LOKO GROUP, ABIDJAN IVORY COAST

Higher Institute of Professional Training ISFOP

PROGRAM

Chapter I: DEFINITION AND OBJECT OF ORE PROCESSING

Chapter II: SCHEME OF A PROCESSING UNIT

Chapter II: THE MINERAL PROCESSING TECHNIQUES

Chapter IV: THE FRAGMENTATION

Chapter V: RANKING BY DIMENSION AND CLASSIFICATION

Chapter VI: CONCENTRATION

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CHAPTER I: DEFINITION AND OBJECT OF MINERAL PROCESSING

I- THE PLACE OF ORE TREATMENT

Mining activity includes 2 main operations: exploration and exploitation.

Mining research is responsible for establishing mineralization. It involves demonstrating

the existence of a deposit. Mining consists of implementing the work,
techniques for extracting the useful substance and selling it.

In general, mining exploration includes 5 phases:

The documentation (approach to the subject)

The search for clues and anomalies
The control of indices and anomalies
The recognition of the mineralized body
The assessment of the resource

Mining allows for the extraction of the deposit for utility and commercial purposes.
It takes place in 5 phases:

The development
Extraction
Loading and transport
The treatment
The marketing
II- DEFINITION OF ORE

An ore is a rock mass containing useful substances in sufficient quantity.

to justify an exploitation. By this we mean: "to justify an exploitation"
the existence of a technique allows for the profitable extraction of the useful substance while respecting
the environment. Useful minerals are generally dispersed in the rock, so without
value. A treatment is economically viable if there is an appropriate technology. The
The treatment must take into account respect for the environment.

III- PURPOSE OF MINERAL TREATMENT

The purpose of ore processing is to transform the raw products from the mine for better
to sell them. Indeed, directly marketable ores are becoming increasingly rare.
The processing of ores is therefore essential and allows for an increase in market value. It is about
to increase the content of useful substance. For example, a bauxite ore with a content

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10 g/t see its value doubled when its concentration rises to 13 g/t. the rate of increase
the content is given by U=

U : rate of increase

increased content

base content

The price increases with the content. We therefore define the rate of increase of the price as V:

price increased

Pb: base rate

For profitability reasons, the operator will increase the content of the

ore up to its technological limit.

IV- PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

These are the characteristic elements of minerals that allow them to be distinguished.
Physical properties can be observed without transforming the body, whereas the property
chemical properties can still be observed even if the body is transformed. The physical properties of
minerals are used for the application of separation techniques.

Some examples of physical properties of minerals: density, grindability, the

behavior in heating, natural or induced radiation (radioactive elements), the
color,…

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CHAPTER II: SCHEME OF A PROCESSING UNIT

The ore extracted from the mine is subjected successively to all or part of the operations of
mechanical preparation (PPM) and concentration operations. The produced concentrate yields
waste that we need to remove.

I- THE MECHANICAL PREPARATION OF ORE

1- The crushing

It breaks the blocks of run-of-mine ore and reduces it to grain of the centimeter order. It can
to be done dry or by wet method. It can be done several times: it is called crushing.
floor.

2- Crushing

It makes subsequent reductions if necessary. It is done dry or by wet means.

obtains grains that are millimeter to even micrometer scale.

3- Racking

It consists of removing the fine particles from the ore called schlamms, which are often problematic.
in the course of operations. It occurs before or after fragmentation (crushing, grinding).
The particles are suspended in the water.

4- Screening

It involves passing a material through a perforated surface.

5- The ranking

It is about sorting the grains according to their size.

II- THE CONCENTRATION

This operation concentrates the useful minerals in the form of concentrate.

operation, we separate valuable minerals from non-useful minerals (gangue). The sorting at the
it is used in artisanal mining. Industrially, separation is used
gravimetric and densimetric, flotation, magnetic separation, separation
electric,…

The choice of a process depends on the physical characteristics and specific properties of
minerals to separate.

