Advances in Ore Processing Technologies: Crushing, Milling and Separation

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2022) | Viewed by 13637

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail
Guest Editor
Departament d’Enginyeria Minera, Industrial i TIC, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Av. Bases de Manresa, 08242 Manresa, Spain
Interests: mineral processing; comminution; modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departament d’Enginyeria Minera, Industrial i TIC (EMIT), Escola Politècnica Superior d'Enginyeria de Manresa (EPSEM), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Av. Bases de Manresa 61–63, 08242 Manresa, Spain
Interests: mineral processing; gravity concentration; ore treatment; waste recycling; construction and demolition waste; jigging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advances in the mineral processing steps are constant. Crushing develops more efficient particle breaking, avoiding fine particles, and optimizing energy consumption. The liberation step is the grinding process and consumes most of the energy in a mineral processing plant. The liberation size gets smaller every day, and the milling operation must be constantly optimized. Energy saving remains a minor area of improvement.

Gravity separation is in constant adaptation for future problems. New technologies improve fine concentration, especially using centrifugal forces. Magnetic and electrostatic separations have a small scope of application, but they are more relevant for the future in mineral processing. Metal recovery in the mining industry is a real problem for future industry development. Froth flotation, especially micro-flotation, will be increasingly studied to concentrate on the fine particles generated during liberation. This Special Issue aims to bring together relevant publications in the field of mineral processing.

Prof. Dr. Josep Oliva
Prof. Dr. Carlos Hoffmann Sampaio
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • crushing
  • grinding
  • liberation
  • gravity concentration
  • magnetic separation
  • electrostatic separation
  • froth flotation
  • modelling
  • advanced control
  • artificial intelligence
  • optimization
  • energy saving

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

12 pages, 6301 KiB  
Article
Cathodic Protection System of the Spiral Classifier at the KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. Ore Concentration Plant—Case Study of Commissioning and Control of Operating Parameters
by Marcin Czekajlo and Krzysztof Zakowski
Minerals 2022, 12(9), 1132; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12091132 - 6 Sep 2022
Viewed by 1955
Abstract
The project involved designing, constructing and commissioning a cathodic protection system for a selected spiral classifier operating at the KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. Ore Concentration Plant (O/ZWR). The authors developed a concept and assumptions regarding the corrosion protection of a large industrial device [...] Read more.
The project involved designing, constructing and commissioning a cathodic protection system for a selected spiral classifier operating at the KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. Ore Concentration Plant (O/ZWR). The authors developed a concept and assumptions regarding the corrosion protection of a large industrial device using a cathodic protection system with an external power source. Pre-project studies included conducting a trial polarization of one of the 28 classifiers operating at O/ZWR. The obtained results enabled the determination of the protective current demand required and the selection of a target polarization device, ensuring the flow of current with an intensity that guarantees that the required corrosion protection level will be achieved. The ultimately installed cathodic protection system consisted of an external cathodic protection current source with maximum output parameters of 50V/20A, a power supply system and a polarization anode system. Elements for monitoring corrosion occurring during system operation were installed, which employed reference electrodes of zinc (Zn) and silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) to measure the potential of the structure under cathodic protection. Furthermore, resistive corrosion sensors were installed to measure the steel corrosion rate under polarization conditions, making it possible to assess the effectiveness of the protection. The system will also be equipped with a prototype system for remote monitoring of the operation of the protection system, enabling online observation and analysis of settings and temporary indicators influencing the ongoing corrosion processes. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3958 KiB  
Article
A Comparison of the Fine-Grinding Performance between Cylpebs and Ceramic Balls in the Wet Tumbling Mill
by Ningning Liao, Caibin Wu, Jianjuan Li, Xin Fang, Yong Li, Zhongxiang Zhang and Wenhang Yin
Minerals 2022, 12(8), 1007; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12081007 - 11 Aug 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2546 | Correction
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of grinding media on the fine-grinding performance in the wet tumbling mill. Comparative experiments between cylpebs and ceramic balls were conducted in a laboratory wet ball mill under various conditions, such as different total masses, total surface areas, [...] Read more.
This study investigated the effect of grinding media on the fine-grinding performance in the wet tumbling mill. Comparative experiments between cylpebs and ceramic balls were conducted in a laboratory wet ball mill under various conditions, such as different total masses, total surface areas, and total numbers. The results indicated that ceramic balls produce a slightly smaller instantaneous breakage rate than cylpebs due to their small bulk density at the same charge volume. However, a larger instantaneous breakage rate can be obtained by ceramic balls with the same total mass due to the larger surface area. According to experiments related to the total surface area and total number of ceramic balls, it was found that the fine grinding of ceramic balls also needs to meet a certain break force, which is mainly determined by the diameter of the ceramic balls. Moreover, two models were developed to use ceramic balls instead of cylpebs as fine-grinding media in the wet tumbling mill based on the ball size and the ratio of the total mass of cylpebs. Cylpebs can be replaced by ceramic balls with 1.16–1.75 times the diameter of cylpebs, taking up only 76%–83% of the total weight of cylpebs. When the charge volume of cylpebs is between 20% and 35% in the wet ball mill, cylpebs can be replaced by ceramic balls of the same single mass, with the total weight of the ceramic balls being only 74%–77% of that of the cylpebs. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3173 KiB  
Article
Production of High-Quality Coarse Recycled Aggregates through a Two-Stage Jigging Process
by Viviane L. S. Gschwenter, Rejane M. C. Tubino, Weslei M. Ambrós, Gerson L. Miltzarek, Carlos Hoffmann Sampaio, Josep Oliva Moncunill, Bogdan Grigore Cazacliu and Denise C. C. Dal Molin
Minerals 2022, 12(5), 532; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12050532 - 25 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2403
Abstract
The use of recycled aggregates (RA) to replace natural aggregates (NA) in new concrete production has been pointed out as one of the main strategies to close the loop of construction materials. However, producing RA with properties similar to those of NA has [...] Read more.
The use of recycled aggregates (RA) to replace natural aggregates (NA) in new concrete production has been pointed out as one of the main strategies to close the loop of construction materials. However, producing RA with properties similar to those of NA has been challenging, since current recycling methods struggle to remove contaminants like ceramics and mortar, whose presence impairs RA properties. In this study, a processing route consisting of a two-stage separation in hydraulic jig was tested, aiming to produce RA from a representative sample of Brazilian construction and demolition waste. All material streams generated in the tests were characterized in terms of composition, size distribution, density, shape index, and water absorption. The results indicated the possibility to produce a high-quality RA, containing more than 99.5% mass of concrete, with adequate properties to replace NA in new concrete production. Also, a conventional RA with suitable properties for downcycling uses (for example, base and sub-base material) could be obtained as a co-product. Finally, the results showed it was possible to recover more than 75% of the original concrete in Construction and Demolition Waste CDW, avoiding its disposal as waste. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 3147 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Efficiency of Using Mechanized Processing Techniques to Recover Tin and Tantalum in Gatsibo, Eastern Province, Rwanda
by Juliette Confiance Kabatesi, Jules Uwizeyimana, Digne Edmond Rwabuhungu Rwatangabo and Jei-Pil Wang
Minerals 2022, 12(3), 315; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12030315 - 1 Mar 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2784
Abstract
Rwanda is known to be among the top producers of tin and tantalum, despite having low recovery and grades. This study was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of using mechanized methods to increase the recovery rate and grades of tin and tantalum [...] Read more.
Rwanda is known to be among the top producers of tin and tantalum, despite having low recovery and grades. This study was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of using mechanized methods to increase the recovery rate and grades of tin and tantalum mined in Gatsibo, Eastern Province, Rwanda, since the general separation techniques used are artisanal. The minerals in those mines include cassiterite (SnO2) and colombite–tantalite ((Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)2O5), with impurities such as Al2O3, Fe2O3, MnO, MgO, Cao, Na2O, K2O, TiO2, and P2O5. A combination of gravity separation techniques, including shaking tables and magnetic separation, were used as the mechanized processing techniques. The results were compared to the results obtained by artisanal processing techniques. The proposed mechanized techniques were found to increase the efficiency of tin and tantalum recovery from 60.75% to 81.85% and from 22.9% to 48.57%, respectively, and the grades of the tin and tantalum increased to 63.75% and 35.7%, respectively. Based on these results, the proposed mechanized processing techniques and the recycling of waste from artisanal processing techniques are highly recommended. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

