Mineral Processing Exam 2017 Model Answers

Overflow
Secondary
1 a) Crusher
Primary
Screen
Crusher
Feed
Recycle
Screen underflow
/ Mill feed
b)
Feed Crusher Recycle Screen Overflow Underflow Crusher Product

product Feed
+1 cm 900 540 X 540+X (540+X)*0.8 (540+X)*0.2 (540+X)*0.8*0.5
-1 cm 100 460 Y 460+Y (460+Y)*0.25 (460+Y)*0.75 (460+Y)*0.25+
(540+X)*0.8*0.5
As the crusher product is the recycle:
X = (540+X)*0.8*0.5
Y = (460+Y)*0.25 + (540+X)*0.8*0.5
X = 540*0.8*0.5/(1-0.8*0.5) = 360 t/hr
Y = (460+Y)*0.25+360 = 475 / 0.75 = 633.33 t/hr
Feed Crusher Recycle Screen Overflow Underflow

product Feed
+1 cm 900 540 360 900 720 180
-1 cm 100 460 633.33 1093.33 273.3333 820
Percentage passing 1 cm in mill feed (screen underflow) is 82%
c) Total volumetric rate of solids is 1000/SGsolid = 357.14 m3/hr
Total volumetric rate = 357.14/0.35 = 1020.4 m3/hr
Therefore total water rate = 1020.4 * (1-0.35) = 663.26 m3/hr
d) As apertures get larger so will the cut size. The circulating load in the crushing circuit will decrease
as a greater fraction of the material passed on the screen will leave the circuit in the underflow.
e) P = 1000 * 10 *(sqrt(100/120)-sqrt(100/9000)) = 8074 kW

2 a)
Feed rate 1500 Feed Copper 15

Feed grade 1
Cell 1 Cell 2 Cell 3 Cell 4

Concentrate Grade 25 20 15 12
Solids flow rate 10 8 6 5
Concentrate Copper Rate 2.5 1.6 0.9 0.6
Cumulative total 10 18 24 29
Cumulative copper 2.5 4.1 5 5.6
Cumulative Grade 25 22.78 20.83 19.31

Cumulative Recovery 16.66 27.33 33.33 37.33
b)
c) Grade will decrease and recovery increase.
d) Concentrate mass rate from rougher will increase and grade will decrease. The cleaner grade and
recovery will decrease. Circulating load will go up. Overall circuit recovery will increase, but grade
will decrease.
e) M is mass rate of solid is t/hr. Q is volumetric rate of water.
1200 = M/SGsolid +Q
(M + Q) / 1200 = SGslurry
Combine to eliminate Q:
(1200 + M * (1-1/SGsolid) = SGslurry * 1200

Solve for M:
M = 1200 *(SGslurry-1)/(1-1/SGsolid)
Given SGslurry = 1.6 and SG solid = 2.6
M = 1170 t/hr
f)
Nickel Grade
Feed 1.0
Concentrate 10.0
Pulp Zone 0.6
Well mixed means pulp and tailings grade are the same.
Mass flow rates of Feed, Concentrate and Tails (F, C, T)
Overall Mass Balance:
F=C+T
Nickel Mass Balance
0.01 F = 0.1 C + 0.006 T
F is known. Combine equations to eliminate T:
0.01 F = 0.1 C + 0.006 (F – C)
C = F * (0.01 – 0.006) / (0.1 – 0.006)
Concentrate Flow Rate = 49.70 t/hr
Recovery = C *0.1 / (F * 0.01)
Recovery = 42.55 %
Question 3
a)
Feed Underflow
Cyclone Cyclone
1 2
150 0 0 0
105 35 84 62
74 58 70 69
53 61 36 45
0 46 10 24
Sum of masses Cumulative Size Distribution

Cyclone Size
Feed Cyclone 1 2 Feed Cyclone 1 Cyclone 2
200 200 200 150 1 1 1
165 116 138 105 0.825 0.58 0.69
107 46 69 74 0.535 0.23 0.345
46 10 24 53 0.23 0.05 0.12
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
b)
Mass Flows Partition Numbers

