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By C. L. Xiao

With reference to the test report carried out by Guangzhou Nonferrous Metal Research Institute in 1983, the mineral process flow sheet of Yichun Tantalum-niobium mine is determined based on the characters of ores and successful experiences in light of the problems in the existing flowsheet: The ore is desilted before crushing; the primary slime is separately treated; the staged grinding process used while the fine slime is collectedly treated with tantalum and niobium as the main recoveries and lepidolite and feldspar powder as the secondary. The flowsheet is featured by comprehensive recovery, low investment and low energy cost.

Jan 1, 2014

By A. S. Choudhary

Most of the coal reserves in India are of drift origin and have very poor washability characteristics and a high level of near gravity materials. At least 30 new coal wash plants are expected to be set up in the next 5years.In such a scenario, adequate sampling followed by sink float test work for washability analysis becomes very critical for designing these new plants. For coal sampling purpose, stipulations of different standards are sometimes formidable and on the border of ?impracticality?; sometimes are self contradictory in terms of gross sample weight vis-a-vis minimum number of particles required in each size fraction and in each relative density fraction and also the minimum mass in the latter. Validation of the generated data is another important aspect of washability analysis. These issues can easily be addressed by using straight forward mathematical relationships, well known RR plots and by using simple MS Excel tool, etc.

Sep 1, 2012

By I. Dymov

"The extractive metallurgy of precious metal ores involves gravity concentration, flotation and cyanide leaching. Pre-oxidation, such as roasting, autoclaving, bacterial oxidation and other techniques, is required for processing refractory ores. Selection of the process is mainly driven by the grade, reserve and mineralogy of the target elements. The concentrations of precious metals in the crust are extremely low and highly variable, resulting in ore variability in many gold, silver and PGE deposits. More importantly, precious metals in an ore may occur in two or three forms (i.e. microscopic, submicroscopic and surface-bound), making ore processing of precious metals extremely challenging. The objective of geometallurgy and process mineralogy is to reduce and minimize the technical risk in project evaluation, process selection, mine planning and production forecasting through geometallurgical modelling, representative sampling and subsequent systematic mineralogical characterization and metallurgical testwork. Geometallurgy is a technique to document variability within an orebody and quantify and evaluate the impact of many factors including geology and mineralogy on grinding, flotation, leaching and metal recovery processes, while mineralogy is one of the major predictive and trouble-shooting tools for many new mineral projects and operating mines. This paper presents an overview of fundamentals, methodologies and techniques applied in geometallurgy and process mineralogy and highlights the importance of both disciplines in process selection and plant optimization with applicable case studies. INTRODUCTION Precious metals, including gold, silver and platinum group elements (PGE) occur in various geological settings and ore types. The concentrations of these metals in the crust are extremely low and highly variable, resulting in ore variability in many gold, silver and PGE deposits. More importantly, precious metals in an ore may occur in two or three forms (i.e. microscopic, submicroscopic and surface-bound), making ore processing of precious metals extremely challenging. Process selection is most important in any precious metals project and is mainly driven by the grade, reserve and mineralogy of the target elements. Free-milling ores, such as Kupol in Russia, Hemlo in Canada, Grasburg in Indonesia, UG-2 in South Africa, Lac des Iles in Canada, and Noril’sk in Russia, can be processed using flotation or cyanidation with or without gravity. B2Gold Corp, a Canadian gold company, just started a number of new and under construction free-milling gold operations such as Fekola mill in Mali, Mastbati mine in Philippins and Otjikoto mine in Nambia. However, refractory ores (particularly gold ores), such as the Carlin and Goldstrike mines in the USA, Giant in Canada, Pueblo Viejo in Dominican Republic, Porgera and Lihire in PNG, Kittilla in Finland, Fairview in South Africa and Shuiyindong in China, must be processed using pre-oxidation prior to cyanide leaching. In some mildly refractory gold ores, such as Kumtor mine in Kyrgyzstan and KCGM in Australia, ultrafine grinding is required to liberate fine-grained gold particles. For some gold ores containing both free-milling and refractory components (such as Cripple Creek mine in Colorado, USA), two or more recovery processes may be required. The variability of grade, metal deportment, ore hardness and other parameters is one of the risks that encountered in development and operation of many precious metals projects. To minimize and reduce the technical risk caused by ore variability, geometallurgy and process mineralogy have been used by mining companies in the last two decades to measure and quantify the spatial variability of the deposits that are being developed. This paper presents an overview of fundamentals, methodologies and techniques applied in geometallurgy and process mineralogy, it highlights the importance of both disciplines in process selection and plant optimizat"

