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By M. R. Goldick

The Roan Antelope concentrator was originally designed with a nominal milling capacity of 6000 tons of copper ore per day but this was subsequently considerably exceeded. In broad outline the plant consisted of two No. 30 McCully gyratory crushers for coarse crushing, five 5½-ft Standard Symons crushers in open circuit for secondary crushing, ten No. 98 Marcy ball mills arranged in five sections, each two-mill section with primary and secondary Dorr classifiers for two-stage grinding. One stage of flotation roughing was followed by two stages of cleaning, all in airlift type pneumatic flotation machines, with the final concentrates filtered on Oliver drum filters. Tailing was thickened in a 250-ft Dorr traction type thickener before pumping to the tailing dam. Concentrating operations commenced in June 1931, on the completion of the first two ball-milling sections and output was increased during the next few months as the remaining sections were finished. From the start, very few technical difficulties were experienced but a number of evolutionary changes have been made as a result of operating experience and the availability of improved equipment. These have resulted in plant and ore-flow alterations although the general scheme of ore treatment remains substantially as before. The main changes to date were the installation of a new crushing plant at Storke shaft, some 7000 ft west of the original Beatty shaft; the completion of a two-stage secondary crushing plant; an increase of 20 pct in ball-milling capacity; a change-over from pneumatic to a mcchanical type of flotation machine for flotation roughing; the reduction of flotation cleaning from two stages to one stage. Ore Treated Typically the ore treated consists of metamorphosed shales and sandstones with shales as the principal mineral-bearing rock carrying chalcocite, bornite and chalcopy-rite as the main copper minerals. Chalcocite predominated in the original eastern end of the ore body but there is a pronounced trend to an increased proportion of the copper-iron sulphides as mining proceeds westward. Although the ore can be described as soft, this advantage is offset by the extremely fine dissemination of the copper minerals which calls for a high degree of comminution of the ore (go pct minus-zoo mesh Tyler standard) to give a reasonably satisfactory separation of mineral from gangue. Latterly, there has been a tendency for the ore to become harder as shown by a reduction in the ball-milling rate from a previous figure of over goo tons per ball-mill day to the present output of some 800 tons. Chalcopyrite is not so finely disseminated and has also proved more amenable to flotation than chalcocite. Nonsulphide minerals are mainly the so-called oxides such as malachite, cuprite and melaconite with some chrysocolla and

Jan 1, 1949

By Mustafa Akser

The Pipestone Lake anorthosite complex in Manitoba, Canada, was recently been re-identified as a potential source for titanium, iron, and vanadium. The present study utilized a 350 kg hard rock sample, which originated from the "Main Central" zone of the deposit. Commercial pilot-size equipment, such as dry low intensity roll magnets, wet high intensity magnets (WHIMS), and high tension electro-dynamic roll separators, was employed. As products, ilmenite up to 48.5% TiO2, and magnetite concentrates up to 87.9% Fe3O4 with 5.25% TiO2 were obtained. The majority of the vanadium reported to the magnetite concentrate. Subsequent characterization of various separation products shed light on the potential grade and recovery of the minerals from this deposit.

Jan 1, 1996

By Mustafa Akser

Dwindling economic deposits of rutile (TiO2) prompted research on recovering it from secondary sources. One such resource is in Southwestern Turkey feldspar mining rejects that contain 5%-6% TiO2 mostly rutile. Previous studies could only upgrade the TiO2 to 36% TiO2 grade, claiming that the leftover flotation reagents on the surfaces of rutile and host minerals detrimentally affected upgrading of the rutile. As a potential remedy to this concern, a laboratory sample (from an operating feldspar mine in Milas, Turkey) was first caustic scrubbed, then air calcined at 400°C to evaporate the oily reagents. Subsequent physical separation of rutile included wet screening, gravity, magnetic, and electrostatic separation technologies. Such processes indeed improved the grade of the rutile concentrate up to 83 % TiO2 Low recovery of the TiO2 (<20%), was attributed to lack of full liberation of rutile, even at 125x44 micron range; interference with impurity minerals such as sphene and zircon; and simply the process inefficiency in upgrading the fine grains through conventional separation technologies for heavy minerals.

