Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (KCA) has been at the forefront of designing and evaluating cyanide leach projects since we were founded in 1972. We maintain a laboratory in Reno, Nevada, where we run extensive testing programs for proposed and existing operations. One of the workhorse tests which we and other labs use is the Bottle Roll Test. But this test is conducted in a very subjective fashion, quite differently from lab to lab, and in one important aspect (bottle roll tests on coarse material) it is highly flawed. This has led to much confusion and possibly wrong assessments by business and financial managers​

As leaders in the industry, we have decided to remedy these problems. After four years of development, KCA is proud to announce the LIFTERBOTTLE™, a three and one-half liter, wide mouth, HDPE bottle with lifters cast into the walls of the bottle. The mouth is 90 mm wide to allow for introduction of coarse-crushed ore, and the bottle is designed so that it dumps quickly, thoroughly and cleanly. Price is competitive with similar high quality non-lifter bottles such as the smooth walled bottles. Bottles can be ordered directly from our website or from most mining laboratory supply houses.

To accompany the bottles, KCA has developed a set of “standardized” KCA bottle roll test procedures. The grinding industry has long had the “Bond Work Index Test”, but the leaching industry has never had a corresponding way to duplicate things. Now, there is the “KCA Bottle Roll Test Procedure #4” which can be reliably referred to for true reproducibility between labs and comparison between ore bodies. This test can be downloaded by clicking on the link below and is free for everybody to use.