Jan 1, 2018

By F. H. Wang

The Yinmao Lead-Zinc Mine Co. Ltd. has got 50 years of mining history. In recent years, the manganese grade in the flotation tailings has been continuously increasing. In order to make fuller use of the existing resources, as well as to increase the company?s economic efficiency, our company adopted the technique ?magnetic separation? and ?iron removal? to effectively recycle the manganese concentrate resources.

Jan 1, 2014

By Kazutoshi Haga, Batnasan Altansukh, Atsushi Shibayama

Results of flotation process combined with atmospheric leaching and high pressure leaching for recovery of copper from low-grade silicate-copper ore have been presented in this study. The low-grade copper ore contains a small amount of copper (0.42 mass %), iron (4.6 mass %), and silicon (38.3 mass%) and among many other metals (Al, Ca, K, Mg, Na, Ti and S). The main mineralogical constituents of the copper ore are calcium aluminosilicate (Ca(Al2Si2O8), amesite (Mg2Al2SiO5(OH)4) and gypsum (CaSO4×H2O), and quartz (SiO2) as resulted from the alteration of an igneous rock. This study has shown that about 92 % of copper can be recovered with a maximum copper grade of 4.2 mass% in a froth after 15 minutes of flotation at pH 8.5 when used potassium amyl xanthate as a collector, MIBC and Dow-froth 250 as frothers and calcium hydroxide as a pH adjuster. The images of bubbles in the cell during flotation process were recorded using a high-speed camera. The froth concentrate with average copper grade of 2.0 mass% was further processed by atmospheric leaching with a solution of sulphuric acid and hydrochloric acid, respectively and high pressure leaching with sulphuric acid solution. As a result, leaching rate of copper reached about 60 % in an atmospheric leaching with sulphuric and hydrochloric acid respectively, whereas the rate can reach more than 70 % by autoclave leaching at high pressure under the controlled condition. A process to recover of copper from its low-grade ore can be developed by optimization of flotation combined with acid leaching.

Jan 1, 2014

By Ho-Seok Jeon

The separation in gravity concentrators is based on the density difference between valuable and gangue minerals. In addition to density, many auxiliary parameters like particle size, shape, feed rate, pulp density etc. plays an important role in the separation. The performance efficiency of gravity units is largely based on the interference of such auxiliary parameters during separation. Many gravity concentrators are used for the beneficiation of cassiterite ores and performance of which are varying with different feed material, particle size and required enrichment from the unit. Selection of gravity units is generally based on laboratory testing and data collected from the previous experience. In the present investigation cassiterite ore collected from Uljin deposit, South Korea has been subjected to various gravity units like jig, spiral, and Knelson concentrator with the intension to pre-concentrate the ore. Second stage concentration was carried out using shaking tables. The article mainly summarizes performance evaluation methods employed for gravity concentrators. Selection of gravity circuit for the beneficiation of cassiterite was made on the basis of the recovery-grade curve, and Tromp curve methods. Keywords: cassiterite, gravity concentration, recovery-grade curve, sink-float test, tromp curve