Cyclone Cyclone Cyclone
Representative Size Feed Cyclone 1 2 1 2
125.5 3.5 3.36 2.48 0.96 0.708571
88.1 5.8 2.8 2.76 0.482759 0.475862
62.6 6.1 1.44 1.8 0.236066 0.295082
26.5 4.6 0.4 0.96 0.086957 0.208696
c) Cyclone one is the preferred cyclone as the partition curve is sharper (steeper) and it has a smaller
bypass ratio.
d) The bypass ratio and the water recovery are closely linked. The bypass ratio of the 2nd cyclone is
higher than that of the first and therefore it probably has the highest water recovery.
e)
Mass Rate in
overflow
Cyclone Cyclone
1 2
125.5 0.14 1.02
88.1 3 3.04
62.6 4.66 4.3
26.5 4.2 3.64
Cumulative Size
Sum of Mass Rates Distribution
Cyclone Cyclone Cyclone Cyclone
1 2 1 2
150 12 12 1 1
105 11.86 10.98 0.988333 0.915
74 8.86 7.94 0.738333 0.661667
53 4.2 3.64 0.35 0.303333
0 0 0 0 0
Question 4
a) Heap leaching preferred for oxide material as their flotation response is typically quite bad,
but have good leach response.
Preferred option for low grade material as it eliminates the need for milling – most costs
associated with electro winning.
b) Base metal mines often have a weather oxide region that can be leached with the main
sulphide portion of the ore body being milled and floated. Low grade regions that would
have been deemed waste could also be leached. If there is a smelter and acid plant on sight,
it can generate acid for the leaching.
c) Consider a full leach cycle – 14 months = 365*14/12 days = 425.83 days
Total mass of ore in one cycle = 425.83*60 000 = 25 550 000 tons
Volume of ore = 25 550 000 / 2.4 =10 645 833 m3
Volume of heap = 10 645 833 / (1-0.2) = 13 307 291 m3
Area of heap = 13 307 291 * 1.15 / 15 = 10 200 000 m2 = 1.02 km2
d) Basis of 1 hr:
Ore into heap = 60000/24 = 2500 t/hr
Cu into heap = 2500 * 0.007 = 17.5 t/hr
Cu out of heap = 8000 * (1.8-0.2) = 12.8 t/hr
Recovery = 12.8/17.5 = 73%
e) Copper out of heap = copper into organic phase
If Q is the volumetric organic rate
12.8 = Q * (6-1)/1000
Q = 2560 m3/hr
f)
12
10
Copper in Organic Phase (kg/m3)
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
Copper in Aqueous Phase (kg/m3)
3 stages required
g) Total copper extracted = 12.8 t/hr
60% recovered and copper concentration exiting of 30 kg/m3 means that it enters at 30/0.6 = 50
kg/m3
If Q is the volumetric electrolyte rate
Q * (50-30)/1000 = 12.8
Q = 640 m3/hr

Mineral Processing Exam 2017 Model Answers

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Overflow

Feed Crusher Recycle Screen Overflow Underflow Crusher Product

As the crusher product is the recycle:

X = 540*0.8*0.5/(1-0.8*0.5) = 360 t/hr

Y = (460+Y)*0.25+360 = 475 / 0.75 = 633.33 t/hr

Feed Crusher Recycle Screen Overflow Underflow

Percentage passing 1 cm in mill feed (screen underflow) is 82%

c) Total volumetric rate of solids is 1000/SGsolid = 357.14 m3/hr

Total volumetric rate = 357.14/0.35 = 1020.4 m3/hr

Therefore total water rate = 1020.4 * (1-0.35) = 663.26 m3/hr

e) P = 1000 * 10 *(sqrt(100/120)-sqrt(100/9000)) = 8074 kW

Feed rate 1500 Feed Copper 15

Cell 1 Cell 2 Cell 3 Cell 4

Cumulative Grade 25 22.78 20.83 19.31

c) Grade will decrease and recovery increase.

e) M is mass rate of solid is t/hr. Q is volumetric rate of water.

(1200 + M * (1-1/SGsolid) = SGslurry * 1200

Given SGslurry = 1.6 and SG solid = 2.6

Mass flow rates of Feed, Concentrate and Tails (F, C, T)

Overall Mass Balance:

Nickel Mass Balance

0.01 F = 0.1 C + 0.006 T

F is known. Combine equations to eliminate T:

0.01 F = 0.1 C + 0.006 (F – C)

C = F * (0.01 – 0.006) / (0.1 – 0.006)

Concentrate Flow Rate = 49.70 t/hr

Recovery = C *0.1 / (F * 0.01)

Sum of masses Cumulative Size Distribution

Mass Flows Partition Numbers

c) Consider a full leach cycle – 14 months = 365*14/12 days = 425.83 days

Volume of ore = 25 550 000 / 2.4 =10 645 833 m3

Volume of heap = 10 645 833 / (1-0.2) = 13 307 291 m3

Area of heap = 13 307 291 * 1.15 / 15 = 10 200 000 m2 = 1.02 km2

Ore into heap = 60000/24 = 2500 t/hr

Cu into heap = 2500 * 0.007 = 17.5 t/hr

Cu out of heap = 8000 * (1.8-0.2) = 12.8 t/hr

Recovery = 12.8/17.5 = 73%

e) Copper out of heap = copper into organic phase

If Q is the volumetric organic rate

g) Total copper extracted = 12.8 t/hr

If Q is the volumetric electrolyte rate

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X = 5400.80.5/(1-0.8*0.5) = 360 t/hr

Recovery = C 0.1 / (F 0.01)