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III- THE EVACUATION OR DEPOSIT OF WASTE

The waste resulting from treatment constitutes significant amounts that can cause
problems. They must be evacuated far enough so that they do not hinder activity but not too far.
only to optimize transportation costs. It is not always easy to find at the limit of
these two constraints.

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CHAPTER III: MINERAL PROCESSING TECHNIQUES

There are 3 main families of mineral processing techniques, each with a purpose.
specific: fragmentation techniques, classification techniques and the
separation techniques. The specific and main objectives are recorded in the
next table.

TECHNIQUES
FAMILIES MAIN OBJECTIVE
ASSOCIATES
Technique of crushing Reduce the grain size of the rock
fragmentation grinding at a certain level of liberation.
screening and sieving Obtain a specific grain size
classification only with a view to commercialization or
in dimension) to have a grain size
Technique of
pneumatic classification favorable to other modes of
classification
hydraulic classification treatment.
Gravitational separation,
density, magnetic
optics, electrostatics Separate the useful mineral grains
Technique of
radiometric, mixed grains and grains of
separation
hydrometallurgical gangs.
biometallurgical
pyrometallurgical.

For a block size < 0.5 mm classification on a perforated surface

For a block size > 0.5 mm classification in a gas, liquid (hydraulic)

This table allows for a schematic representation of treatment techniques.

minerals.

Through this diagram, we understand that the treatment techniques do not follow an order.
random. Indeed, classification techniques are generally coupled with the
separation techniques at the end of the treatment. At the beginning of the treatment, the techniques of
fragmentation is coupled with classification techniques. The effectiveness of a technique
of treatment influences that of the other which is associated with it. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the
process in relation to all the techniques used and not individually.

I- SIEVE ANALYSIS
1- Definition and purpose

Fragmentation cannot occur without determining the reduction dimension. This

reduction dimension is called the degree of freedom. It is the dimension that must have
all the grains to be free from each other. It is necessary to define beforehand the dimension to

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reach after all the reductions. Indeed, some concentration operations are not
less effective than on grains of a specific dimension. It is necessary to be able to
measure and define exactly the characteristics of the ore regarding the dimensions of its
constituents. This will be the subject of the granulometric analysis. Granulometry is the term
describing dimensional and shape characteristics of the particles of a material.
distribution of the granules of a defined product the granulometric spectrum.

2- Analyze

To perform the granulate analysis, sieves with different mesh sizes are used but
built by the same company. They are arranged in series from the largest diameter to the smallest.
small. We weigh the refusals (the remaining products on the sieves). We record the masses in a
table whose general shape is:

Stitches (mm) Weight of Weight of Weight of rejections Weight of

fractions (g) fractions (%) cumulative (%) passersby
cumulative (%)
ɸ1 M1 P1 = P1 100-P1

ɸ2 M2 P2 = P1+P2 100-(P1+P2)

100-
ɸi Mi PI= P1+P2+…+Pi
(P1+P2+…+Pi)

ɸn Mn Pn = P1+…+Pn 100-(P1+…+P)

ɸf Mf Pf= P1+…+Pf=100 0

The table allows for plotting curves:

Cumulative refusals (%) cumulative passes (%)

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Mesh opening (mm) opening of the

stitches (mm)

cumulative refusals (%) cumulative past (%)

0 100

100 0

These are the ideal curves. The curve of cumulative passers-by as a function of openings.
The mesh is called a direct grain size curve. These curves are plotted on paper.
semi-log but we sometimes use graph paper. We note that the analysis
Granulometric analysis allows for the study of the distribution of grain sizes in a material. It
is represented by a table and a curve. From the curve, we can observe the proportion
grains according to their size in the product. These curves allow determining the
grinding finesse, effective size, and uniformity coefficient.

The grinding fineness is the mesh opening where the rejection rate is 5%. It is
determine on the cumulative rejection curve based on the mesh openings.

Effective size is defined as the theoretical mesh through which 10% passes.
particles. It is denoted by D10oud10.

The theoretical mesh through which 60% of the particles pass is denoted as D.60etd60.