Jan 1, 1999

By M. Akser, F. L. Pirkle, B. W. Stratford, B. Ipekoglu

To date, no ilmenite, rutile and zircon deposits of commercial importance have been reported in Turkey. However, information from recent reconnaissance activities indicates the possibility of an economically viable heavy-mineral deposit in the vicinity of Ormanli, which is located northwest of Istanbul along Turkey&apos;s Black Sea Coast. Consequently, beach coil sand-dune samples were collected from that area for additional analysis. Laboratory methodologies drat were designed to simulate standard industrial heavy-mineral plant practices were used to analyze and evaluate the samples. Based on these analyses and current market needs, none of the deposits in the Ormanli area qualify as a commercial heavy-mineral deposit.

Jan 1, 1997

By M. Akser

Ilmenite, rutile, and zircon deposits of commercial importance have not been reported to-date from Turkey. However, information from recent reconnaissance activities indicates the possibility of an economically viable heavy-mineral deposit along the Black Sea coast of Turkey in the vicinity of Ormanli, northwest of Istanbul. Consequently beach and sand dune samples were collected from that area for additional analysis. Laboratory methodologies, designed to simulate standard industrial heavy-mineral plant practices, were used to analyze and evaluate the samples. Based on the analyses, and current market needs, none of the deposits in the Ormanli area qualify as a commercial heavy-mineral deposit.

Jan 1, 1995

By S. P. Lowe

Flotation testing of Flin Flon ore was started in the Denver laboratory of Complex Ores Recoveries Co. in March, 1926. There had been a considerable amount of flotation testing previously which had shown possibilities of success, and it was felt that, with the increased knowledge of flotation and the comparatively new reagents then available, flotation held out the best prospects for a successful commercial treatment of this ore. There remained available for this experimental work a small amount of the rejects from a thorough sampling of the mine and some ore from the mine dump.

Jan 1, 1930

By The Staff

"IntroductionThe published information concerning treatment of uranium ores has been very limited as far as Canadian ores are concerned. Such information has dealt mainly with refining processes for concentrates or rich ores, designed to recover radium rather than uranium; these methods could not be economically applied to low-grade ores.The purpose of this paper is to describe treatment possibilities for some of the .ores that have been treated at the Mines Branch, and .to show how the character of these ores influences methods and results.What is a Uranium Ore?Prospecting for uranium has been extremely active during the past two years and a great many occurrences of radioactive minerals have been recorded. Such prospecting has been based to a large extent on the use of the Geiger counter in the fie1d. This equipment is an invaluable aid when the results are properly interpreted.Most definitely, indications of high radioactivity do not always prove the presence of a valuable orebody. First we have to determine:(1) Is the radioactivity due to uranium or to thorium. There is no immediate market for thorium.(2) Can the uranium in the ore be economically recovered.Chemical analysis is the most exact method of determining uranium content, but a fair estimate of the uranium, and also of the thorium, content can be made from the difference in gamma and beta activity. The Mines Branch guards against misinterpretation by determining both beta and gamma activities and, if more than a minor amount of thorium is indicated, then a Chemical analysis is made."

Jan 1, 1950

By Will H. Coghill

WITH gold at $35 for the last four years, almost double the old figure, and &apos;an unlimited market, there is perhaps more activity in the mining and milling of that metal than in that of any other of the widely distributed ores. Despite threats from Russia, the Rand district is still dominant. In South Africa in 1936, 48,200,000 tons of gold ore was crushed after sorting out about 10 per cent of that mined. The pounding of 5914 trusty stamps on the 60 mi. of Rand reefs is noteworthy. At the end of 1935, 466 tube mills were operating on the Rand, the popular size being 6 1/2 by 20 ft. The grinding medium normally consists of ore pebbles picked from the ore but recently a composite load of 3-in. steel balls and pebbles has found favor for added capacity, a ratio of 2.5 tons of pebbles to one ton of halls being maintained. The total ore fed to the mills is only about 0.14 ton per hp.-hr. Such a slow rate &apos;of feed cannot help but result in overgrinding. Ball mills, 9 by 8 ft., some of which have come from Canada, are now being tried. Stamps have been ousted from all new flow sheets, but the old stamp mills are continually renovated and kept on duty as they are at the Homestake in the United States. Half of the world&apos;s gold and silver ores is still crushed by stamps, a few of which are single, dropping in individual mortars.&apos;

