thE COPPERBELT UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF MINES AND MINERAL SCIENCES

MINING ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Course: MT 221/ MT 321/ DMT 311

Test Two _ Solutions

Question One [20 marks]

a) Define the following terms. [3 marks]
(i) Material Stratification
 ANS: Material stratification is a process that involves the flow of undersize particles through
spaces created by oversize particles onto a screen surface, thus, largely influenced by the
concentration of fine particles in a particular feed material.

(ii) Wet Screening

 ANS: Wet screening is typically material separation in the presence of a liquid either on coarse
or fine particles.

(iii) Material Grading

 ANS: Material Grading is a process of generating distinct size fractions of particles using one
or more screen decks in decreasing aperture sizes.

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 b) Why is dry screening generally limited to the separation of particles larger than 6 mm?
 ANS: Because of the fact, that many dry screening applications are rarely dry, with typical
processes having a minimum of about 3 % moisture.
[2 marks]

c) With the help of an illustration shown in figure 1.0, derive an equation that can be used to
establish the separation efficiency of a screen on the underflow stream.

ANS:
The efficiency is expressed as the weight of the undersize actually obtained, as a percentage of
the weight of the true undersize actually in the feed:
𝑼𝒖 𝒖(𝒇 − 𝒐)
𝑬= × 𝟏𝟎𝟎% = × 𝟏𝟎𝟎% … … … … … … … … … . 𝒆𝒒𝒏. 𝟏
𝑬𝒇 𝒇(𝒖 − 𝒐)

Where: f = % true undersize in feed, u = % true undersize in the undersize and o = % true
undersize in oversize

If we may assume that all the material in the undersize fraction is true undersize material,
then u = 100 % and the equation reduce to:

𝑼𝒖 𝟏𝟎𝟎(𝒇 − 𝒐)
𝑬= × 𝟏𝟎𝟎% = × 𝟏𝟎𝟎% … … … … … … … … … … . 𝒆𝒒𝒏. 𝟐
𝑬𝒇 𝒇(𝟏𝟎𝟎 − 𝒐)

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 d) Give atleast three reasons why linear motion is preferred over elliptical and or circular
motion during particle size separation on a horizontal or near horizontal screen surface. [3
marks]
ANS:
i. Linear motion has a significant tendency of dislodging and transferring material across
the screen surface.
ii. Linear motion is by far better than circular and elliptical motions as it produces high
screening efficiencies with reduced aperture pegging
iii. Linear motion screens demand less headroom compared to elliptical and or circular
motion screens; hence, reduced installation costs.

e) Screening is a method of sizing crushed or ground ore by shaking them on suitable

separating surface. List atleast three purposes of this process in mineral processing
industry.
ANS:

i. Grading: to generate distinct size fractions of particles using one or more screen decks in
decreasing aperture sizes.
ii. Sizing: Separation of particles of a particular feed into different fractions by size.

iii. De-sliming: Separation of very fine particles from the ore material.
iv. Trash removal: Removal of unwanted particles from ore material i.e. wood particles,
tramp metals etc.
v. Medium recovery: Medium recovery is a process in which heavy media particles i.e.
magnetite and ferrosilicon are separated from cyclone products on a drain and rinse-
vibrating screen for re-use.

vi. Scalping: Removal of coarse particles from the feed material usually using grizzly
screens prior to primary crushing. This ensures that coarse products do not proceed to
the next stage in a closed circuit.
vii. Dewatering: this is a process usually applied in the removal of excess water enthralled
with the particles, thus improving the pulp densities of materials going to the downstream
processes.

(NOTE: ANY THREE)

(f) A vibrating screen is fed with a slurry of iron (specific gravity 5.2 t/m3) at a relative density
of 1.73 kg/L. The screen overflow and underflow has a pulp density of 1.51 kg/L and
1.89 kg/L respectively. A 3.1 m3 sample of underflow was taken in 5.3 seconds. Calculate
the separation efficiency of the screen on the underflow stream. [6 marks]
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 Question Two [20 marks]

a) Define the following terms. [3 marks]

(i) Classification

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  ANS: Classification is a method of separating mixtures of minerals into two products on
the basis of the velocity with which the grains fall through a fluid medium.

(ii) Sharpness of separation

𝑬𝟕𝟓 −𝑬𝟐𝟓
 ANS: It is defined mathematically as 𝝏= 𝑬𝟕𝟓 −𝑬𝟐𝟓
 It is how efficient classification is due to (difference between actual and ideal curve)

(iii) Cut size

 ANS: The cut size of the cyclone is defined as the size for which 50 % of the particles in
the feed report to the underflow and 50 % to overflow i.e. particles of this size have an
equal chance of going either with the overflow or with underflow.

b) With the help of a suitable diagram, explain the principle operation of a hydrocyclone. [4
marks]

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 c) Imagine that you are running a hydrocyclone section and you observe that the overflow
is finer, and the underflow is more dilute than expected. Outline the measures that can be
put in place to alleviate this problem. [3 marks]
ANS:
i. Allow solid/liquid ratio in the feed pulp to increase
ii. Reduce apex opening (spigot diameter).
iii. Increase the diameter of the vortex finder

d) By drawing a simple separation efficiency curve, show on the graph how you can
determine the sharpness of separation, water bypass and cut size. [3 marks]
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 ANS:

ANS (repeatation in case of visibility):

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 Sharpness of separation,

𝑬𝟕𝟓 − 𝑬𝟐𝟓
𝝏=
𝑬𝟕𝟓 − 𝑬𝟐𝟓

 It is how efficient classification is due to (difference between actual and ideal curve)

Cut size
 It is simply 50%
 The particle size, which can report either to the overflow or to underflow

Water bypass:
 It is where a curve cuts the y-axis.
 It represent/or entails the amount of water from the feed reporting to the overflow.