The uniformity coefficient is the following ratio: U =

D60etD10are defined on the curve of cumulative passersby as a function of openings of

chainmail.

The histogram is a complementary curve representing the weight of the fractions in

percentage based on the opening of the meshes.

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Cumulative refusals (%) fraction weight (%) cumulative passersby (%)

100 60%

5% 10%

Mesh opening (mm)

II- EXPRESSION OF RESULTS

1- Yield-concentration rate

The processing of ores produces a concentrate and waste. An estimation of these two
products require understanding numbers that will characterize the treatment. These numbers are
important and allow to determine:

The weight yield (the proportion of concentrate in the bulk feed)

The metal recovery yield (checks the efficiency of the treatment)
The enrichment of the ore after processing (the concentration rate)

Thus the amount of useful substance in the residue must tend towards 0. Also the amount of
The useful substance in the concentrate should aim for 100%.

Let:

A: the weight in the diet

C: the weight of the concentrate

R: the weight of the residue

the content in food

c: the content of the concentrate

r : the content of the residue

the weight yield generally noted as Rpis equal to the ratio between the weight of the concentrate and
The weight at feeding. The weight at feeding represents the weight of the run-of-mine ore.
The weight of the concentrate represents the weight of the useful substance obtained after processing.

Rp=

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the metal yield generally noted RmWhat is the relationship between the quantity of useful substance
in the ore and the quantity of useful substance in the run-of-mine ore.

Rm=

Quantity = mass×content

It is deduced from this expression that Rm=Rp×

The concentration ratio is also defined. It is the ratio between the content of the concentrate.
and the content in food: T=thusRm=T×Rp

In practice, we do not know all the values from the start. The measured values and
known are This also the stakeholders (a,c,r). It is important to evaluate Rpand Rmdepending on
these known values:

A = C + R↔ R = A - C

Aa = Cc + Rr↔ Aa = Cc + (A - R)r

↔ Aa – Ar= Cc – rr↔ A(a–r) = C(c-r)

= or =Rp↔ Rp=

( )
It is known that Rm=Rp× from wherem=
( )

2- From an economic point of view

It is about determining profitability. To do this, all expenses must be taken into account.
carried out during research and mining operations. Generally, at the end of the
mining research, we draw up an initial assessment of expenses. The feasibility study which
determine the profitability or not of the operation. Thus, a decision is made whether or not to proceed to
exploitation. During the treatment and at the end of the treatment, a report is established to verify
if the exploitation is truly profitable.

Let A be the cost of mining research.

B, the cost of operating (ore and waste)

C, the cost of local transportation

D, the cost of manufacturing (obtaining the concentrate)

And the cost of international or national transport of the concentrate

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F, the selling price.

Profitability is achieved if F - [A + B + C + D + E]>0

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CHAPTER IV: FRAGMENTATION

Any concentration technique requires the preparation of the ore through crushing,
grinding, classification, and washing. The mechanical preparation of the ore must be adapted
to the dimensions of the constituents of the ore. The operations are very expensive, they must
therefore to be efficient. To recover the useful mineral, it is necessary to bring the elements of the ore to
being sufficiently free from one another: it is comminution. Comminution can be
described as the set of fragmentation operations allowing to free minerals
ore. Comminution will provide grains of useful substance, grains of gangue and
mixed grains. In this area, there is no a priori solution, each case must be
examined based on these characteristics and the desired metallurgical purpose.

I- DEFINITION-CHARACTERISTIC
1- Definition

Fragmentation must lead to the liberation of minerals from the ore. Comminution
facilitates the handling (transport) of the ore and its storage. Crushing is used to
respond to a specific particle size and often concentrate very hard minerals such as
the diamond.

