INDUSTRY 01

Mining Slurry Density Meter

01 / MINING

Ore dressing slurry, overflow & underflow density control for improved recovery.

3 applicable products 3 application cases
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Why slurry density is the core control variable in mineral processing

From grinding through flotation to tailings, slurry density drives reagent dosing, mill load, recovery and water balance. A few percent drift in solids concentration moves recovery and reagent cost across the whole plant. Pisonics builds ultrasonic density meters that read density online to ±0.005 g/cm³ without a radioactive source — no radiation licence, no source disposal, no security burden. They run on copper, gold/silver, lead-zinc, molybdenum, nickel and bauxite concentrators.

Measurement points, by process step

Process pointWhat you controlPrincipleModel
Mill discharge / cyclone feedGrinding-circuit load, classification cutUltrasonic acoustic impedancePS7000
Flotation rougher / scavenger feedReagent dosing, froth stabilityUltrasonicPS7000
Thickener feed & underflowUnderflow density, flocculant dosingUltrasonic (+ DP cross-check)PS7000 / PS7300
Tailings transportPipeline solids %, pump protectionUltrasonicPS7000
Leach / SX-EW (hydromet)PLS, raffinate & electrolyte concentrationUltrasonic / opticalSee Hydrometallurgy

The three things that make mining slurry hard — and how the PS7000 handles them

  • Abrasion. Coarse, high-solids slurry wears insertion sensors. The PS7000 uses a flush, wear-resistant sapphire window — no protruding parts to erode or clog.
  • Variable particle size & bubbles. Chirp wideband processing rejects entrained-air scatter that makes simpler ultrasonic meters drift or lose lock.
  • Plant-wide integration. 4-20 mA + Modbus RTU / HART and a stable signal let you standardize dozens of points into the control system or Pisonics Cloud.

Non-nuclear, by design

Many mines still run Cs-137 radiometric gauges and carry the licensing, leak-testing and source-disposal overhead. The PS7000 reaches comparable accuracy with no source. See: PS7000 vs Berthold nuclear gauge · PS7000 vs Cs-137 · PS7000 vs Rhosonics SDM ECO.

Selection help

New to slurry-density selection? Start with the mining slurry density meter selection guide and the mining slurry density technology overview, or tell us your process and we'll match the model.

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

Products that fit this industry

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PS7000

Ultrasonic Slurry Density Meter

The PS7000 series ultrasonic slurry density meter uses no gamma-ray source, and therefore involves no radiation protection and none of the associated environmental approval, registration and decommissioning procedures. It runs an in-house linear frequency-modulated (chirp) acoustic impedance algorithm, delivering continuous inline measurement to ±1 % over a 0–80 % mass concentration range, with the complete signal chain engineered against bubble interference.
PS7010

Clamp-on Ultrasonic Density Meter

The PS7010 series clamp-on ultrasonic density meter addresses the three field constraints of “no pipe penetration, no hot work, no shutdown”. Two sensors work in through-transmission, one transmitting and one receiving, and the instrument derives density and concentration from the energy the ultrasonic beam loses in crossing the medium. Clamp-on sensors do not touch the medium and do not breach the pipe, so they can be deployed on an existing line without a shutdown and relocated at any time.
PS7600

Microwave concentration/density meter

The PS7600 series online microwave density meter accurately captures the phase shift and amplitude attenuation of microwaves in the medium, thereby providing real-time measurements of slurry concentration, density, and moisture content. Employing a non‑nuclear, zero‑radiation microwave phase‑shift method coupled with Pt‑100 temperature compensation, it is ideally suited for challenging applications such as flue‑gas desulfurization in thermal power plants and coal‑washing slurries.
APPLICATION CASES

Cases in this industry

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Ultrasonic Slurry Density Meter · PS7000

Online Measurement of Slurry Density in Non-ferrous Metallurgical Beneficiation Plants

In nonferrous metal concentrators, fluctuations in slurry density directly affect metal recovery rates and energy consumption. The PS7000 concentration meter employs ultrasonic non-contact measurement technology and features a flanged direct‑insertion installation, eliminating the wear and fouling issues common to conventional instruments, ensuring long‑term stable operation, and operating entirely without radiation, thus obviating the need to obtain a Radiation Safety License.

