Services

Coal
Caustic Soda
Clinker Sampling
Screening

Coal

The Bowen and Surat basin are significant coal producing regions. Independent Australian Laboratories has laboratories at Gladstone and Macalister near Dalby.

The Gladstone Laboratory offers the coal industry a full range of services from the pre-treatment and analysis of exploration samples, through to the monitoring and certifying of export shipments.

Services IAL have performed for Clients

(a)  The preparation and despatch of Market Samples.
(b)  The Pre-treatment and Analysis of exploration cores.
(c)  The monitoring of coal blends onto ships.
(d)  Rapid analysis of coal being loaded ships.
(e)  The analysis of samples for other contract laboratories.

The analytical laboratory can perform the following tests in house.

The preparation laboratory performs the following activities :-

Crushing
Sample Division (RSD and Riffles)
Dry Sizing (Manual, Sieve Shaker and Rotaps)
Wet Sizing
Wet Tumbling
Sample Milling (Raymond Mill & Ring Grinder)
Hardgrove Grindability Index
Total Moisture
Drop Shatter
Size Adjusting
Float Sink Testing
Filtering

The Macalister Laboratory is located on the Wilkie Creek Mine site and specialises in rapid turnaround analysis.

Its scope of tests include, Standard and Rapid Ash, Total Moisture, Crushing, Sizing, Total Moisture and Sample Division.

Samples can be sent overnight from the Macalister Laboratory to the Gladstone Laboratory.

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Caustic Soda

Caustic soda is a major ingredient in the manufacture of cyanide. The quality of the caustic soda is critical. When the level of Iron or Chloride exceeds certain levels than the cyanide will precipitate out prematurely and cause blockages.

The caustic soda arrives in Gladstone by ship. Each ship pumps it's caustic soda to a shore tank.

Independent Australian Laboratories is responsible for :-

(a)  hooking and unhooking the flexible hose between the ship       and the permanent facilities.
(b)  Pressure testing the connections.
(c)  Sampling the Caustic Soda to be discharged.
(d)  Analysing the Caustic Soda prior to discharge.
(e)  Surveying the cargo prior to and after discharge.
(f)   Surveying the shore tanks prior to and after discharge.
(g)  Changing Shore tanks during discharge as required.
(h)  Monitoring the system for leaks during discharge.
(i)   Monitoring Shore Tank levels and pressure in the line during        discharge.

The Gladstone Laboratory performs the following analysis on Caustic Soda

Temperature
Density
Iron
Chloride
Strength
Carbonate Carbon

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Clinker Sampling

IAL manually samples the cement and clinker shipped from Gladstone. Samples are collected from a transfer tower between the silos and the ship on a regular basis during loading.

After the temperature of each sub sample is measured, it is then subdivided (on site) to provide hatch samples, a composite sample for analysis and a composite sample for sizing.

Other services IAL provides to this client include :-

(a)  Providing experienced samplers for Plant Audits.
(b)  Sizing and crushing samples collected from various streams in the plant.
(c)  Total Moisture and other analytical services.

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Screening

IAL currently screens coal a sizable amount of coal at the Central Queensland Port Authority on behalf of a major Central Queensland Coal Mine. This coal is sold by the coal as a size enhanced product.

The screening operation uses a Finlay 693 screening plant with a 20 foot x 5 foot vibrating screen box. The screening plant has a 25 mm top screen with a 8 mm spaced piano wires on the bottom deck. Screen sizes can be changed to meet client requirements.

The coarse coal is stacked with an 80 foot mobile stacker. Fine coal is removed by a Caterpillar 988B front end loader equipped with a 7 tonne capacity coal bucket.

The feed rate is 350 tph. A Caterpillar 988B front end loader equipped with a 10t capacity coal bucket is used to feed the screening plant.

A Water Truck is permanently based on site to suppress dust.

IAL monitors the performance of the screening plant by Collecting Feed, Oversize and Undersize samples daily. These samples are sized at the appropriate sizes to ensure the plant is operating correctly. The samples are also analysed for Proximate Analysis, Total Sulfur and Crucible Selling Number at the Client's request.

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