2- Characteristics

the characteristics of crushers

the maximum allowed dimension

à ′ é
the reduction ratio r= à

the maximum tonnage (amount of material processed in a time (one hour))

the energy used (type of energy)

characteristics of grinders

the particle size at the input and output

the maximum acceptable capacity

II- REALIZATION

Fragmentation occurs from contact forces or stress fields. We distinguish:

The compressive forces

Bending forces
Shock forces

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These forces are a function of:

Intrinsic parameters of the material

Of the number and direction of the forces
From the rate of deformation
1- The intrinsic parameters of the material

These are the internal parameters of the material that cannot be changed. They determine the
reaction of the material during deformation. The nature of the materials imposes the type of
deformation. Stress fields or contact forces cause cracks at
the interior of the material aimed at disintegrating the rock. These cracks develop in the
discontinuity zones and in areas of lower resistance. The disintegration is more
fast when the material already contains plants of lower resistance (cleavage, twinning, ...).
The cracks spreading will impose the shape on the disintegrated block. It is noted that the
The obtained shapes are made according to the distribution of cracks in the material.

The energy required to fragment a material

The forces applied to fragment a material are proportional to the stress field.
For a crack to develop until it disintegrates the rock, it is necessary to continue applying force.
who generated it. At the same time, if the crack disintegrates the rock, the additional energy
the contribution is unnecessary. Therefore, it is necessary to find the energy required for fragmentation.

3- The rate of deformation

It conditions the behavior of the material and determines the size of the fragments obtained.
It is said that the deformation rate influences the size of the grains obtained. This rate
corresponds to the speed of crack propagation in the material. This speed will depend on the
type of force put into play.

4- The reduction of the material dimensions

Fragmenting a material means creating many new free surfaces. In

In reality, the reduction of a material is not limited. But here we stop at a so-called dimension.
of the release of the useful substance. The fragmentation operations are carried out in series.
that is to say that some intervene after others until the desired dimension is reached.
Each fragmentation operation has a well-defined reduction ratio. It cannot
reduce beyond this dimension.

After the first mine shots, the blocks are transported to the pre-crushing (cutting).
The large blocks undergo a primary crushing that produces elements whose diameter is
ranging from 12 cm to 25 cm, followed by a second crushing that will provide elements of size
comprise between 4cm and 8cm. A third crushing may occur and will provide elements.
whose size is between 1.5 cm and 2.5 cm.

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If the desired dimension is not achieved, we move on to grinding. We start with a

coarse grinding also called fine crushing which will provide elements of size included
between 3mm and 5mm in diameter. Then, we have the fine grinding which gives elements
with a diameter of less than 500 μm and performing ultrafine grinding that will provide elements of
diameter less than 10μm.

5- Crushing and grinding circuit

To be effective, a fragmentation machine must work on grains of dimensions

quite specific. For example, a grinder cannot directly crush 10cm blocks and
A crusher has no effect on elements of millimeter size. Therefore, it is necessary to find
the devices that are suitable and arranging them well within the processing unit: it is the
optimal comminution scheme.

The diagram consists of several steps. Each step is carried out in open circuit or in
closed circuit.

In open circuit, the elements obtained have reached the desired dimension by a single
crushing in the machine.

In a closed circuit, the grains that do not have the required size are brought back to the machine to undergo
another crash. This fraction is called the circulating load. Its importance is measured.
as a percentage of the diet.

Application exercise

Let there be an ore of 500t. After fragmentation, 450t of material is obtained that has the
required dimension. Determine the circulating load of this fragmentation.

Resolution

500t-450t=50t or 500t corresponds to 100% so 50t corresponds to 10%, therefore the

the circulating charge is 10%.

I- CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING A TECHNOLOGY

Several criteria undermine the choice of a crushing machine. These include:

The size of the largest blocks

Energy consumption
The reduction report
The abrasive character of materials
The sealing character
The maintenance of the machine
The cost of purchasing and installing the machine

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The pollution caused by crushing

One criterion is not enough to make a choice. All criteria need to be cross-referenced and the decision made.
best possible choice.

II- COARSE FRAGMENTATION: CRUSHING

The entire crushing operations aim to reduce the metric blocks down to the order
centimeter. It can be done several times (staged crushing) or just once.
Unique crushing. The course of operations depends on certain parameters:

The flow rate at the supply

The size of the largest blocks
The regularity of the diet

Crushers are classified according to the forces applied during fragmentation. We

distinguish

Pressure crushers

The elements are subjected to pressure until crushing. These are the crushers.
jaw, smooth roll crushers and gyratory crushers.