Jan 1, 1938

By Jack S. McPartland

The recent developments on the concentration and recovery of gold from leached gold thiosulfate solutions by solvent extraction, reduction-precipitation, and electrochemical deposition are reviewed in this paper. Alkyl phosphorus esters have been found to extract gold only in alkaline thiosulfate solutions, The recovery of gold increases with thiosulfate concentration in the aqueous phase and with alkyl phosphorus esters concentration in the organic phase with aliphatic hydrocarbon diluents. The addition of ammonia improves the extraction. The extraction of gold with amines in either aliphatic or aromatic diluent decreased in the following order: primary>secondary>tertiary amines. Increase in the extractant concentration at high pH increased the extraction of gold. At pH < 9, the primary amine, RR&apos;CHNH2 with 1&apos;9-23 carbon atoms is the main extractant with TBP as the synergistic reagent and at pH >9, the primary amine shows a synergistic effect on the extraction of gold&apos; with TBP. TheAu(I) ions in thiosulfate solution are reduced by sodium borohydride (SBH) to metallic gold, with particles in the sub micron range, At an SBH/ Au ratio of 6.25, pH = 6, and at room temperature, the I e ppm Au(I) in a solution of ] 0 gil thiosulfate was completely reduced to metallic gold in about 60 minutes.

Jan 1, 1999

By W. J. C. Venter

The use of activated carbon to improve the selectivity in the separation of base metal minerals from bulk concentrates played an important role in the development of separation techniques employed at Tsumeb Corporation&apos;s Tsumeb and Kombat mines. In this paper the Kornbat mill flowsheet and metallurgical data are given with particular reference made to the separation techniques using activated carbon. The mine&apos;s historical background, geology and mining methods are described briefly.

Jan 1, 1973

By R. E. Lindstrom

The mineral bastnasite is utilized to describe alternate processes for the extraction and separation of the rare-earth elements by solvent extraction. The rare earths can be acid-leached directly or fused with NaOH before acid leaching. Cerium, the major constituent, can be recovered by fractional precipitation, fractional leaching, or solvent extraction with tri-nbutyl phosphate. The latter process is capable of producing 99.5-percent pure CeO2 at 98+ percent recovery. Lanthanum is subsequently recovered by fractional precipitation or solvent extraction with a nitrogen-based extractant. A 20-stage mixer-settler operation with a primary amine extractant results in a 95-percent pure La203 fraction at 96 percent recovery. Europium is amenable to extraction from most of the remaining rare earths with an organophosphate extractant. Selective stripping of the europium, followed by reductive precipitation, produces high-purity Eu203. Another possibility for europium purification involves the differential extraction of europium with an amine followed by a sub- sequent reducing strip. Separation of the remaining elements is more difficult but can be accomplished with amine or quaternary ammonium extracts. Typical separation factors achieved are 3. 8 for praseodymium-neodymium and 10. 5 for neodymium-samarium.

Jan 1, 1967

By M. S. Prasad

This paper presents the process methods of beneficiating various copper-cobalt and copper-zinc ores mined by Gecamines in Zaire. Geology and mineralization of both sedimentary and vein type deposits are described with special emphasis on the production of oxide, dolomitic and sulfide concentrates. Description of different types of concentrators and their treatment methods are discussed for the production of sulfide, oxide and dolomitic concentrates. Production of concentrates, their consumption and stocks are briefly reviewed. Modernization of the concentrators with substantial investments on grinding, classification, flotation methods and tailings treatments are also discussed to improve the metallurgical efficiency of the concentrators with a view to improve the production of concentrates both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Jan 1, 1990