Sep 1, 2012

By Venkataramana Runkana, Pradip Gautham, Beena Rai, Sreedhar Reddy

"IT enabled platforms are the key to provide an integrated view of the business activity or an enterprise as a whole. Attempts to integrate all functions in an enterprise such as mine-to-market initiatives, wherever and to whatever extent implemented, have provided significant benefits to the industry. The transformative potential of IT enabled integration platforms is illustrated in this communication from our own work in this field. TCS PREMAP (Platform for the Realization of Materials and Products) is a knowledge-driven engineering design and development platform which leverages modeling and simulation and artificial intelligence into the engineering design process. We illustrate the customization of this generic platform for the design and optimization of mineral processing plants in an integrated manner. TCS PEACOCK (Process and Equipment Analytics for Optimization and Control) has been developed to enable automation of data analytics in the operating plants. We illustrate its utility and power in improving the plant performance with the help of case studies from our work on pelletization of iron ores and optimization of flotation plants. INTRODUCTION We are living in an exciting digital era. With the advent of cloud computing and social media on the one hand and rapid advances being made in several research areas of interest to us in the minerals and metals industry such as artificial intelligence (AI) & machine learning, robotics, unmanned vehicles including drones, big data analytics, 3D printing, sensor technologies, renewable energies and internet of things (IoT), many disruptive transformations in our industry are on the horizon. Recent advances in information technology (IT) and knowledge engineering, in combination with appropriate domain expertise, that is, our enhanced understanding of the underlying science of mining and mineral processing operations and the availability of a variety of powerful modeling-simulation tools make it possible to address the challenging problems facing the mining and mineral processing industry, in an integrated manner."

Jan 1, 2018

Deposit of Jinbaoshan platinum group metals (PGMs) ore ranks the second in Yunnan province, China. Study on process mineralogy shows that the grade of copper and nickel in the ore is just 0.16% and 0.20% respectively. Moreover, the impurities magnesium and iron and silicon are rich in the ore. The copper and nickel sulfides in the ore, especially the minerals of PGMs, are finely disseminated with the gangues like serpentine. Fine grinding is necessary, and high content of MgO in the concentrate is inevitable through traditional flotation technology on the basis of process mineralogy studies. Achievements on process mineralogy studies are applied to guide the flotation tests successfully. Progress on flotation has been made through comprehensive studies. Suitable grinding by two stages is required for the finely disseminated PGM sulphide ore to achieve the liberation of valuable minerals. Stage grinding and stage separation shall be conducted for a better recovery of valuable minerals. The oxidation state of mineral surface of sulphides has a profound effect on flotation of the ultra-fine sulphides, especially the pentlandite. The combined use of collectors enhances the selective collecting on the ultra-fine and low-grade valuable minerals, is of critical importance.

Jan 1, 2014

By D. Hatfield, G. de Jager

"The rapid developments in computer vision and computational resources are creating new possibilities for the use of machine vision systems for industrial control. A number of commercial image analysis systems exist, and research into improved measurements of froth performance is ongoing. An integral part of the implementation of these systems is the validation of the relationship between image analysis measurements and flotation cell performance. This paper discusses the factors affecting concentrate flow and presents the results obtained from one such system with respect to its ability to estimate the flow of concentrate from a flotation cell.The relationship between froth flow speed and the rate of recovery of concentrate from a flotation cell was investigated on two industrial operations, both processing PGM (Platinum Group Metal) bearing ores. Results are presented that show a relationship between froth flow speed and concentrate yield."