The impact crushers

The elements are fragmented by shock against each other or against the walls of the enclosure. We have the
cascade and hammer crushers.

Bending crushers

Here the forces used are bending forces. We force the material to twist to the
break. We have grooved and toothed roll crushers.

In a crushing workshop, the following elements can be found: hoppers, conveyors,

screens, a group of energy, crushers.

III- FINE FRAGMENTATION: CRUSHING

After crushing operations, whether or not, we move on to grinding if the desired size is achieved.
is not reached. The grinding provides elements of 3mm to 5mm (coarse grinding),
elements smaller than 100μm (fine grinding) and elements smaller than 10μm. The objective of the
Milling aims to increase the fineness of the product. They are also classified according to the type of force.
put into play.

In a grinding workshop, there are hoppers, conveyors, screens, a group

of energy and grinders.

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CHAPTER V: RANKING BY DIMENSION AND CLASSIFICATION

Screening is an operation that begins at the exit of the ore from the mine. It follows the
fragmentation operations. Screening or classification uses geometric property
elements defined by size and dimension. This is about circulating the elements of a
material on a perforated surface or in a gas. The elements sized smaller than
openings of the holes are separated from the others that remain on the sieve.

I. SUBJECT

Classification comes into play in ore processing at many stages and for various purposes.
different goals.

When the valuable mineral is naturally free (placer), the classification allows for
separate the elements based on their size (the fine fraction and the light fraction).
The classification helps to eliminate fine particles that are often bothersome: the settling.
To be effective, certain concentration processes must be carried out on
elements of precise dimensions. Compliance with these dimensions is ensured by the
classification.
Certain products must meet a specific particle size to be sold better.
ensured by the ranking (the quarry materials).
The classification allows to verify that the fragmentation has been properly carried out.
In feasibility studies, classification helps to determine the size of
release of the useful substance from the ore.
II. REALIZATION

There are 2 ways to proceed:

The direct way

The indirect way.
The direct way

It is based on the difference in size of the grains, which are separated according to whether they
pass through or not through the sieve with well-defined mesh openings. The
sieving or screening applies to grains of medium size greater than 0.5 mm; in
below the results are bad.

2. The indirect way

It is based on the sedimentation speed of grains in a fluid of which we know everything.

the characteristics. The size of the grains is determined by observing the terminal velocity of
fall. This speed is specific to each type of particle moving in a fluid. We
talks about hydraulic classification when the fluid is a liquid (generally water) and of

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pneumatic classification when the fluid is a gas (air). This technique is effective
when the average grain size is less than 1 mm.

In reality, we are talking about classification by dimension when the grain size is greater than 0.5.
and we use the direct route. We talk about classification when the average grain size
is less than 1 mm and we use the indirect route.

III. SCREENING

Screening is an operation that allows for the separation of fragments of a material into 2 or
several parts. To do this, we use a perforated surface or a fluid. We will have two
fractions: one having the required size and the other not.

The main factors involved in screening

The speed of passage of grains smaller than the opening of the sieve, the accuracy
The ranking depends on certain factors. These include:

The width of the openings

The shape of the openings
Moisture
The angle of attack of the grains
The relative size of the attacking grains.
2. Screening surfaces

In industrial screenings, there are 3 categories of screen surface:

Bar grilles (grizzlus): are formed by rigid iron bars welded in

forming regular openings.
Perforated sheets
The woven fabrics.
3. The sieves

A sieve is a machine equipped with regular openings sized to allow the passage of
maximum of grains with a size smaller than this opening. The grains that pass
those who constitute the past and those who remain constitute the refusal. Three types of sieve are distinguished:

Laboratory sieves
The rudimentary sieves
Modern sieves.

