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Lecture 12 Exercises On Mineral Processing

The document provides examples of material balance calculations for mineral processing circuits. It includes 7 practice problems calculating various parameters like recovery, flow rates, and grades. For example, Problem 1 calculates the copper recovery, mass of concentrate produced, and enrichment ratio for a floatation plant processing ore with given feed, concentrate, and tailings grades. The document demonstrates how to set up and solve material balance equations to analyze mineral processing equipment and circuits.

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138 views

Lecture 12 Exercises On Mineral Processing

The document provides examples of material balance calculations for mineral processing circuits. It includes 7 practice problems calculating various parameters like recovery, flow rates, and grades. For example, Problem 1 calculates the copper recovery, mass of concentrate produced, and enrichment ratio for a floatation plant processing ore with given feed, concentrate, and tailings grades. The document demonstrates how to set up and solve material balance equations to analyze mineral processing equipment and circuits.

Uploaded by

B-I-C
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lecture 12: Exercise on mineral processing

Contents

Problems 1 to 7

A floatation plant treats feed whose grade is . % Cu. The plant produces concentrate and tailings. The
copper grade of concentrate is % and that of tailings is . %. Calculate:

a) Cu recovery in concentrate
b) Fraction of feed in concentrate
c) Enrichment ratio

Let MF mass of feed, MC mass of concentrate and M is mass of tailing, f, c and t are Cu grade in
feed, concentrate and tailing respectively.

Material balance

MF MC M (1)

MF f MC c t M (2)

By 1 and 2 we get
MF
(3)
MC

MC
plant recovery (4)
MF

By 3 and 4 we get.

MF
(5)
MC

Plant recovery is copper recovery and by equation 5 it is . % Ans.

MC
Fraction of feed in concentrate . Ans
MF

Enrichment ratio .

Problem 2

In the circuit shown below, the dry solids of density Kg/m are fed at the rate of tons⁄hr. The
feed to the cyclone contains % solids by weight. It is found that µm size in the rod mill discharge,
ball mill discharge and cyclone feed is %, %, and % respectively. Determine the volumetric flow
rate of feed (solid+ water) to the cyclone.
Figure12.1: Flow sheet showing flow of materials

Solution: material balance

cyclone feed CF Ball mill feed B Rod mill feed R

CF B (1)

Performing balance on µm size

CF B (2)

Solving equation 1 and 2 we get CF . tons/hr.

Volumetric flow rate of feed (dry) to cyclone . Ans

.
Volumetric flow rate of water . Ans
.

Note is dilution ratio. Density of water ton/m

Problem3

A hydro cyclone produces two products i.e. underflow and overflow from the feed. The overflow is
treated further for concentration of valuable mineral; whereas underflow is recirculated. In a hydro
cyclone a slurry of density Kg⁄m is fed for separation. It produces underflow of slurry density
Kg⁄m and overflow of slurry density Kg⁄m . Determine mass flow rate of feed to cyclone,
when 3 liter sample of underflow takes 4s. Density of dry solid is Kg⁄m . Calculate % solids in
feed, underflow and overflow by the following equation

Solution

% solids equation 6 of lecture 11


% solids in feed . %

% solids in underflow . %

% solids in overflow . %

Dilution ratio of feed, under flow and overflow can be calculated by equation 10 of lecture11. These
dilution ratios arc 4.42, 1.97 and 21.97 respectively.

Mass flow rate of underflow F ρ %solid in UF

Where is volumetric flow rate m ⁄hr.

Mass flow rate of underflow kg⁄hr.

Water balance on the cyclone gives MF kg⁄hr Ans.

Problem 4:

Analyze the following circuit and determine unknowns

Figure 12.2Flow sheet for materials flow

Solution:

Apply material balance and get the answer

Flow rate of concentrate t⁄hr and tailing t⁄hr.

Problem5: Do yourself
In a hydro cyclone a slurry containing % solid is fed for separation of course and fines. The underflow
has % solids and the overflow has % solids. If the feed enters at tons⁄hr in the hydro cyclone,
calculate the tonnage of solid⁄hr in underflow. Answer . ⁄

Problem6: Do yourself

A plant treats 210 tonnes of material in a shift of metal grade % and tailing has metal grade . %.
Calculate mass of concentrate and tailing. Answer ⁄

Problem7

A floatation circuit consists of rougher‐cleaner circuit to concentrate PbS

The grade of PbS in feed is % and is delivered qt t/h. The grade of cleaner tailing is %. The
cleaner tailings are recycled to rougher and circulating load is 0.25 (recycle/ fresh feed). The recovery
and grade in the concentrate is % and % respectively. Calculate the flow rates and grade of the
respective streams.

Solution

Figure12.3: Floatation circuit to show arrangement of rougher and cleaner along with inputs and
outputs.

Solution:

Material balance at steady state of rougher

m mC (1)

Cleaner total mass balance


mC mC C (2)

m is mass of rougher tailing in t⁄hr, mC is mass of rougher concentrate, mC C mass of cleaner


concentrate.

Rougher PbS balance

. . m t mC C (3)

t and C is PbS grade in rougher tailing and cleaner concentrate respectively.

Cleaner PbS balance

mC c mC C CC . (4)

CC is PbS grade in cleaner concentrate

P
Recovery
P

C C .
.

mC C . Tons⁄hr.

mC . Tons⁄hr.

m . Tons⁄hr.

By equations 3 and 4 we can determine

. %
.
. %

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