Is high voltage pulse power the next great innovation in comminution?

There have been great innovations in comminution technology over the past few decades, notably stirred milling and high-pressure grinding rolls. Is the next great innovation pulsed power technology?

High Voltage Pulse (HVP) technology presents a promising approach for enhancing ore pre-weakening, pre-concentration and mineral liberation. By applying electrical discharges to selectively target mineralised particles, HVP unlocks the potential to process complex, low-grade deposits more  efficiently. 

At Comminution '25, Flávio André, of Australia's JKMRC will present a study, co-authored by the late Frank Shi, detailing the development and optimisation of a laboratory-scale HVP electrode-grizzly system. Findings highlight HVP’s capacity to separate valuable minerals from gangue before energy-intensive grinding stages, offering a more sustainable mineral processing alternative.

Following Flávio's presentation, Nathan Flaman, the CEO of French company I-ROX, will share how the company is collaborating with BHP to scale up its own application of the pulsed power technology. I-ROX aims to reduce the cost of comminution by slashing the energy and consumables required and increasing flotation recoveries as a result of improved mineral liberation.  The effects on mineral liberation were shown in a paper presented at Process Mineralogy '24.

With teams in Toulouse, France and Albuquerque, New Mexico, I-ROX is now focused on scaling the technology and are in the process of building the first demonstration unit capable of operating at 1 tonne/hour. By the end of 2025 they expect to have achieved throughput of 10 tonnes/hour, with the plan to deploy the first pilot plant at a BHP mine in 2026.

I-ROX was established in 2022 by I-Pulse, which has been  been successfully commercialising various applications of pulsed power for nearly 20 years. The co-founder, chairman and CEO of I-Pulse is renowned mining entrepreneur Robert Friedland.  Robert also leads Ivanhoe Capital which has specialised in the provision of venture capital and project financing for a roster of international business enterprises since its founding in 1987, including Ivanhoe Electric, Pure Lithium, VRB Energy and Ivanhoe Mines.

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