Eriez to highlight CavTube column flotation ultrafines recovery at CRU Phosphates+Potash 2026

Eriez, a global leader in separation technologies, says it will present its CavTube® column flotation system at CRU Phosphates+Potash 2026, highlighting how producers can recover ultrafine material from tailings while enhancing sustainability and overall plant performance. 

Michele Tuchscherer, Global Product Manager – Column Flotation at Eriez, will deliver a technical paper titled “Sustainable Slimes Beneficiation in Phosphate and Potash Operations Using CavTube Columns” as part of the Beneficiation and Separation in Phosphate and Potash session on April 14.

Eriez experts Todd Burchett, Head of Mining and Minerals, and Drew Hobert, Global Director – Business Development, Mining, will also be in attendance, providing technical insights into CavTube applications and the integration of advanced flotation technologies into existing beneficiation circuits.

The work addresses a growing industry challenge: phosphate and potash producers face increasing pressure to boost fertiliser output while reducing environmental impact. Conventional flotation circuits often struggle to recover ultrafine particles, leading to lost value, increased tailings volumes and higher water consumption.

The Eriez CavTube column flotation system is designed to overcome these challenges by combining high-shear cavitation tube technology with column flotation. This integrated approach enhances bubble-particle collision kinetics, thereby improving the recovery and separation of fine and ultrafine mineral fractions that are typically lost in conventional circuits. The system builds on Eriez’ decades of experience in fine particle recovery and flotation technologies deployed in mining operations worldwide, the company says.

By enabling the beneficiation of phosphate and potash slimes, the CavTube system allows operators to recover valuable material from streams that would otherwise be discarded. This supports improved overall plant recovery and feed utilisation efficiency without requiring significant capital expansion.

Pilot-scale case studies to be presented at the conference demonstrate recovery gains of up to 15%, reduced tailings volumes and improved water recovery, the company says. These improvements deliver greater resource efficiency and help address key industry challenges, including water scarcity, land-use restrictions and long-term tailings management.

“Producers must increase recovery from existing circuits while meeting increasingly stringent environmental constraints,” Tuchscherer said. “CavTube column flotation enables the recovery of ultrafine material typically lost to tailings, delivering measurable gains in both resource efficiency and overall plant performance.”