metallurgical operations. Since the day of its foundation, Laboratory’s research activity is focused on the development and support during the commercial implementation of the modern high-efficiency technologies for the concentration of ores and secondary raw material. Research Laboratory of Center is equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment allowing not only to provide engineering support for the current production operations but also to design new process solutions, reagent schemes and to define the optimal process parameters. In 2016, a new Nornickel proprietary technology was implemented at Talnakh Concentrator. At first, the technology was fine-tuned using a pilot flotation plant that allowed simulating the process in the continuous mode. Besides, in the end of 2018, tests to confirm the viability of the process for the concentrationof Komsomolsky Mine cupri ferous ore and Oktyabrsky Mine disseminated ore mixture in a dedicated process stream were performed at this plant. This process is to be implemented on the final stage of Talnakh Concentrator modernization.

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