Laboratory sieves are used in the laboratory. They are size 28 and are used for projects.
drivers. They are likened to sieves. To carry out the classification, movements are made.
fast in the lateral plane as in the case of simple sieving.

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The rudimentary screens are simple and robust devices that are easy to make, less
dear and providing many services in the artisanal mines of developing countries
development. One can mention grid tables, Chinese cradles,...

Modern screens are large devices used for industrial screening. They are either
mobiles or static.

IV. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SCREENING

The main characteristics are: efficiency and capacity.

On an industrial scale, screening is imperfect. Some grains smaller than

the opening of the mesh is trapped in the rejection. The goal is to let all the grains pass through.
size smaller than the mesh through the sieve. Two sieves with different opening shapes
will not allow the same amount of elements to pass even though it works under the conditions
identical. It is therefore important to compare the screens to find the best one.

1. Screening yield (Rcr) or pass yield (Rpa)

We want to screen an ore or any product. The mesh opening is ɸ . There exists
in this ore, an amount Qi of elements less than ɸ and an amount Qs greater than ɸ .
The goal is to pass all the Qi through ɸ . This is almost impossible on a large scale.
industrial taking into account the large quantity of elements processed. At the end of the operation we
obtains a quantity Qp of elements that have actually passed through ɸ .

The screening yield corresponds to the ratio between the elements that actually passed and
those who should have passed: Rcr = Rpa = Qp/Qi

In practice, this ratio is always less than 1. The screening yield is the
percentage of finished food products that passed through the sieve. It refers to
fine elements all the elements of Qi.

2. The purification yield of the residues or efficiency (e)

Let r be the percentage of fine elements trapped in the waste. We denote QiRthe quantity of elements
fins in refusal and QRthe amount of refusals: r = QiR/QR

Subsequent = 1 - r

In practice, efficiency should tend towards 0.

Application exercise

We want to screen 350t of a material. We have the following fractions:

0mm-8mm 40% of the sample

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12mm-15mm 30% of the sample

The mesh opening of the sieve is 12mm. The passed material weighs 196t after screening.

1- calculate the screening yield Rcr.

2- calculate the purification yield of the rejection r.

Solution

1- Rcr=Qp/Qi with Qp=196t and Qi=70%. 350= 245t or Qi=350-30%. 350

196/245

0.8 = 80%

2- r=QiR/QR with QR=Q-Qp= 350-196=154t and QiR=Qi-Qp=245-196=49t

r=49/154=31.81%

e=1-r AN : e=1OO-31.81

e = 68.19%

3. The sharing curve

It allows to differentiate the screens based on the cumulative rejection curve.

mesh openings.

4. The capacity (C)

The capacity depends on the screening yield, the efficiency, and sometimes the curve of
sharing. The capacity decreases very quickly with the opening of the mesh (ɸ ). The capacity is
the sieved quantity (Q) per h per m2screen surface area (S) and per mm of opening width
of mesh. There are empirical formulas but in a simpler way C=Q/ɸ S

V. THE CLASSIFICATION

It is effective on grains smaller than 1 mm. There is pneumatic classification and the
hydraulic classification.

Pneumatic classification

It takes place in a gas at room temperature. With this method, we can carry out some.
fine cuts and coarse cuts respectively of 1-100 μm and 100-250 μm. The
the maximum capacity is 100t/h but the cut is never perfect. Indeed, several
other forces act in addition to the speed of the fall.

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2. The hydraulic classification

The fluid used is a liquid. Only the gravitational field is used to separate the
grains. The cuts range from 75 to 200 μm.

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CHAPTER VI: THE SEPARATION OR CONCENTRATION OF MINERALS

After the mechanical preparation of the ore, concentration takes place. It is the stage of
the improvement of the ore grade by separating the useful substance from the others
non-useful (gangue). In many cases, it is necessary to concentrate the ore to make it
merchant. But most often, it is the useful substance that is better sold in the form of
concentrate (ingot, bars, ...). We must produce a maximum of concentrate with very little
ore, that is to say that one must remove all the useful substance from the ore.