NOTE: The label of the curve is “Actual curve” and y-axis is “% Passing (E)”

e) What are the advantages of using a hydrocyclone in the separation of fine particles?
[3 marks]
ANS:
i. High capacity relative to its size, and
ii. Relative efficiency.
iii. They can also classify over a very wide range of sizes (typically 5-500μm), smaller
diameter units being used for finer classification.

f) What is the influence of slurry viscosity and cyclone pressure on classification

efficiency? [2,2 marks]
ANS:
i. Cyclone pressure affects separation efficiency and water split i.e. the higher the pressure
the finer the separation and the lower the water split.
ii. Slurry viscosity: A steady pressure will indicate a constant feed flow rate because
pressure increases with feed flow rate.

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 Question Three [20 marks]

a) Define the following terms. [3 marks]

ANS:
(i) Briquetting: Briquetting is forming brick like forms from feed and either hot or cold
pressing them to strengthen them.

(ii) Drying: Drying is defined as the expulsion of relatively small amounts of water or other
liquid from solid material to an acceptably low value.

(iii) Poling: Hydrocarbon reduction - removal of oxygen as CO2 (g) and H2O (g) down to
approximately 0.16 % oxygen.

b) What are the advantages of subjecting a sulphide mineral to a pyrometallurgy route for
valuable metal recovery? [2 marks]

i. Sulphide minerals are amenable to pyrometallurgy processes

ii. Pyro-metallurgy offers fast reactions due to elevated temperature, thus, allowing
separation of one element from another.
iii. The other advantage is that it has got ability to extract precious metals such as gold,
silver, platinum etc

c) Outline the importance of sintering prior to smelting a particular concentrate. [2 marks]

ANS 1: To prepare that particular concentrate for extractive metallurgy; in this instance for sintering
and smelting. This is necessary because the feed may be too wet, too fine, or too soft. Example is
electric furnace, smelting of copper concentrates. The concentrates have to be bone dried to avoid the
moisture cracking into H2 and O2 on the very hot and highly reducing live carbon electrodes. This
would result in dangerous explosions.

ANS 2: The sinter product is a lumpy cindery agglomerate, which is later fed to a blast furnace and
should have the following basic properties:
1) Hard and strong to bear the weight of feed on top of it.
2) Porous to allow for gas-solid reactions.
3) Reactive with large surface area.
4) Be oxidic i.e. particular chemical nature.
Naturally, concentrates do not possess these properties. They are reformed in sintering to acquire the
properties.

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 d) Why is Iron, Sulphur and other Impurities slagged off during copper Smelting and
Converting? [2 marks]

ANS:
 Objective is to further remove Fe and S from the matte to produce blister copper of about
97 - 98 % Cu which is sent to fire-refining or electro-refining after casting into blocks.

 To ensure better temperature readings measured mostly by optical pyrometer strategically

sited through the mouth or a two-wavelength optical pyrometer periscope sited through a
tuyere.

 The purpose of the smelting stage is to eliminate as much of the unwanted iron, sulfur
and gangue minerals as possible, while minimizing the loss of copper.

e) Explain the principle operation of an Isasmelt furnace. [4 marks]

ANS:

In the Isasmelt process, a gas or air lance is brought in through the top of a furnace and its
tip submerged in the sulfide concentrate. A blast from the lance produces a turbulent bath in
which the concentrates are oxidized to produce a high-lead slag. This slag is tapped
continuously and transferred to a second furnace, where it is reduced with coal. Crude lead and
slag are tapped continuously from the second furnace and separated for further refining.

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 f) List atleast three problems associated with direct to copper Flash smelting of copper.

ANS:
i. High percentage of copper (CU) in slag which is 14-24 % for direct to blister compared to
1-2 % for conventional smelting.
ii. Because of the high oxidized Cu in slag in the direct-to copper processing, these slags
have to be reduced with Carbon to recover the Copper (which is time consuming )
E.g. in all the three plants i.e. Poland, Zambia and Australia, where it is used, the slag
overflows into an electric furnace where it is settled for about 10 hours under a 0.25 m
blanket of metallurgical coke.
iii. There is a cost of processing needed to recover the Cu lost in slag such that this
processing will be restricted to low Fe concentrate such as chalcocite Cu2S and bornite
Cu5FeS4 rather than high Fe concentrates such as chalcopyrite. [3 marks]

g) Describe the two stages of fire refining process of copper

ANS:
i. By removing most of the remaining iron and sulfur down to approximately. 0.003 % S.
ii. The second stage, often referred to as poling (Hydrocarbon reduction - removal of
oxygen as CO2(g) and H2O(g) down to appx. 0.16 % O.). This is done by blowing
natural gas, or some other reducing agent, through the molten copper oxide. When the
flame burns green, indicating the copper oxidation spectrum, the oxygen has mostly
been burned off. This creates a product at about 99 – 99.5 % Cu with appx. 0.003 % S,
0.16 % O which is then casted into flat, thin anodes suitable for electro-refining. This
process is usually done in a typical vessel like a rotary furnace refining. [4 marks]

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