Jan 1, 2003

By Robin J. Batterham

The Bologna Process started in 1999 with a declaration signed by ministers from most European countries. As of 2012, the Bologna Process now has 47 participating countries (EHEA 2012). Overall, the Bologna process has demonstrably changed higher education in many countries to allow for considerably more flexibility in course offerings. Keywords: bologna model, education

Sep 1, 2012

By Ana C. C. Pacheco, Maurício L. Torem

"The aim of this work was the study of the effect of the type (Fe3+, Al3+ and Fe3+ and Al3+ mixture) and of the coprecipitant concentration on As5+ removal by ACF. Removal of As5+ using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a collector was studied by Adsorbing Colloid Flotation (ACF) at laboratory scale. The morphology of the precipitate retained in the foam was analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM/EDS).In order to investigate the effect of the initial concentration of Fe3+ on As removal, sets of experiments were performed with a concentration of Fe3+ in the proper range of pH (5,0 – 6,0) previously observed in the coprecipitation tests. As removal improves significantly as the concentration of the coprecipitant agent increases from 60 mg.L-1 (77,4%) to 80 mg.L-1 (99,7%). This is probably due to the higher concentration of ferric hydroxide (Fe(OH)3) which provides a larger surface area available for adsorption of As. From the initial coprecipitant concentration of 80 mg.L-1, As removal has shown to be rather high (? 99,7%), with the maximum being (99,9%) by using a Fe3+ concentration of 160 mg.L-1. Therefore, for a maximum As removal, under these test conditions, the optimum concentration of Fe3+ is 160mg.L-1.This paper also shows the effect of the initial concentration of Al3+ on As removal at a suitable range of pH (7,0 – 8,0). A very significant increase on As removal was found to occur as the initial concentration of coprecipitant was increased from 60 mg.L-1 (35,7%) to 80 mg.L-1 (97,7%) and a decrease in As floatability (43,7% - 54,5%) was found to occur from that Al3+ concentration amount. Based upon those results, the optimum Al3+ concentration so as to remove As under these test conditions is 80 mg.L-1."

Jan 1, 2003

By R. M. Zhao

The process conditions and mineral characters of cleaning separation stage in magnetite concentration plant are studied in the paper, and the affecting factors and the methods to increase the concentrate grade are analysed and given. The BKJ cleaning special drum magnetic separator is developed specially for the cleaning stage according to process conditions and mineral character. The separation mechanism, structure characters, separation process and excellent adaptability of BKJ special magnetic separator are described. The results in Zhangjiawa Concentration Plant show that the BKJ special drum magnetite separators play an important role in increasing the concentrate grade and improving the economic benefit.

Jan 1, 2014

By Manochehr Oliazadeh

"Water shortage becomes a major challenge in mining industry. The best example is Chile where the Chilean authorities declared a state of emergency in 2012. Depletion of high grade ore-bodies necessitates the use of low grade ores. If the demand for metals remains constant, more low-grade ores need to be mined to produce the same tonnages of metals. This increases the water demand in mining industry. Mining industry competes with other industries such as agriculture and manufacturing. Agriculture and manufacturing consume 1500 and 2300 billion m3 water respectively. The global use is 4500 billion m3 while the mining uses 80 billion m3 of water per annum.To tackle the water challenges in mining industry and also avoid competing with other users for fresh water, many efforts have been made, including using lower quality waters to reduce the fresh water consumption in ore processing. Saline water or hyper saline water from seas or the ground is accessible; however the cost of desalination is remarkable. Desalination plants and associated pipelines and pumps capital cost can easily exceed $ 500 million. Saline water will certainly increase the operating costs due to high wear rate of mechanical equipment but at current situation of mining industry spending all this money upfront does not look attractive. Desalination leaves salt on land at mine site which may create environmental issues.Dry processing can be a solution for water shortage in mineral processing. Wet processes dispose tailings on land with little or no agricultural productivity. It also may contaminate surface and ground water and generate dust. This paper reviews the water consumption by various mineral commodities, discuss briefly about recent of application of salt water in mineral processes and finally discuss about dry processes as alternative solution for water shortage in mining industry."