The concentration or separation of the ore will be possible by taking advantage of the behaviors
among minerals of different natures when they are subjected to external stresses.
Concentration processes use the differences in the properties of minerals of
ore.

I. THE CONCENTRATION PROCESSES

The choice of a concentration process is related to the characteristics and properties.

physical and chemical properties of the mineral elements from the ore extracted from the processing plant
mechanics. This choice is mainly based on:

Nature of the deposit: mineralogy, petrography

Type of deposit: primary or secondary
Granulometry of the treated product: the size of the grains coming out of the PMM
The current cost of the useful substance.

We distinguish several processes.

The gravimetric process

It is a physical process. Its principle is simple. It uses the combined effect of mass,
volume and shape of particles to achieve different trajectories in a medium
static or moving liquid. It is a matter of separating the elements of the ore from their
sedimentation rate. The grains will not have the same falling speed. The grains and
particles constituting the ore have different settling velocities considering the
differences in properties. Theoretically, all elements are of the same size at the end of the
PMM but have different properties such as mass. This process allows for obtaining
concentrates of coal, iron, wolframite, cassiterite, etc. it is also part of
the production of pre-concentrate of fluorspar, barite, and several metallic ores.

As a fluid, we use water because its density is high. But we also use air.
In this process, the equipment typically used is:

For the laboratories: KNELSON concentrator, air and water elutriator, the tables for
shocks, ...

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For pilot equipment: screw classifier, simple spiral, sluice, ...

The limits of this process are reached for ultrathin products.

2. The densimetric process

It is also a physical process. It involves separating the elements based on their density.
This process obeys the law of particle fall in a fluid. The most common case is
the use of the pan or the sluice. The heavy elements settle and the lighter ones are
evacuated with the water.

This process is effective for grains of uniform size equal to 0.2 mm and having a
considerable difference in density. Thus, we concentrate magnetite, galena, pyrite,
barium sulfate, ...

In this process, the equipment commonly used are:

For the laboratories: KNELSON concentrator, air and water elutriator, the tables for
shocks, ...
For pilot equipment: screw classifier, single spiral, sluice, ...

The limits of this process are reached for ultrathin products.

The limits of this process are reached for ultrafine products and when the elements have
of neighboring densities.

3. The flotation

After the PMM, the elements must first be fine to ultrafine. It is used when the
physical processes have reached their limit, that is to say, they are thin to ultra-thin. It is a
a fairly widespread method. It is used for the concentration of metallic ores and
non-metallic minerals, particularly in the case of sulfur ores.

The principle of flotation is based on the physicochemical properties of the surface of

minerals immersed in water. Some will float and others will sink, hence the name flotation.
This technique is versatile and allows for the processing of several complex sulfide ores,
of oxide and even of non-metallic ores.

Thanks to this process, it is possible to concentrate low-grade ores whose treatment does not
would not be profitable through densimetric and gravimetric processes.

It is about using the hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties of solid surfaces. It is the
the ability of an element to get wet. It is also the ability of an element to adhere to.
air bubbles that will act as floats and push the particles to the surface of
liquid. These properties are natural or can be stimulated using added reagents.

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in the water. Among these reagents, we can mention: collectors, frothers, depressants, and
activants, the regulators.

Some sulfides, graphites, and coal float easily. In contrast, carbonates,

silicates of metal oxides float with difficulty. It requires special chemical treatment.
using the reagents mentioned above.

Foaming agents cause the formation of foam by surrounding each bubble

of a fine film;
The activators increase the buoyancy of certain minerals;
The depressants prevent gangue minerals from floating;
The wetting agents increase the hydrophilic property of the elements (gangue);
Poisons prevent the flotation of certain minerals;
Antidotes counteract the effects of poisons.
4. Electric processes

Magnetic separation and electrostatic separation are distinguished. The processes

Electric processes are physical processes.

a. Magnetic separation

It exploits the magnetic properties of materials to separate them. The susceptibility

The magnetic property of an element is its characteristic that determines its behavior in a field.
magnetic. Thus we distinguish:

