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Minerals
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Process Mineralogy, Plant Practice and Developments in Mineral Processing
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Process Mineralogy, Plant Practice and Developments in Mineral Processing

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 (15 June 2023) | Viewed by 14410

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Laurindo De Salles Leal Filho

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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Transport Phenomena and Chemistry of Interfaces, Department of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-060, Brazil
Interests: fundamentals and practice of mineral processing
Prof. Dr. Homero Delboni Júnior

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Guest Editor
Department of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-060, Brazil
Interests: practice of mineral processing; comminution and sizing
Prof. Dr. Arthur Pinto Chaves

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Escola Politécnica, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-060, Brazil
Interests: mining engineering; clean technology; mineral processing; ore dressing; froth flotation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to gather contributions from those who have developed sound solutions for problems posed by the industry, making use of practical approaches such as process mineralogy, enhanced sampling, data analysis and modelling, and mine-to-mill integrated solutions, as well as improvements in plant performance via new reagents, equipment, instrumentation, and/or control. The approach to many specific problems in mineral processing commonly starts in the laboratory and is primarily governed by fundamental physical and chemical laws whose effect is reasonably predicted when applied to relatively pure minerals studied under ideal conditions. Although such an approach has promoted considerable progress in our understanding of mechanisms and even provoked insights which may have led to innovations, a strong empiricism supports mineral processing conducted on an industrial scale. In fact, practitioners work with plants that usually process hundreds of tons per hour of ores, using recycled water instead of pure water, making use of the statistical appraisal of routine sampling information to manage daily process control and continuously adjusting process variables to adapt the operating equipment to variations in mass pull, ore texture, and composition. Those professionals certainly have relevant experience on how to deal with revenant problems frequently found around the world. Because the Guest Editors of this Special Issue firmly believe that the synergism between ideal and real approaches plays a pivotal role in the expansion of knowledge, both researchers and practitioners are highly encouraged to share their experience with the mineral processing community on how to approach and solve practical problems posed by the mineral industry.

Prof. Dr. Laurindo De Salles Leal Filho
Prof. Dr. Homero Delboni Júnior
Prof. Dr. Arthur Pinto Chaves
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

  • process mineralogy
  • plant practice
  • comminution
  • sizing
  • minerals separation
  • sampling