Jan 1, 2014

By V. F. Petrov, O. D. Khmelnitskaya, V. M. Lodeischikov

"The processing of copper gold ores is one of the major issues of gold-mining industry in the beginning of 21st century. In this case, application of ammoniacal cyanidation process for this type of mineral raw materials deserves special attention. Irgiredmet Institute has carried out a wide range of studies on ammoniacal cyanidation process and evaluated the possible commercial use of this process for Russian operating plants. Copper gold-bearing ore from a current Russian deposit was studied. The content of gold and copper in the ore is 9.4 g/t and 0.4%, respectively. Based on the results of preliminary test work, a flow sheet was developed. It included gravity concentration followed by cyanidation of the gravity tailings using CIP. The flow sheet provides sufficient total gold recovery (91.5%). However, this technology has disadvantages, such as high specific consumption of reagents: 4.5 kg/t NaCN and 13.5 kg/t Ca(OCl)2 the ore and the increased gold grade in the liquid phase of the tails slurry (0.2 g/t). In order to improve cyanidation process parameters, test work on gravity tails processing using ammoniacal cyanidation was carried out. After the test work was completed, ammoniacal cyanidation flow sheet for copper gold-bearing ores was developed. Leaching conditions were optimized using recycled process solutions. Recommendations on gold recovery from the solutions and tails detoxification are given. The proposed flow sheet provides 91.5% gold recovery. In this case, compared to the conventional option, the consumption of cyanide decreases by 3-4 times.INTRODUCTION The technology of precious metals recovery from gold-bearing ores is based on cyanidation. This accounts for up to 90% gold recovery and the significant portion of silver (Lodeischikov, 1999). However, there exists the category of so called refractory ores. They are not amenable to direct cyanidation (without using additional expensive processes), or they are characterized by low indices of metals recovery and high consumption of reagents. The latter also include copper gold ores. Their deposits can be found extensively both worldwide and in Russian Federation. A feature of these ores is that they contain not only gold but also copper. It is considered not only as a valuable component but also as a harmful mineral impurity that hinders gold cyanidation, gold precipitation from the solutions by cementation onto zinc dust and adsorption onto activated carbon (CIL, CIP-processes), detoxification of cyanide bearing effluents."

Jan 1, 2018

By M. McClintock

"High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) is increasingly being chosen for comminution circuits for its energy-efficiency for hard rock mining operations. Despite HPGR’s growing popularity, geo-metallurgy programs are still prohibitively expensive because of large sample requirements. Traditionally, sizing HPGR application requires a significant amount of sample, in the order of 1 to 10 tonnes, depending on the level of study and complexity of the resource. Therefore, engineering and design of HPGR circuits typically are reliant on few composites that are required to be representative of the resource and mine plan. Three bench scale HPGR test methodologies were developed in 2015 at NBK Institute of Mining Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC) capable of defining the energy size breakage relationship of pilot HPGR. These methodologies were developed to allow bench scale testing for different levels of study from PEA (Preliminary Economic Assessment) to detailed design and operations. The Piston Press test defines the energy size reduction relationship by measuring specific energy consumption and corresponding feed and product size distributions. The advantage of Piston Press testing is the small sample requirement of 5 to 10 kg. Small sample requirements allow multiple samples to be tested across a deposit. Piston Press testing allows extensive geo-metallurgy programs that can determine ore variability and inform in optimization and production planning. To date, the Piston Press methodologies have been validated on a pilot-scale HPGR unit located at UBC. Recently, testing was conducted to calibrate and validate the Piston Press test against full-scale HPGR on a gold sulphide ore deposit. The program included the collection of operational data with the respective HPGR feed and recycle sample. Sample collected was used both for Piston Press testing and HPGR piloting. This paper discusses the test-work and results as carried out during this program, using the aforementioned methodologies."