By Joseph T. Singewald

The possible value of the red hematite iron ore of the southern Appalachian States, if some practicable method of concentrating it could be devised, has long been recognized. The ore is very low grade, and although in enormous quantities, particularly in the States of Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia, is only at a few points rich enough to work, and even the best of it ranks among the lowest grade iron ores being mined in the United States. A cheap method of beneficiating this ore would make enormous quantities available and vastly increase the iron-ore resources of the country. However, this low-grade ore in effect constitutes a potential iron reserve, and as long as ample quantities of ore can be obtained elsewhere the question of its utilization does not demand immediate notice. Where these ores are in part of workable grade, however, a problem of more immediate importance arises which, from considerations of economy and prevention of waste in their mining, ought to be solved or, at least, attacked as quickly as possible. Where these ores are being worked they are usually intimately associated with lower-grade material that in mining is left behind. The difficulty and expense of going into ground broken by old workings makes the recovery of this lower-grade ore practically impossible and it is lost forever. Success in concentrating the red ores, therefore, would save material that is now being irretrievably lost. The successful large-scale concentration of law-grade ore in the last few years on the Lake Superior iron ranges should encourage the attack of similar problems in the Birmingham district.

Jan 1, 1917

By S. R. Zimmerley, S. F. Ravitz

High-grade cobalt concentrates were produced from the complex Blackbird ore with very good recovery in continuous pilot-plant operations in which a low-grade bulk cobaltite-pyrite flotation concentrate was roasted in a multiple-hearth furnace to oxidize the pyrite selectively. The cobaltite was floated from the resulting calcine.

Jan 1, 1950

By Thomas G. Chapman

The four major steps in the production of marketable copper are mining, concentrating, smelting, and refining. In a few cases, however, leaching takes the place of concentrating, smelting, and refining, and in others ores are smelted without being concentrated. Copper ores have been milled since the early days of mining in the United States. Except in the Michigan district, most copper ores went direct to the smelter until the so-called porphyry mines were developed. At present, although considerable leaching and direct-smelting ores are produced, the bulk of the copper ore mined is concentrated. Improved methods of concentration have kept pace with the increased tonnages of ores milled.

Jan 1, 1936

By Victor Avdokhin, Ivan Kovlekov

"Studies of the process of concentration of gold-containing sands and technogenic resources show that the main reason of gold losses is misbalance between size of gold particles and degree of roughness of mineral bed. This results in free circulation of small gold particles in pores with following washing off the particles from the bed by turbulent flows.We elaborated design of magnetic sluice, intended for improving efficiency of recovering fine gold by optimizing magnetic field of a magnetic system on the base of forming catching coat from magnetic mineralsThe magnetic sluice includes trough-shaped body from magnetic-conducting material. On the bottom of the trough, magnets are placed, and opposite poles of the magnets are oriented outwards. Thickness of the bottom is determined to be sufficient for locking magnetic lines of force of the magnets on each other. The magnets of rectangular plate shape are placed on the rough bottom, covering the whole surface or with spare areas; the magnets are placed across the trough with alteration of rows with the same pole orientation.Catching coat is formed of natural magnetic and weak-magnetic placer minerals in field of magnetic system of the sluice. Magnetic minerals, placing along magnetic lines of force, form rough coat of fluffy structure. Size of the magnetic particles is chosen taking into account expected size of gold particles, which are to be fixed on the rough coat or between the magnetic particles. Changing coarseness of particles of mineral bed allows to regulate selectivity of recovering heavy minerals.Forming artificial fleece from magnetic minerals of initial sand, increasing capacity of the bed and relative hydraulic proportionality of mineral particles of the bed provide for the most effective recovery of fine gold."

Jan 1, 2003

By Rongdong Deng

A tower-like magnetic system comprising eight permanent magnets was installed at the center of a flotation column to separate chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite minerals. A cyclonic flotation was installed within the underpart of the column to separate the pyrrhotite from the gangues. A three-product magnetic flotation column was fabricated to create a magnetic field and a cyclonic zone. The products were Cu concentrates, pyrrhotite concentrates and tailings. The theoretical magnetic field strengths and the magnetic forces were calculated. The results of the flotation experiments showed that the Cu grade increased from 14.20% without the magnetic field to 26.40% in the presence of the magnetic field and that the S grade in the pyrrhotite concentrates increased in the presence of cyclonic flotation. The separation efficiency of this magnetic flotation column was evident. Therefore, this three-product magnetic flotation column may have a potential application, due to its high separation efficiency.