Ferromagnetic materials: strongly magnetized

Paramagnetic materials: weakly magnetized
Diamagnetic materials: non-magnetized

It operates by dry method or by wet method. The magnetic force of an element depends on a
part of susceptibility and its volume and on the other hand the magnetic separator used for the
deviation or retention. Therefore, there are generally 3 families of separators:

Low-intensity separators: concentrating strongly magnetized elements

High-intensity separators: concentrating weakly magnetized elements
High-gradient separators for processing ultrafine particles.
b. Electrostatic separation

It takes advantage of the difference in electrical conductivity or electrostatic permeability.

that exists between the materials to separate them. The principle is based on the creation of a field
electrostatics by circular plates on which the elements to be separated fall (the
product to be processed). Good conducting minerals charge with electricity and are repelled.
by a plate of the same sign. The impermeable grains are influenced and slide along

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from the electrified surface. This process mainly applies to titanic sands,
ilmenites, ...

5. The particular processes

These are the properties that involve chemical properties.

a. Hydrometallurgical processes

This term refers to all the processes of extracting the useful substance and purification.
metals made in the aqueous phase. The metals are put into solution and recovered by
precipitation. This is how electrolysis is performed. Powerful solvents are used to put
valuable metals in solution: it is the solid-liquid separation technique. This
dissolution is done by heap or vat leaching. Several mines in Côte d'Ivoire use
this process.

b. Pyrometallurgical processes

Here we use fire as a means of concentration. It involves extracting precious metals.

by fusion. It is said that materials are purified. This technique is that of blast furnaces.
It is an old technique. It was used by the first blacksmiths. But technology has
considerably evolved and recovery reaches 95%.

c. Biometallurgical processes

This technique uses microorganisms (bacteria) to highlight metals.

This technique has the advantage of having a low investment and operational cost. It
also allows the processing of complex and low-grade ore. But it is very difficult to
mastering the activity of microbes hence a great risk of contamination and pollution. These
processes tend to disappear.

II. REPORT ON MERGER OPERATIONS

The separation is characterized by parameters. They allow to determine

immediately

Weight yield
Metal yield
The concentration rate

In a concentration workshop, a quantity Mo of ore that has undergone PMM is brought in. The
The ore grade is To. A quantity M1 of concentrate with a grade T1 is produced from it, and a
quantity of sterile M2 with a content of T2. Thus, we have:

Mo = M1 + M2 (1)

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MoTo = M1T1 + M2T2 (2)

In a perfect unit, there should be a concentrate at 100% and a sterile at 0% of substance.

useful.

The recovery rate

Also called metal yield, it is the ratio of the amount of metal recovered in the
concentrated and the amount of metal contained in the run-of-mine. It is generally notedρ and

ρ = M1T1/MoTo

2. The weight yield

Also called weight yield, it is the ratio between the mass of the concentrate and the mass of the whole.
coming. It is generally noted as R and R = M1/Mo.

The processing unit is defined by two independent parameters: the concentration content T1.
and the recovery rate p. Thus R = ρ× To/T1. We will be able to determine the discharge content T2.
This content is very low. One can say that:

The minerals whose useful substance has a high value (gold-platinum-coltan, ...), it is necessary to
strive to achieve better metal yield ρ.
The minerals that have a useful substance of low value (Fe-Cu-Al, ...), it is
It is essential to have a good weight efficiency to reduce transportation costs.
3. The concentration rate

It is generally noted as Rc. The higher the content, the better the coverage.
The recovery factor is expressed as follows: Rc = (T1-T2)/(To-T2). Also, the coverage
is determined as follows: R = T1(To-T2)/To(T1-T2).

GENERAL SCHEMA OF A PROCESSING OPERATION

LEACHING PROCESS IN PILE: general diagram

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PMM: Mechanical Preparationyou

Ore

Leaching

The evolution

Fusion

LABORATORY

PMM: Mechanical Preparation of

Ore

Reduction Agglomerate
of size to avoid
pieces of the phenomena
ore of clogging

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