Liberation, Separation, Extraction
MINE 292 - Lecture 3
Liberation, Separation, Extraction
STAGE 1 – Blasting (600-650 mm)
STAGE 2 - Primary Crushing (100-250 mm)
STAGE 3 - Secondary Crushing (12-19 mm)
STAGE 4 – Grinding (100 microns)
STAGE 5 - Separation by size
STAGE 6 - Separation by values
STAGE 7 - Extraction of values
What is an Ore?
• Mineralized rock that can be mined/processed
– At a time (temporal)
– At a place (spatial)
– At a profit (economic)
• Waste rock can become an ore
• Tailings can become an ore
Drilling and Blasting
• Creates a top size suitable for transportation
• Begins the process of Liberation
• Factors
– Drill hole diameter
– Drill hole spacing and pattern
– Explosive type
– Delay system
Drilling and Blasting
Influence of Blasting Practices
S. Morrell and W. Valery, 2001. “Influence of Feed Size on AG/SAG Mill Performance”.
SAG 2001, Vancouver, Canada, pp203-214
S. Morrell, 2003. “The Influence of Feed Size on Autogenous and Semiautogenous
Grinding and the Role of Blasting in its Manipulation”, Proc. 22nd International
Mineral Processing Congress, Eds.: L.Lorenzen and D.J. Bradshaw, p.526-533.
Influence of Blasting Practices
S. Morrell and W. Valery, 2001. “Influence of Feed Size on AG/SAG Mill Performance”.
SAG 2001, Vancouver, Canada, pp203-214
S. Morrell, 2003. “The Influence of Feed Size on Autogenous and Semiautogenous
Grinding and the Role of Blasting in its Manipulation”, Proc. 22nd International
Mineral Processing Congress, Eds.: L.Lorenzen and D.J. Bradshaw, p.526-533.
Influence of Blasting Practices
So, an increased Power Factor of 0.6 kg/m3 yields
250 t of increased production and a decrease in average
grinding energy of 1.4 kWh/t
Bulk Density: 1 m3 of ore = 2.03 t (ore S.G. = 2.9)
Increased explosives use (kg/t) = 0.6 kg / 2.03 t = 0.296 kg/t
Increased cost = 0.296 kg/t x $1.06/kg = $0.313 kg/t
Explosive cost increase = $0.313 x 250 t = $78.33
Decreased energy cost = $0.10/kWh x 1.4 kWh/t x 250 t = $35.0
Total cost increase = $78.33 - $35.00 = $
43.33
Increased ore value = 250 t @ $5.26* / t = $1,315
* 0.4 %Cu = 3.6 kg recoverable Cu / t x $7.3 /kg x 0.2 = $5.26 / t
Order of Comminution Processing
Blasting
Primary Crushing
Secondary Crushing
Grinding
Regrinding
Crushing Machines
Crushing Machines
Jaw Crusher
Gyratory Crusher
Symons Cone Crusher
Cone Crusher Liners
HPGR – high-pressure grinding rolls
High-Pressure Grinding Rolls
Vibrating Screen
Secondary Crushing Plant
Alternate Secondary Crushing Plant Design
Open Circuit Crushing
Grinding Mills
Grinding Mills
Rod Mill – opened up for maintenance
Ball Mill – overflow type
Conical Ball-Mill
Grinding Mills
Bingham Canyon Grinding Mills
Tube Mill
Rod-Mill Overflow Discharge
Rod-Mill End Peripheral Discharge
Rod-Mill Central Peripheral Discharge
SAG Mill: semi-autogenous grinding
Grinding and Cyanide Leaching
Musslewhite Mine, Ontario
Cyclo-Pak – classification hydrocyclones
Spiral and Rake Classifiers
Rake Classifier
Rake Classifier
Spiral Classifiers
Air Cyclone / Particle Recovery
Size Distribution of Soils
Size Distribution Curves
Bimodal Size Distribution
Hydrocyclone
Separator Partition Curves
Stoke’s Law
ABC Grinding Circuit
Bond Work Index Formula
Size Ranges in Separators
Electronic Sorting
Electrostatic Separation
Cross-Belt Magnetic Separator
Drum Magnetic Separator
2-stage Drum Magnetic Separator
Pinched Sluice
Riffles in a Sluice
Humphrey Spiral – iron ore
Particle Distribution in Spiral Trough
Reichert Cone separator
Fluid (pulp) Flow in a Cone Separator
Shaking Table
Statification on a Shaking Table
Gold on a Shaking Table
Jigging - stratification
Centrifugal Concentrator
– the Falcon
Flotation Cell
Flotation Cell Agitator Design
Flotation Cell - Rotors
Separation Circuit
Copper Flotation Circuit
Downstream Processing
• Copper
– Oxide copper treatment
Copper Ores – Concentrating
Simplest Copper Flotation Circuit
Copper Ores – Concentrating
Copper/Gold Flotation Circuit
Copper/Moly Ores – Concentrating
Copper/Moly Flotation Circuit
Copper Ores – Concentrating
Multiple Sulfide Differential Flotation Circuit
Copper Ores – Concentrating
Mixed Oxide/Sulfide Copper Flotation Circuit
Copper Ores – Concentrating
Copper Oxide Processing to final metal
Copper Ores – Concentrating
Copper Oxide Processing - LPF
Copper Ores – Concentrating
T.O.R.C.O. Processing of Copper Ores
Copper – Downstream Processing
Kidd-Creek Smelter flowsheet
Copper Anode Casting Wheel
Zaldivar Copper Heap Leach
Heap Leach Operation
Installing a Plastic Membrane Liner
Thickener - tailings
Thickeners - zones
Marine Tailing Disposal
Thickener – Area Calculation
A 
2 W( F  D )
RS
where
A = thickener area (m2)
W = dry solids mass flow (tph)
F = liquid:solid ratio of feed
D = liquid:solid ratio of discharge
R = settling rate (m/hr)
S = liquid S.G. (kg/L)
Drum Filters
Disk Filter
Pressure Filter - Larox
Rotary Dryers
Rotary Kiln
Mill Control Room
Carlin Mine, Nevada
Questions?