Plug Valves for Mining & Mineral Processing
Knife gate valves, pinch valves, sleeved plug valves, and HDPE-lined butterfly valves for slurry, tailings, acid mine drainage, and CIP/CIL gold extraction circuits.
Which plug valves are used for mining & mineral processing?
Mining and mineral processing operations handle the most abrasive and corrosive fluid mixtures found in any industry - slurries with high solids content, aggressive acid mine drainage (pH 1–3), cyanide leach solutions in gold CIP/CIL circuits, and abrasive tailings at high velocities. Standard valves fail rapidly; mining-specific valve designs using hardened rubber liners, polyurethane sleeves, and hardened metallic components are essential for acceptable service life.
Sleeved Plug Valve
Quarter-turn isolation with PTFE or rubber sleeve for corrosive mine process chemicals (cyanide, acid leach)
Critical Requirements
- Abrasion resistance - rubber or polyurethane liners to resist slurry particle erosion
- Full-bore design for knife gate and pinch valves - prevents solids bridging and line blockage
- Chemical resistance to cyanide solutions (CIP/CIL), sulphuric acid (SX-EW), and lime slurry
- Bi-directional sealing for knife gate valves where reverse flow pressure is possible
- Flushable seal design - provision for water seal flushing to prevent slurry drying in seat area
- Replaceable wear components - sleeves, liners, seats must be field-replaceable to minimise downtime
Service Challenges
- High-solids slurry (copper, iron ore, coal, gold ore concentrate) - abrasion destroys standard valve seats within days
- Acid mine drainage (AMD) at pH 1–3 - standard carbon steel and cast iron corrode rapidly; rubber-lined or polymer valves required
- Cyanide leach solution (gold CIP/CIL) - highly toxic, NaOH-buffered, pH 10–11; PTFE-lined or SS 316 valves for containment
- Lime slurry (pH adjustment) - scaling tendency; full-bore and flushable designs prevent calcium carbonate build-up
- Tailings (coarse solids + water) - high abrasion, intermittent flow; knife gate or pinch valve preferred
Vajra Plug Valves
Quarter-turn valves with cylindrical or tapered plugs for quick shut-off and throttling.
See the full Plug Valves rangeOther valves for mining & mineral processing
Connected Engineering
Need plug valves for mining & mineral processing?
Send your line list or datasheet — we supply plug valves for mining & mineral processing to the right material, class and standard with full certification and a 24-hour quote.