Igneous phosphate deposits located in tropical and subtropical regions of the world are characterised by low P2O5 grades, very diversified mineralogy and intensive lateral plus vertical variations in chemical composition, mineralogical assembly, rock texture, grain size, slimes content and morphology plus surface coating of apatite particles. Those variations characterise ore types with distinct behaviour in mineral processing plants. This work reviews the main challenges to concentrate those ores, addressing developed solutions. Apatite concentration requires long chain anionic collectors to conduct reverse flotation of barite (alkyl sulfate) before direct flotation of apatite (sarcosinate, sulfosuccinate and oleate) at basic medium. The long chain collectors decrease the surface tension of the flotation solution (?LV) and a particular value of 51 mN/m was found to promote the most selective separation between apatite/gangue at a particular plant. Effective control of the magnitude of ?LV in industrial plants has not been realistic because there is a lack of reliable instruments to carry out in-situ measurements. Regarding gangue depression by starch, a review is made on possible mechanisms that promote its remarkable ability to depress some minerals (Fe-oxides, ortho plus meta silicates and calcite) vis-a-vis others (quartz, apatite and layered silicates). Flotation recovery (R) of fine (20&lt;R&lt;30 per cent) and coarse (30&lt;R&lt;60 per cent) apatite particles is considerably lower than the recovery of the intermediate ones (R&gt;70 per cent) and inadequate hydrodynamic conditions within flotation cells are the main reasons for that behavior. Once the best hydrodynamic conditions to float coarse particles are not the same to float the fine ones, flotation of coarse and fine particles is commonly conducted at separated circuits in industrial scale. Entrainment of very fine gangue particles is an important source of contamination of apatite concentrates, mainly when weathered ores are treated. In most cases, adjustments in flotation equipment (columns or mechanical cells) promote considerable improvement in the quality of final concentrates.

Sep 13, 2010

By L. S. Bicalho, W. J. Rodrigues, P. M. A. Rollo, P. R. G. Brandão, W. C. da Silva

Quadrilátero Ferrífero is an important mineral province located in Minas Gerais state, responsible for a substantial amount of iron production in Brazil. Among the concentration methods for iron ore practised by the mining companies in this region, the most important is the reverse cationic flotation. Dolomite iron formations, with the presence of hematite, quartz and dolomite, occur in several areas of mining and, with the deepening of the deposits, this type of ore, with low iron content and more complex mineralogy occurs frequently. Carbonaceous minerals, mainly dolomite, present a technological challenge for the concentration of iron ore by flotation. In the present study, the concentration of iron ore with 6% of dolomite content was evaluated. Bench flotation trials indicated that conventional iron ore flotation is not selective to float dolomite, thus compromising the iron content in the final concentrate. Alternative flotation routes were evaluated, and a selective condition was reached to float both quartz and dolomite using the combination of the cationic collector Flotigam 16424 with an anionic collector Flotinor 16551. It was demonstrated that the flotation of dolomite was improved with the combined use of both collectors in the cleaner stage, and by a previous quartz flotation in the rougher stage. Zeta potential analysis indicated specific adsorption as the adsorption mechanism between Flotinor 16551 and dolomite, confirming the high selectivity observed in the bench flotation tests. Keywords: Flotation, iron ore, dolomite

Jan 1, 2020

By AUGUSTUS J. MONKS, Norman L. Weiss

THE Santa Barbara Unit of the Compania Minera Asarco, of which the San Diego mill is a part, is in the Parral District of southern Chihuahua. Although the concentration of sulfide ores has been practised in Santa Barbara since 1900, the San Diego mill, completed in 1921, was the first plant in northern Mexico to attempt the treatment of oxidized lead ores. From the milling point of view the many ores that have been treated at San Diego are very similar, the differences among them being rather of degree than type. Since 1921 the number of ores from different sources treated simultaneously has varied from four to eleven; in no case have any distinctive characteristics warranted the separate treatment of any of these. The zone of oxidation, source of the ores milled at San Diego, extends to a depth of 300 to 400 ft. below the surface. These ores carry more gold and less silver, lead, copper, and zinc than the underlying sulfide ores; the gangue minerals appear comparatively unchanged by oxidation and leaching. Lead occurs in diverse minerals, chiefly in cerussite, galena, and angle-site, the proportion of the lead in galena varying considerably in the different mines. An average of the feed to the mill would show the following approximate distribution of the lead content:

Jan 1, 1930