This course provides a programme of study in mineral processing. It shows how physical and physico – chemical differences between minerals can be used to effect the separation and recovery of valuable minerals.
The specific objectives of this course are to:
Give the students the general aspects of the art and mineral processing technology.
Enable the students to understand the various processes which are employed in preparation and beneficiation of rocks and ore minerals.
Make the students to judge between the different minerals processing flow sheets in order to be able to design a mineral flow sheet.
Work effectively as part of team by conductivity lab. Tests in group.
To develop an appreciation of the importance of comminution and comminution processes in mineral processing.
To impress on the student the significance of screening and classification on the efficiency of mineral recovery.
To illustrate how physical differences in minerals can be exploited to effect separations.
The student will be able to understand all unit operations in any mineral or rock preparation and/or concentration.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course (ILOs)
a- Knowledge and Understanding:
a1 - Understand Comminution principals.
a2 - Analyze factors affecting on Comminution.
a3 - Design Crushing and Grinding Circuits.
a4 - Contrast Comminution Laws, Crushers, Grinding Mills.
a5 - Understand the Classification processes and Particle Size Analysis, industrial screening.
b- Intellectual Skills:
b1 - Describe the most important principles and functions of Crushing and Grinding.
b2- Explain the importance of comminution Laws, Crushers, Grinding Mills and factors affecting on.
c- Professional and Practical Skills:
c1- Perform experiments to optimize the parameters affecting Classification process.
c2- Calculate approximate dimensions for specific Crusher and Mill units.
c3- Perform experiments to optimize the parameters affecting Physical Concentrating processes.
d- General and Transferable Skills:
d1- Be independent.
d2- Assess materials requirements for engineering applications.
d3- Manage time and produce work to meet deadlines.
d4- Work with limited and contradictory data.
COURSE ASSESSMENT
Course work: 40% ( 2 tests; 4 quizzes; 2 assignments)
Final Examination: 60%
To pass the course the student must achieve a pass mark (40%) in both course work and final exam.
RECOMMENDED TEXTS
WILLS B.A. ‘Mineral Processing Technology’ Pergamon Press 2nd Ed. 1981
WEISS N.L. SME Mineral Processing Handbook Vol 1 SME NY 1985.
KRISHNAMOORTHY K.K. ` Modern Ore Testing` Khanna Publishers, 1983.
VIJAYENDRA H.G.` Handbook on Mineral Dressing` Vikas Publishing House PVT LTD, 1995.
ABOUZEID A. –Z. M. `Mineral Processing Laboratory Manual` Trans Tech Publications, 1990.
CONTENTS
Introduction.
General aspects of comminution.
Liberation.
Particle size analysis.
Comminution laws.
Crushers.
Grinding mills.
Industrial screening.
Crushing-grinding- screening circuits.
Movements of solids in fluids.
Classification.
Classifiers.
Hydrocyclones.
Gravity concentration process.
Heavy media separation.
Pneumatic concentration.
Magnetic separation.
Electrostatic and high tension separation.
Concentration circuits.
STUDYING PROGRAMME
Hours 1 – 12
Introduction.
General aspects of comminution.
Liberation.
Comminution laws.
Crushers.
Grinding mills.
Quizz 1
Hours 13 – 24
Industrial screening.
Crushing-grinding- screening circuits.
Movements of solids in fluids.
Classification.
Classifiers.
Hydrocyclones.
Quizz 2
Particle size analysis.
Test 1
Hours 25 – 42
Gravity concentration process.
Heavy media separation.
Pneumatic concentration.
Quizz 3
Magnetic separation.
Electrostatic and high tension separation.
Quizz 4
Concentration circuits.
Test 2
WEEK 15: REVISION AND END OF TERM EXAMINATIONS
Introduction
Metals are found in the crust of the Earth in form of minerals, which are chemical compounds, sulphides, oxides, carbonates, etc.
The minerals are usually embedded into rocky material (gangue), such a mixture is called an ore.
Ores can be: monometallic or polymetallic (complex).
The main objective of mineral processing is to concentrate the valuable minerals and to reject the unwanted or gangue minerals.
Mineral concentration requires particles in which the mineral species are free from each other. For this, crushing and grinding steps are performed before the actual concentration is done.
However, overgrinding is unwanted because it increases costs and may reduce the efficiency of the selection mechanisms of concentration.
Liberation studies are aimed at determining the amount of a mineral of interest that is in particles composed of mostly that mineral (liberated) and in particles with various other proportions of the mineral of interest.
Liberation
The content or concentration of valuable metals or minerals in the ores varies from several p.p.m. (e.g. native gold) up to 50…60%. So that, the major part of the mined ore is represented by “worthless” gangue.
The selective separation of the valuable minerals from the gangue is possible if only the minerals are released from the rocky matrix, i. e. liberated.
Scope of the comminution consisting two or three- stage crushing and two-stage grinding is the complete liberation of minerals in order to their successful separation.
Crushing is done in jaw, cone, roll, hammer or impact crushers in open or closed circuit. Generally crushing is the dry process.
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