Fire Assay and Metallurgy Flashcards
General prod for ore High in Silicates and Carbonates
If high amts of silicates do not add silica or borax glass. bc molten Quartz is a strong acid
If High in Sulfides, Carbonates and lead
Ground and roasted to remove sulfide fumes.
Low in lead add 12 g of litharge
Fire assaying means
quantitative det of metals inores unsing heat and dry fluxes
How is Fire assay done
Sep metals from constituents and weighing in its pure form
Au and Ag is very soluble in
Molten metallic lead
Au and Ag is completely insoluble in
Slags of suitable composition
Difference of metal bearing alloy of lead and slag
Their SG
Used to completely remove precious metals from lead
Controlled oxidizing fusion involving differential filtration
Dilute nitric acid’s (HNO3) effect on Au and Ag
Au is completely insoluble in nitric acid
Ag is soluble
What does a flux do
Converts compounds infusible a cert temp to another compound that melt at that particular temp.
Ex. Sodium carbonate lowers melting temp of quartz
What do Agents do
Dry subs for separation of metal from subs combined with it
Whys is Slag formation done
to form immiscible layers w/ diff SG to sep metals from assoc substances
What is Dore
Alloy of Gold and Silver, product of cupellation
5 Steps in Fire Assay
- Sampling
- Charging/Fluxing
- Fusion
- Cupellation
- Parting and Weighing
Purpose of using assay ton
basis for amount of ore in a charge
Why is charging/fluxing done
Ensure efficient slagging and separation
Assay crucible is used to contain it
Fusion procedure
Melt together of ore and fluxes at 1000 C for 40-50 mins
What is a Lead button
Lead with Au and Ag
What is Cupellation
Lead is separated from Dore by using cupel to absorb PbO
Composition of Cupel
Bone Ash, cement, and other refractory material
How is Ag and Au separated in “Parting”
Using Nitric acid (HNO3) to dissolve Ag and leave Au bead
What is “Inquartation”
add of known quantity of Ag to dore bead to ensure efficient parting
Griffith’s law says that…
NO Stress req for bond breakage, stress is req to prov energy to prod new surface.
What can close up cracks
Uniform compression loading
What propagates cracks
Tensile stress from differential stress
List all the gold projects
D iwata Gold project
A pex
M asbate Gold
N orth Davao Gold project
3 Benefits of Mineral Processing
F reight Savings
Improved Netal Purity
Reduced Treatment Charges
When is Batch grinding done
for lab scale or SSM
Differential Grinding means
Hard ores are ground finer than softer ones
Reduction ratio of 15-20:1
Ball mills
3 types of Rod Mills by discharge location
End Peripheral
Center Peripheral
Overflow
Kind of Ball Mill with a length much longer than its diameter
Tube Mills
2 Types of Ball mill accdg to Discharge
Grate Discharge Mill
Overflow
Discharge mill
2 Types of Ball Mills (Ball)
Standard steel ball mill
Pebble Mill
Ball Mills are often operatedin what circuit
Closed to minimize over-grinding
Reduction ratio of AG/SAG mills
250ish
AG/SAG mills with L:D of 1:3
Cascade mills
Whys is AG/SAG product good for flotation
Smooth surface means the reagents and bubbles can adsorb easier
What is used to determine capacities of equipt
Bulk Density
Advantage of Overhead eccentric
Uses less space
Dirr of Gape and Length
Gape is the dist bet the jaws, while length is width of jaw
Largest rock is what % of the gape
80%
Operation time limit for a jaw crusher
18 hrs/ day
Throw for coarse materials and for hard, brittle rocks
Longer for coarse, shorter for brittle
Capacity is measured where? Discharge capacity?
Max opening of swing jaw.
Closed side setting
Used to control feed volume of ROM of crusher
Surge Bins
Removes tramp metals from crusher
Magnetic separator
Particle size control for crusher
Grizzlies/Vibrating Screens
Regulates flow of ore to crusher
Feeder conveyor
Fixed Crushing surface in GC
Concaves
Movable Crushing surface of GC
Mantle
Vertical shaft that holds Mantle
Spindle
Sweeps out conical path for spindle
Spider
Relation of crushing force and throw
Larger crushing force, Capacity decreases though
GC capacity is measured where
Discharge zone
Delivers ore to GC
Dump trucks or Apron fed
What does scalper do
Separate fines
Storage space underneath GC
Under-Crusher hopper
Which liner is replaced more frequently in GC
Mantle
What feed char is JC effective
Blocky ores
Muddy, sticky, and wet
Ore char for GC
Slabby
Slow-crushing
Hard, abrasive minerals
Larger operating cost bet crushers
JC but higher capital cost
Taggart Crusher Selection Criteria
If Mt/hr < 161.7 x (gape in meters)^2 use JC
Maximum 2ndary Crusher feed size
15 cm
Spindle placement of CC and GC
Non-Suspended for Cone
Suspended for GC
UG drilling hole diameter
1-4 in
Surface drilling hole diameter
6- 18 in
Crushing action for CC and GC
Impact for CC
Slow Compression for GC
Feed method for CC
Non-choking
Difference of Standard and Shorthead per feed size
Standard - coarser
Short-head finer
Char of Short head CC per liner, slope of head, length of parallel sxn
Liner - Smooth
Slope - Steep
Length - Longer ii sxn
Gyradisc Crusher per deg of crushing, Crushing method, Liner angle
3rd Degree
Inter-particle
Flat angle liner