Sizing and Screening
Influences Mineral Processing
Higher Surface to Volume ratio faster rate of reaction
Sphere and flat plate (Min., Max.)
Liberation Size (Mesh)
Stylised X Section through a cube of ore
6% Valuables
94% gangue
Rectangle is divided in to 100 squares
14 Partly liberated 86 clean gangue
Even over grind 100:1 cannot be liberated completely
Screening and Factor Affecting
“Direct sizing process”
Over sized and under sized
Particle shape
Size of screen openings
Relative size of Particles and openings
Ingle of incidence of particle on screens
Percentage of screen Area openings
Friction of the sieve
Moisture Content
Soluble salts
Spreading feed over Screen Area
Blinding of screen opening
Corrosion of Screen Material
Rate of feed, Thickness of layer and tautness of screen
Motion given to particles by screen vibration
Laboratory Sizing
Purposes:
1. To check the quality of comminution
2. To find the extent of liberated values from gangue
3. To assist some specific examination of ore constituent
Can be carried down to about 40 microns.
Routine tests generally finish at about 70 microns
• Apertures (meshes) Screen
• Both dry and wet
• Hand screening and Mechanical Shaker
Hand Screening
• When mechanical appliances are not available
• Nest of screens (not more than three) are used
• Coarsest above and the finest below Bottom tight fitting
pan
• Closely fit to prevent dust losses
• Examination for displaced wire, rupture etc.
• Brush to unblind the appertures
• Saple of 200 gm or one particle deep usually 4 particles
deep
• Shaken and jarred gently
• Rotation, half minute, 60° round the rim
• Time of sieving, violence - Nature of material
Mechanical Shaker
• Frame work of mechanical device.
• Up to six standard screens in the nest
• Vertical reciprocation by rotating and tapping mption
• Control on screen time – automatic timer
• Varied amplitude of vibrating stroke
Variety of Sieves
• Material: Sheet metal with round or square holes
• Generally from rodes or wires welded or woven for
square holes – mesh
• No. of apertures (holes) per unit length (Inch or cm)
• Different countries – Varied thickness
• Standards: Tyler and ASTM (American Standard Testing
of Materials) in USA, BS (British Standard) and IMM
(Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, London) in UK,
AFNOR in France, DIN in Germany, ISA in India etc.
• Differences: Mesh Number, wire gauge and width of
aperture, screening area
Sub – Sieve Sizing
-70 Microns
Methods: Microscopic Reveal – Exact size
Other methods: Sedimentation
Elutriation Sort out equal Settling
Particles
Infrasizing
Centrifuging
Sub sizing is some what incorrect. Since shapa
and specific gravity of the particles aare the
main factors affecting the settling velocity
Industrial screening
• Large, strong, to bear the weight of material
• Mechanical support for – Passage of particles
Oversize away
Purposes:
• To retain oversize/Prevent from feeding to m/c
• Separate undersize for crushing the oversize
• Separation in specified sizes
• Preparation of correctly sized feed
Industrial Screens
Flat Screens
Inclined
Opportunities to particle to fall through aperture
• Length of screen
• Slope of screen
• Amplitude of vibration
• Frequency of vibration
• Depth of particle bed (5-6 particles)
Major problem: Blinding caused by wedging
Roller Screens
Drying equipment
Light loading of screens
Occasional severe jolting
Mechanical cleaning with brush
Special type of vibrators
Rubber balls bouncing on screen
Screening efficiency
Measure of the effectiveness of the screening operation
% of recovery of the true undersize material in the undersize product
E = 10000 U/uF
Where
U = tonnage passing through the screen for each F tonne of the feed
u = % of undersize in the feed as deermined by the test screening
Usually 60 – 80%.
Adversely affected by
• Increased rate of feed
Favoured by • Increased % of near mesh grains
Increased % of screen • Increased thickness of bed due
opening to poor presentation of particles
Smoothness and frredom • Increased moisture in the feed
from pitting • Lack of response of screening
Suitability of aperture shape surface to vibrating impulses
Increased transfer time
Precautions for efficient operation
• Good tension on screen
• Slope of the screen
• The combined effect of vibration speed and amplitude
• Moisture content
• Distribution of vibrating stroke over the whole area
• Double decked machines
• Feed delivery on width
• Gentleness and wear
• Liquid solid ratio : 2:1
• Gentle flushing and uniformity
• Convenience of maintenance and replacement