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 6787 KiB  
Article
EDEM and FLUENT Parameter Finding and Verification Study of Thickener Based on Genetic Neural Network
by Jinxia Zhang, Zhenjia Chang, Fusheng Niu, Hongmei Zhang, Ziheng Bu, Kailu Zheng and Xianyun Ma
Minerals 2023, 13(7), 840; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13070840 - 22 Jun 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1906
Abstract
To improve the concentration performance of the concentrator in the iron ore beneficiation process for iron ore tailings, a coupled simulation analysis of the concentration process was conducted using the discrete element software EDEM (Engineering Discrete Element Method) and the finite element FLUENT [...] Read more.
To improve the concentration performance of the concentrator in the iron ore beneficiation process for iron ore tailings, a coupled simulation analysis of the concentration process was conducted using the discrete element software EDEM (Engineering Discrete Element Method) and the finite element FLUENT software. The volume concentration at the bottom flow outlet of the concentrator was used as the evaluation index. The scraper rotation speed, feed rate, and feed concentration were considered as parameters. Response surface experiments were designed using the Box-Behnken module in Design Expert11 software, and numerical simulations were performed to obtain data. Based on the numerical simulation results, a prediction model was established using the backpropagation neural network (backpropagation neural network, BP-NN) and combined with the genetic algorithm (genetic algorithm, GA) for parameter optimization of the thickener’s concentration conditions. The results showed that with a scraper rotation speed of 9.7677 rpm, feed rate of 0.2037 m/s, and feed concentration of 6.5268%, the maximum outlet volume concentration reached approximately 62.00%. The predicted optimal working conditions were validated through physical tests and numerical simulations. The average outlet volume concentration in the physical tests was 60.712% (n = 10) (“n” is the number of experiments), with an error of only 2.077% compared to the predicted value. The middle outlet volume concentration in the numerical simulation experiments was 59.951% (n = 10), with an error of only 3.304% from the expected value. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using a genetic neural network for optimizing the EDEM–FLUENT simulation parameters of the thickener, providing valuable insights for the matching optimization of the thickener’s process parameters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Mineralogy, Plant Practice and Developments in Mineral Processing)
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13 pages, 26567 KiB  
Article
A Collector Promoter for Apatite Flotation in the Serra do Salitre Complex
by Franciele Vanessa de Lima, Gabriela Budemberg, Santiago Henrique Cruz and André Soares Braga
Minerals 2023, 13(5), 599; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13050599 - 26 Apr 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2600
Abstract
The concern about enhancing the productivity of Salitre phosphate mines has led to an extensive research and development program on new reagents, aimed at the sustainable processing of the ore, with greater production of phosphate concentrate and, consequently, less waste disposal in the [...] Read more.
The concern about enhancing the productivity of Salitre phosphate mines has led to an extensive research and development program on new reagents, aimed at the sustainable processing of the ore, with greater production of phosphate concentrate and, consequently, less waste disposal in the tailings dam. Flotation is the most widely applied technique for processing of phosphate rocks, using mainly fatty acids and their salts as collectors. In partnership with BASF Mining Solutions, a new collector system was developed based on soy oil fatty acid (SOFA) and BASF’s co-collector Lupromin® FP A 1210 Base (L.1210, a mix of synthetic surfactants). The laboratory scale flotation results showed that most effective performance was achieved with a ratio SOFA:L.1210 of 70:30, while in the industrial application the ideal proportion was 90:10. This difference in reagent ratio is directly related to the surface tension of the bulk, making the apatite more or less hydrophobic, directly affecting the flotation performance. These proportions were tested by comparing different reagent conditions and pH, while contact angle and surface tension studies provided a theoretical framework to indicate a more effective collector adsorption, allowing for further process optimization. Applying 10% of L.1210 on an industrial scale, a more stable industrial process was observed to the oscillations of the processing plant, corroborating that by using the collector promoter there is a significant performance increase in this circuit of the Serra do Salitre Complex, which increased, on an industrial scale, at least 7.1% in P2O5 recovery and reduced 12.5% of the collector dosage compared to the use of only fatty acid. In this study, it was possible to identify two main process conditions to further optimize the current reagent system applied in industrial scale: pH 9.5 with the mixture SOFA/L.1210 90/10 (θ = 75.8°); and pH 7.5 with SOFA/L.1210 70/30 (θ = 76.8°). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Mineralogy, Plant Practice and Developments in Mineral Processing)
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12 pages, 3878 KiB  
Article
Study on Partial Replacement of Metal Grinding Ball with Pebbles When Grinding Itabirite Ores
by Júlia Guimarães Sanches, Mauricio Guimarães Bergerman, Homero Delboni, Jr. and Neymayer Lima
Minerals 2023, 13(4), 512; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13040512 - 4 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2102
Abstract
Grinding iron ores in conventional ball mills involve a considerably high consumption of metallic media, resulting in high operating costs. In the case of compact itabirites, the high silica content increases such consumption, potentially exceeding the costs associated with electric power consumption in [...] Read more.
