Mineral Processing: Concentrating Circuits

Question 1

– Primary operation
– Uses moderate separating forces to remove fully liberated minerals
– Recovery of the bulk of the concentrate

Answer 1

Roughing

Question 2

– Receives the tailings from rougher
– Uses strong separating forces to recover as much of the remaining valuable minerals
– Handles generally incompletely liberated minerals

Answer 2

Scavenging

Question 3

– Receives concentrate from rougher
– Uses lower separating forces to upgrade the rougher concentrate by removing “misplaced” gangue minerals

Answer 3

Cleaning

Question 4

– representing the limitations of the mineral properties (separability curves)

Answer 4

Thermodynamic

Question 5

– largely restricted by the time the material is exposed to the separating forces (performance curves)

Answer 5

Kinetic

Question 6

Auxiliary Equipment

– stockpiling for intermittent feeding per operation

Answer 6

Ore Bins

Question 6

Auxiliary Equipment

– ball mill for re-liberation of “locked” valuables from gangue

Answer 6

Regrind Mill

Question 7

Auxiliary Equipment

size separation; de-sliming

Answer 7

Cyclones

Question 8

– Adapted to economic situations in which concentrate grade is less important than recovery
– Also used for slow-response ores
– Example: Pyritic gold ores; cyanidation will be conducted on the ground; transport costs less than additional cleaning; “clean ores”

Answer 8

Rougher-Scavenger

Question 9

– Used when grade of concentrate is important
– Also used for easily recoverable ores

Answer 9

Rougher-Cleaner

Question 9

– Similar pattern; multiple scavengers and cleaners
– Used when very gentle recovery conditions must prevail in concentrating cells

Answer 9

Bulk – Differential Flows