6 pages, 1851 KiB  
Correction
Correction: Liao et al. A Comparison of the Fine-Grinding Performance between Cylpebs and Ceramic Balls in the Wet Tumbling Mill. Minerals 2022, 12, 1007
by Ningning Liao, Caibin Wu, Jianjuan Li, Xin Fang, Yong Li, Zhongxiang Zhang and Wenhang Yin
Minerals 2024, 14(1), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14010105 - 18 Jan 2024
Viewed by 946
Abstract
In the original publication [...] Full article
Show Figures

Figure 5

14 pages, 2012 KiB  
Case Report
Ore Processing Technologies Applied to Industrial Waste Decontamination: A Case Study
by Hernan Anticoi, Josep Oliva Moncunill, Carlos Hoffman Sampaio, Rubén Pérez-Álvarez and Beatriz Malagón-Picón
Minerals 2022, 12(6), 695; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12060695 - 30 May 2022
Viewed by 1602
Abstract
The correct management of industrial waste, as well as being an environmental obligation, can also be used as an opportunity to reduce costs in terms of energy and raw material consumption. A large amount of waste sand is generated in foundries with a [...] Read more.
The correct management of industrial waste, as well as being an environmental obligation, can also be used as an opportunity to reduce costs in terms of energy and raw material consumption. A large amount of waste sand is generated in foundries with a high content of pollutants adhering to its surface structure. In this study, the material utilized consists of a silicic sand that comes from a casting process, with a thin layer of fixed carbon on the surface of the particles. The objective is to remove this contaminant, in order to have clean sands for use in alternative processes, such as in glass raw material, green concrete, or in the recirculation of these in the same process. The mechanical action that is best for eliminating surface attached contaminants is abrasion. In this regard, two specific devices, commonly used in ore processing operations, were utilized to apply energy in a material in order to reach abrasion by attrition, but with different kinetic approaches: stirring in a slurry media and using a light milling, in both cases reducing the grinding media in order to avoid material fracture. The test performance evaluation is mainly focused on the decontamination efficiency, the sand mass recovery ratio, and the energy consumption. The results show that in all cases, liberation is reachable in different levels at different residence times. We were able to decrease the LOI content from 4% to less than 1%, combined with a near 85% recovery rate of clean sand in the case of stirring. In the case of light milling, the results are even better: the final product reached near 0.5% of LOI content, despite mass flow recovery potentially being less than 80%. Finally, we discuss whether energy consumption is the factor which decides the best alternative. The energy consumed ratio when comparing light milling with stirring is near 9:1, which is a significant amount when taking into account the importance of reducing energy consumption in today’s industry due to its economic and environmental impact. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop