Lecture12:Exerciseonmineralprocessing

Contents
Problems1to7
Afloatationplanttreatsfeedwhosegradeis0.8% Cu.Theplantproducesconcentrateandtailings.The
coppergradeofconcentrateis26%andthatoftailingsis0.16%.Calculate:
a) Curecoveryinconcentrate
b) Fractionoffeedinconcentrate
c) Enrichmentratio
LetMF mass of feed, MC mass of concentrate andMT ismassoftailing,f,candtareCugradein
feed,concentrateandtailingrespectively.
Materialbalance
MF

MC

MF

MT (1)
MC

MT (2)

By1and2weget
MF
MC

(3)

plant recovery

MC
MF

100(4)

By3and4weget.
MF
MC

100(5)

Plantrecoveryiscopperrecoveryandbyequation5itis82.73%Ans.
Fractionoffeedinconcentrate
Enrichment ratio

MC
MF

0.0286Ans

28.9

Problem2
Inthecircuitshownbelow,thedrysolidsofdensity300Kg/m arefedattherateof25 tonshr.The
feedtothecyclonecontains36%solidsbyweight.Itisfoundthat250 msizeintherodmilldischarge,
ballmilldischargeandcyclonefeedis27%, 5%,and14%respectively.Determinethevolumetricflow
rateoffeed(solid+water)tothecyclone.


Figure12.1:Flowsheetshowingflowofmaterials

Solution:materialbalance
Ball mill feed B

cyclone feed CF
CF

Rod mill feed R

25(1)

Performingbalanceon250 msize
CF

14

5B

25

27(2)
61.1 tons/hr.

Solvingequation1and2wegetCF

Volumetricflowrateoffeed(dry)tocyclone
Volumetricflowrateofwater

108.6

20.36

Ans

Ans

Note isdilutionratio.Densityofwater1ton/m
Problem3
Ahydrocycloneproducestwoproductsi.e.underflowandoverflowfromthefeed.Theoverflowis
treatedfurtherforconcentrationofvaluablemineral;whereasunderflowisrecirculated.Inahydro
cycloneaslurryofdensity1140 Kgm isfedforseparation.Itproducesunderflowofslurrydensity
1290 Kgm andoverflowofslurrydensity1030 Kgm .Determinemassflowrateoffeedtocyclone,
when3litersampleofunderflowtakes4s.Densityofdrysolidis3000 Kgm .Calculate%solidsin
feed,underflowandoverflowbythefollowingequation
Solution
% solids

equation6oflecture11

% solids in feed

18.42%

% solids in underflow
% solids in overflow

33.72%
4.37%

Dilutionratiooffeed,underflowandoverflowcanbecalculatedbyequation10oflecture11.These
dilutionratiosarc4.42,1.97and21.97respectively.
Mass flow rate of underflow

%solidinUF
m hr.

Whereisvolumetricflow rate
Massflowrateofunderflow

1172 kghr.

WaterbalanceonthecyclonegivesMF

1336 kghrAns.

Problem4:
Analyzethefollowingcircuitanddetermineunknowns

Figure12.2Flowsheetformaterialsflow

Solution:
Applymaterialbalanceandgettheanswer
Flowrateofconcentrate123 thrandtailing877 thr.
Problem5:Doyourself

Inahydrocycloneaslurrycontaining30%solidisfedforseparationofcourseandfines.Theunderflow
has50%solidsandtheoverflowhas15%solids.Ifthefeedentersat20 tonshrinthehydrocyclone,

calculatethetonnageofsolidhrinunderflow.Answer .

Problem6:Doyourself
Aplanttreats210tonnesofmaterialinashiftofmetalgrade40%andtailinghasmetalgrade0.2%.

Calculatemassofconcentrateandtailing.Answer
Problem7
AfloatationcircuitconsistsofroughercleanercircuittoconcentratePbS
ThegradeofPbS infeedis15%andisdeliveredqt1200t/h.Thegradeofcleanertailingis20%.The
cleanertailingsarerecycledtorougherandcirculatingloadis0.25(recycle/freshfeed).Therecovery
andgradeintheconcentrateis 98%and89%respectively.Calculatetheflowratesandgradeofthe
respectivestreams.
Solution

Figure12.3:Floatationcircuittoshowarrangementofrougherandcleaneralongwithinputsand
outputs.
Solution:
Materialbalanceatsteadystateofrougher
1200

300

mT

mC

Cleanertotalmassbalance

R (1)

mC

mC

300(2)

mT R ismassofroughertailinginthr, mC
concentrate.

R ismassofrougherconcentrate,

RougherPbSbalance
1200

0.15

300

0.2

mT

R tR

mC

R CR (3)

t R andCR is PbSgradeinroughertailingandcleanerconcentraterespectively.
CleanerPbSbalance
mC

R cR

mC C CC

300

0.2(4)

CC isPbSgradeincleanerconcentrate
P S

Recovery
.

C C

mC

100

P S

100
198.6 Tonshr.

mC

498.6 Tonshr.

mT

1001.4 Tonshr.

Byequations3and4wecandetermine
.

. %
%

mC C massofcleaner