Grinding iron ores in conventional ball mills involve a considerably high consumption of metallic media, resulting in high operating costs. In the case of compact itabirites, the high silica content increases such consumption, potentially exceeding the costs associated with electric power consumption in industrial operations. This paper presents research conducted to assess the use of compact itabirite samples obtained from an industrial crushing plant as grinding media to assist conventional ball grinding in the same installation. In this case, the mill charge included both coarse ore fragments and steel balls. Two ore samples were characterized, and bench-scale grinding tests were carried out in laboratory mills 30 and 58 cm in diameter. The results indicated that coarse compact itabirite ore (pebbles) can be used as grinding media. Grinding tests have shown that replacing 25% of the steel balls with pebbles offered promising results. Their use as mixed grinding media results in a relatively minor increase in power consumption and low pebble wear. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Mineralogy, Plant Practice and Developments in Mineral Processing)
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19 pages, 4146 KiB  
Article
Process Mineralogy of Li-Enriched Pegmatite Combining Laboratory Mineral Separations and SEM-Based Automated Image Analysis
by Marco Timich, Renato Contessotto and Carina Ulsen
Minerals 2023, 13(3), 343; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13030343 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3358
Abstract
Brazil has 95 million tons of Li reserves in the form of pegmatites but produces less than 1% of the global output. Historically Li production in Brazil has been low due to governmental restrictions aimed at controlling the exploitation and trade of Li [...] Read more.
Brazil has 95 million tons of Li reserves in the form of pegmatites but produces less than 1% of the global output. Historically Li production in Brazil has been low due to governmental restrictions aimed at controlling the exploitation and trade of Li in Brazil. However, as of 2022, these restrictions were revoked. The abundance of untapped pegmatite ores in Brazil complements the soaring demand for Li in energy-storage applications. This study performs process mineralogy studies on 10 samples collected from a Li pegmatite deposit in the southeastern region of Minas Gerais in Brazil. The samples were characterized by combining density separation and SEM-based automated mineralogy processing system allied with XRF, ICP OES, XRD, and LA–ICPMS. The latter was used to determine Li content in micas which allowed determining the Li deportment between Li-bearing minerals. The results show that the samples contain such Li-bearing minerals as muscovite (0.5 wt% Li2O) and lepidolite (3.1 wt% Li2O), in addition to spodumene (8.0 wt% Li2O). According to the characterization of the spodumene concentrate (d = 3.11) by density separation (at d = 2.95), two main trends were observed: (a) low Li deportment in the sink product (approximately 44% wt%) and higher Li2O grade (approximately 6.5 wt%), and (b) higher Li deportment in the sink product (58%) and lower Li2O content (approximately 4.9 wt%). The first trend is associated with higher modal content of mica since it carries Li to the light product. Lower Li grade is related to the presence of Fe-bearing minerals (e.g., epidote and amphibole) as they report to the dense product and do not contain Li. Spodumene has a high degree of liberation in all samples; therefore, it did not influence the deportment results. The findings highlight the benefit of combining scanning electron microscopy-based automated mineralogy with LA–ICPMS and other techniques from process mineralogy studies in mineral processing. In addition to the mineralogy and liberation characteristics, identifying Li-bearing minerals and determining Li deportment is crucial. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Mineralogy, Plant Practice and Developments in Mineral Processing)
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15 pages, 3385 KiB  
Article
Imputation of Gold Recovery Data from Low Grade Gold Ore Using Artificial Neural Network
by Fabrizzio Rodrigues Costa, Cleyton de Carvalho Carneiro and Carina Ulsen
Minerals 2023, 13(3), 340; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13030340 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3000
Abstract
In a multivariate database, the missing data can be obtained through several imputation techniques, which are particularly useful for data that are difficult to obtain, for any reason, or have high uncertainties or scarce variables. A Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) neural network is an [...] Read more.
In a multivariate database, the missing data can be obtained through several imputation techniques, which are particularly useful for data that are difficult to obtain, for any reason, or have high uncertainties or scarce variables. A Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) neural network is an effective tool for the analysis of multidimensional data applied for the imputation of data. In this paper, data from drilling were used for training, testing, and validation using the variables: total Au recovery (%), which means gold recovery from a gravity concentration plus hydrometallurgical process, Au (g/t), As (ppm), S (%), Al2O3 (%), CaO (%), K2O (%), and MgO (%). After training, the partial omission of Au content and recovery was carried out, from 10% to 50%, to evaluate the data imputation performance for those variables. The results imputed by the SOM were compared with the original data values and evaluated according to descriptive statistics; the results indicated a determination coefficient of 85% when 50% of the data were omitted and 93% when 10% of the data were omitted. Once demonstrated, the correlation between the original data and SOM imputation analysis can help geologists and metallurgists to obtain results with a high degree of reliability of metallurgical recovery through related chemical variables, making it possible to implement SOM analysis as a powerful tool to input analytical data. One of the practical applications of the proposed model is to produce a pattern of imputed data that can be a good alternative in the construction or generation of a synthetic geometallurgical database with missing data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Mineralogy, Plant Practice and Developments in Mineral Processing)
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