Jan 1, 2018

By Xingshi Yang, Ghislain Bournival, Seher Ata

"Particle-laden interfaces are a fundamental research topic in froth flotation since the process involves particle-coated bubbles in both the pulp and the froth phase. In most experimental studies the characteristics of the particle layer in multi-bubble systems are poorly defined. An experimental setup has been developed based on a Langmuir-Blodgett (L-B) trough. The modified trough allowed introducing an air bubble beneath the particle monolayer formed at the air-water interface which made the study of the interaction between the bubble and the monolayer under various pH values possible. The monolayer characteristics of the particles were also studied and compared in terms of surface pressure (?-A) isotherms and packing factor. On compression, the particles formed branched structure at high pH whereas a uniform monolayer was formed at lower pH. Observations related to the behavior of particles during compression and expansion cycles, and the coalescence of a bare bubble with the flat particle laden interface were provided and the implication of the results for flotation process was discussed.INTRODUCTIONFroth flotation is known for its versatility and ability to concentrate low-grade, complex ores. It is considered a physico-chemical process in which particles attach to air bubbles, depending on their hydrophobicity as well as other factors, and are carried to the surface to form a froth layer. Reagents are used to stabilize bubbles and the froth layer (Pugh, 1996). However, particles, which are carried by the bubbles or entrained, significantly contribute to the stability of the froth phase (Ata et al., 2003; Zanin et al., 2009; Bournival et al., 2015a). Their relevance in mineral processing has led to a number of fundamental studies on the effect of particles and their properties on the process of froth flotation.Flotation systems are particularly difficult to characterize due to the broad range of properties of particles (e.g. size, liberation, hydrophobicity, etc.) and inconsistent operational conditions (e.g. changes in water quality, reagent addition, etc.). Several studies have made the use of well characterized particles in laboratory conditions. Such studies allowed the finding of an optimal contact angle for the stabilization of the froth phase (Johansson and Pugh, 1992; Ata et al., 2002). Froths have a large number of bubbles so that individual interactions are not observed. The study of two bubbles allows to determine the stability of the bubbles, with particles, and to some extend the stability of the bubble-particle aggregate (Gourram-Badri et al., 1997; Bournival et al., 2015b). The removing of particles between two bubbles may also be studied from a Scheludko cell (Johansson and Pugh, 1992) or by observing a bubble with a flat interface (Sethumadhavan et al., 2002). However, these systems provide limited information on the arrangement of the particles."

Jan 1, 2018

By P. Prusti

An air dense medium fluidised bed separator (ADMFBS) is the efficient process for dry beneficiation of coal. Magnetite powder is used as medium to make required pseudo-fluid density in the fluidised bed. The dynamics behavior of coal particle with reference to its position changes from ideal solution to pseudo-fluid condition in different bed densities depending on its shape, size and density. In this study, three set of projected areas of coal particles were taken. Each set contains four different shapes i.e., cubical, rectangular prism, spherical and triangular prism with different density starting from 1.3 to 1.8 gm/cc. It is observed that coal particles having density less than the bed density, floats in different positions in the dense medium fluidised bed. Higher projected area particles float in deeper height in comparison with smaller projected area. The difference in position of coal particles in the bed increases (nearly 1 to 4 cm) as the coal density approaches towards bed density irrespective of the different shapes. Different shapes of coal particles behave in different ways based on the operating parameters like bed density, coal density and projected area of coal particle. Empirical model equations are proposed to predict the position of coal particle of each shape in the air dense medium fluidised bed system. Keywords: ADMFBS, particle dynamics, projected area, shape

Sep 1, 2012

By T. Bhambhani

Research at Cytec over the past two decades has shown that the traditional approach for ore metallurgical characterization (typically conducted via laboratory-scale batch flotation tests), which involves changing reagents and conditions one-factor-at-a-time, leads to several pitfalls. The chemical solution thus selected has a narrow un-optimized window of performance and will likely fail in the plant. A holistic approach, called the Flotation Matrix 100? process for ore metallurgical characterization, was developed at Cytec about a decade ago and has been successfully used to develop robust reagent solutions for several operations around the world. The premise for the approach is that flotation outcome from ores is variable and is determined by complex interactions between various physical, chemical and operational factors. A key component of the process is the use of efficient multivariate designs focused on the chemistry aspects (reagents and pulp chemistry), which helps identify the best processing conditions for each ore type, as well as the conditions resulting in poor performance. It also includes advanced statistical methods for dealing with the complexity and variability of experimental data. The holistic approach is illustrated in this paper with a case study on Pb/Zn ores. Using just 18 carefully designed batch tests, it is possible to partially simulate the behavior of each ore type in the plant. The best conditions for each ore type, along with the conditions to avoid, are identified. Along with this, insights are obtained into the reasons for high reagent dosages for certain ore types, and interactions between variables. Keywords: flotation, holistic approach, metallurgical characterization, multivariate experimental designs, base and precious metals recovery, sulfide collectors and modifiers, Pb/Zn sequential flotation