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Ultrasonic Slurry Density Meter · PS7000

Density Measurement of Salt Lake Brine Potash Fertilizer Evaporation-Crystallization Solid-Bearing Two-Phase Flow

In the potash‑extraction process from salt‑lake brine, the highly corrosive chloride‑rich environment and complex multiphase flow patterns often cause conventional density meters to fail repeatedly. Pisonics’ PS7000 acoustic‑impedance concentration meter features a fully PTFE‑lined design and a ceramic probe, offering exceptional corrosion resistance and insensitivity to bubbles, crystals, and flash vaporization. This ensures stable density measurement in solid–liquid two‑phase flows, significantly enhancing both the plant’s economic efficiency and product quality.

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Ultrasonic Slurry Density Meter · PS7000

Mine Tailings Backfill Stations and Grinding Circuit Density Measurement

In mine tailings‑filling stations and grinding circuits, density control of high‑concentration paste slurries is critical. Conventional instruments struggle to meet these requirements due to issues such as wear and sluggish response. Pisonics’ PS7000 employs non‑contact measurement, with a response time of less than one second and a ceramic probe life of up to five years, thereby completely eliminating problems of wear and blockage, improving metal recovery rates, and reducing energy consumption.

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Selection support for this industry

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Voices from this industry

"After switching to the PS7000, our overflow density readings finally stabilized — we stopped tuning reagent dosing by feel. The unexpected win was not having to clean the sensor weekly; our previous radiometric meter needed window-wiping almost daily in the scaling slurry."

Director Li
Mineral Processing Workshop Director
A certain copper mining enterprise

"We used to run a transmission-type density meter; bubbles in the slurry kept dropping the signal and the probes were worn out after six months. Two-plus years into PS7000, neither bubbles nor wear are issues — it's basically zero-maintenance. The labor and spare-parts savings alone are significant."

Director Zhang
Mineral Processing Workshop Director
A certain iron ore beneficiation plant in Xinjiang
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Industry FAQ

Can density still be measured online when mining slurry exceeds 80°C?

Yes.

The Pisonics standard tuning fork density meter PS7400 has a measurement range of 0–150°C, and the standard ultrasonic concentration meter PS7000 covers 0–120°C, which can accommodate most slurry-based hydrometallurgical processes.

For extreme conditions such as high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) at temperatures above 200°C, we offer custom high-temperature models with titanium alloy or Hastelloy wetted parts, paired with remote transmitters to isolate the electronic components.

Common temperature ranges include: ambient‑temperature slurry (≤ 60°C) / heated flotation (60–90°C) / atmospheric leaching (90–110°C) / high‑pressure leaching (150–250°C) / autoclaves (≥ 250°C, requiring special customization). Please specify the maximum operating temperature when requesting a quote.

Mining hydrometallurgy slurry is hot and corrosive — can online meters still work?

Yes. The Pisonics density meter offers tiered temperature and corrosion solutions.

Temperature ratings:

  • Normal-temperature slurry ≤ 60°C—standard configuration;
  • Heated flotation 60–90°C—select the standard model;
  • Atmospheric leaching 90–110°C—select the high-temperature model;
  • High-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) 150–250°C—requires customization (use titanium or Hastelloy for wetted materials, and equip with a remote transmitter to isolate the electronic components);
  • Autoclaves ≥ 250°C—special customization.

Corrosion-resistant solutions:

  • Weak corrosion → 316L;
  • Strong acids and alkalis → 2205 duplex stainless steel, Hastelloy C‑276, titanium, or PTFE lining;
  • High-abrasion slurry → ceramic probe + PTFE lining.

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