Limescale protection defuses Australian mines

Nottingham, UK- Mining nickel, iron ore, and gold is an important industry in Western Australia. However due to the extreme climate, mining poses many problems; temperatures can reach in excess of 50 degrees C and the area has hard water supply which contains high levels of calcium and magnesium. In some locations the water is treated primarily using the process of reverse osmosis which separates the solute from the solvent - however this is not always successful for eliminating limescale.

Scale is so severe in the mining area of Mt Newman that the 150-litre hot water systems on some mine sites regularly ‘explode’ with the force caused from pressure relief valves being heavily blocked with lime scale. The result is a build up of pressure 100 times its capacity and inevitably the permanent damage of the hot water system. Magnets and wire wind principles have been trialled to elevate this ongoing problem, but with very limited success.

Management at a mining camp located north of Mt Newman decided to trial a different water conditioning technology - the Hydroflow HS38 from Hydropath - to reduce the impact of limescale. However, it was not feasible to fit the unit on the main water pipe into the camp, as the plastics pipes are prone to leaking and this would affect the effectiveness of the unit.

The devices were, therefore, fitted to the areas which felt the greatest effects of excessive calcium carbonate including catering areas, laundry rooms and cold water chillers. However, due to the extreme climate in the region, the units needed to be modified to protect them from damage from the elements. This included enclosing them in an IP56 rated weatherproof enclosure covered with an insulated galvanised shield to reduce exposure to direct UV rays and high surface temperatures of up to 70 degrees C, which could compromise the effectiveness of the unit.

The Hydroflow HS38 and C45 systems were installed at the site to remove existing scale and prevent new scale from forming. They are patented water conditioning systems from Hydropath which remove limescale by transmitting randomly varying electric fields into the water and the entire plumbing system. The result is the production of nuclei everywhere in the water system. This causes lime scale to form in suspension, which is then washed away with the flow. The treated water is normally able to dissolve existing scale in a few months.

According to the supplier, personnel at the mine have noted several advantages following the installation of the Hydropath units. Drinking water, it said, has been reported to be more pleasant, elements such as those in washing machines, dishwashers, steamers and kettles are not covered with scale, and hot water systems do not become blocked with limescale causing irreparable damage.