Sep 1, 2012

By B. Gorain, O. A. Bascur

"The advent of digital revolution has now enabled us with numerous tools that could be leveraged to transform our operational data into actionable insights. Key opportunities with digitization include better visualization, transparency, integrated planning and execution for value-chain optimization, that results in smarter production, intelligent response to changes in ore, process and equipment conditions, reduce energy and waste along with prevention of asset breakdown, safety and environmental issues. It is important to realize that these digital tools have limited value, from a metallurgical operational context, if we cannot bring-in the appropriate domain expertise along with getting the basics right. The focus within Barrick is to ensure that there is adequate depth of different disciplines built into our platforms along with breadth to integrate other disciplines such as geology and mining for an effective Mine-to-Mill integration. A gold recovery improvement strategy based on optimal Gaudin size distribution, leaching performance monitoring and guidance via feed grade maps is discussed. Simultaneous identification of process and equipment constraints enable finding the best overall conditions for Gold recovery. This paper discusses the methodology, findings, and challenges in the ongoing journey of implementing a Metallurgy Analytics platform that evolves from being retrospectively descriptive to anticipatively prescriptive.INTRODUCTION The last few decades have seen some remarkable advancement in information technology, but recently various digital technologies have resulted in several synergies to deliver innovation in diverse applications. The mining industry has been relatively slow in adopting these technologies compared to the other industries, but this scenario is changing fast. Mining companies globally are going through a series of challenges such as declining ore grades with complex metallurgy, increasing depth of ore bodies, high capital and operating costs, lower productivity, shortage of technical resources, significant pressure from stakeholders to deliver, along with growing environmental and corporate social responsibility issues. Improvement in profitability would need significant improvements in operational performance."

Jan 1, 2018

By Dee Bradshaw

"Process mineralogy’ is a form of applied mineralogy which focuses on addressing problems associated with the processing of ores. ‘Mineralogy’ is the scientific study of minerals and ‘mineral processing’ is the production of concentrates from ores. ‘Process mineralogy,’ however can be defined as the practical study of minerals associated with the processing of ores, concentrates and smelter products for the development and optimisation of metallurgical flowsheets, including the waste and environmental management considerations. This hybrid discipline consists of teams that include geologists, mineralogists, samplers, mineral processors and often others, working together. The degree of cross-training, communication and trust dictates the potential capacity of the team and where an appropriate work dynamic is fostered, in which relationships flourish as much as does the ethic of technical excellence, it is possible to develop technical capabilities that surpass those of conventional teams. The world’s demand for metals is ever increasing and ore deposits available for extraction and processing are lower grade and more complex, often containing deleterious elements that require tailored treatment. Generally, in the past, the technical challenges only needed to be overcome and assessed economically to make an ore deposit viable; increasingly and in the future, a more sustainable approach including environmental and societal considerations is needed. Process mineralogical assessment is increasingly providing the critical information that stands between failure or collapse and survival or success of some mining operations. In this paper, selected case studies are used to demonstrate the valuable role of the process mineralogy tools being used to provide the platform for innovative technology development. Their common attributes are discussed and distilled, thus providing some insights and potential guidance for addressing some of the likely future challenges of the mining industry."

Jan 1, 2014