The Role of Mineral Processing Test in Mineral Washing Process

Mineral resources are relatively abundant in nature and there are many types of minerals. Some minerals contain less useful components and have more complex mineral compositions, requiring a beneficiation process to obtain products with high quality and high content of useful minerals. The mineral processing process plays an important role in the quality and efficiency of mineral processing. The determination of the beneficiation process needs to be based on the results of the beneficiation test, so the beneficiation test plays an important role in gravity separation, flotation, magnetic and electrical separation and comprehensive beneficiation processes.

The following will introduce you to the status and application of mineral beneficiation tests in various mineral processing processes.

1. The Role of Mineral Processing Test in Flotation Process

The flotation separation test is divided into three steps: studying the properties of the ore sample, test content and results, and arrangement and optimization of test process.

(1) Study of ore samples properties: Studying the properties of ore mainly includes ore type, structural characteristics, ore composition and chemical composition analysis of raw ore, etc.

(2) Test content and results: According to the different properties of different ores, from the perspective of improving the grade and quality of the concentrate, rough processing condition tests and stage-grinding and stage-separation tests can be designed.

(3) Arrangement and optimization of test process: Conducting comprehensive tests on ores can determine a reasonable process. Conducting closed-circuit tests on the basis of open circuits can verify the feasibility of mineral processing tests. The recovery rate and concentrate loss rate of the test process are then analyzed to determine whether the beneficiation test was successful.

2. The Role of Mineral Processing Test in the Gravity Separation Process

There are four main steps in the gravity separation test:

study of sample properties, heavy liquid separation test, determination of the upper limit of particle size and result prediction of the gravity separation test, and gravity separation test and results.

(1) Study of sample properties: The raw ore sampled from the mining site needs to be crushed, screened and shrunk to prepare samples. After the raw ore is divided into several samples, the composition, physical and chemical properties of the ore are then studied and analyzed.

(2) Gravity separation test: A certain amount of raw ore is wet screened, and the obtained minerals of each particle size are subjected to a gravity separation test.

(3) Determination of the upper limit of particle size and result prediction of the gravity separation test: for each particle size of the screened product, from coarse to fine, the content of flakes and strips gradually increases. The trend of ore sample gravity separation results can be predicted based on the gravity separation results and particle analysis results. Therefore, gravity separation can discard part of the tailings and select part of the concentrate, and the resulting middlings need to be flotated again.

(4) Gravity separation tests and results: No matter which gravity separation method is applied, in theory, the narrower the range of raw ore selected, the better. In production practice, multiple and narrow granularity levels will lead to a complicated selection process and an increase in the number of equipment. A reasonable and efficient mineral processing process can be formulated based on the results of the mineral processing test.

3. The Role of Mineral Processing Test in Magnetic Separation Process

The magnetic separation test is divided into two steps: study of mineral sample properties and mineral separation test research.

(1) Study of mineral sample properties: mainly determine the mineral composition, analyze mineral phases, and determine the main mineral characteristics.

(2) Ore dressing test research: Determine the magnetic separation process and recovery plan based on the properties and characteristics of the ore sample. The ore sample is subjected to a grinding fineness test, and the appropriate grinding fineness can be selected based on various other factors. The strength of the roughing magnetic field has an impact on the grade and recovery rate of iron concentrate, so it is necessary to determine the strength of the roughing magnetic field. A regrinding test is carried out on the coarse concentrate, the tailings after rough separation are swept, and then the composition of the final tailings is detected and analyzed.

4. The Role of Mineral Processing Test in the Combined Mineral Washing Process

The magnetic separation test is divided into three steps: studying the properties of the mineral sample, determining the test process and determining the recommended process.

(1) Study of mineral samples properties: mainly analyze the mineral composition and relative content in the mineral samples and analyze the main elements. If necessary, spectral analysis can be performed to identify harmful impurities.

(2) Determination of the test process flow: The analysis results of raw ore properties can provide a theoretical basis for the determination of the mineral processing process and sequence.

(3) Determination of the recommended process flow: The properties of raw ore and the results of gravity separation and flotation test studies are important basis for determining the reasonable mineral processing process flow.

Click to get video: Gold Gravity Separation Test

These are the roles and functions of mineral processing tests in different mineral processing processes. Mineral test results can provide a theoretical basis for determining the mineral processing process. In addition, mineral processing tests are the prerequisite for mineral processing in production practice. Therefore, mineral processing test is an important step in the mineral processing process and occupies an important position in the mining and processing projets.