Water Only Cyclone
A hydrocyclone utilizes centrifugal and drag forces to separate materials based on differences in physical properties such as size, density, and shape. For a particle system that contains a mixture of two different-density materials, the separation between two components can be achieved by concentrating the mixture into dense and light fractions. In classifying hydrocyclone separations, […]
Heavy Mineral Processing
Heavy mineral process circuits combine a number of process machinery used in different steps of desliming, classification, separation, beneficiation, enrichment, and dewatering of the desired products. The right choice of equipment has an impact on the technical and economical feasibility of today’s and future projects. Not only the capital investment and operational costs but also […]
How to Improve Ball Mill Grinding
Functional performance analysis of ball milling has been described previously by Mclvor. “Coarse” versus “fine” or product particle cut-off size is first selected, usually equal to some benchmark passing size of the circuit product (e.g., 80%). The function of the grinding circuit is to generate new product size material (or “fines”) from “coarse” particles in […]
Reduce Copper Loading on Carbon during Gold Adsorption
Copper mineralogy contributes a significant load of metals to the carbon adsorption circuit. Copper as [Cu(CN)2-] impedes adsorption of [Au(CN)2-]. If in high relative concentration, [Cu(CN)2-] loads faster than [Au(CN)2 ]; occluding adsorption space otherwise occupied by [Au(CN)2], Copper as [Cu(CN)3²-] and/or [Cu(CN)4³-] is weakly adsorbed onto activated carbon. Conversion of copper to the higher coordination […]
Reduce Kaolin Clay Viscosity
Here, the effects of different dispersion methods on improving the rheology of kaolin slurries are studied. The efficacy of desliming the kaolin slurry on reducing the viscosity of the kaolin crude is also investigated and the results are presented. Finally, the mechanism for the improvements in viscosity with the use of these dispersion methods is […]
Remove Mercury during Gold Leaching
The gold ores that are currently being processed contain mercury which is not only hazardous to the environment, but also causes serious occupational health and economic problems during gold processing. Some of the mercury present in the ore is dissolved during cyanidation of gold. As the separation of mercury cyanide from gold cyanide is difficult, […]
Temperature Affects Copper and Cyanide Adsorption
Different parts of the world in which mineral separation by flotation is practiced experience vastly different natural temperatures, and in some districts there is a big difference between summer and winter temperatures. It will be shown in this paper that the temperature is of considerable importance where it is desired to separate pyrite or arsenopyrite […]
Mill Tailings Sampling Method
Our approach is to let the variability in the samples dictate how many samples should be collected and analyzed, and then to quantify and defend the results by means of standard statistical methods. This approach is illustrated in Figures 1 through 4, in which a distribution of acid-base accounting (ABA) values is shown for increasing […]
How to Calculate Grinding Mill Operating Efficiency
In grinding, operating Efficiency compares the operating work index of a comminution machine to the Bond work index from bench scale crushing and grindability tests or/and pilot plant tests. Economic Efficiency is comparing the income from production to the planned income from production. Energy as consumed in comminution machines and the required energy as determined, […]
Placer Prospecting
Placer Prospecting Practice Prospecting methods have been developed and well established within the last few years. Sinking pits and shafts generally gives good results, but this work is usually expensive and generally slow and troublesome, owing to the presence of water in most placer ground or to the necessity of timbering the shafts. With the […]