Advanced Mineral Flotation Technique, Optimization & Process Improvement

Day 1

Session One

1. Mineralogy / Minerals Classification

2. Fundamental Principles of flotation and Flotation Circuits

3. Metallurgical operations

• Explain the principles of operation and control of flotation circuits.

• Apply this knowledge to flotation plant operations

• Explain Flotation Flowsheet

• Explain and discuss Process mass balance

• Explain the Metallurgical accounting in a flotation process plant

• Metallurgical key performance indicators :

  • Milling (Power, Grind, density, cyclone, throughput, )

  • Flotation (Grade, Recovery, Mass pull)

• Tailings disposal

• industrial minerals such as potash and phosphates.

• PGM and

• Base metal in generals

The selected process examples and case study (1) will cover a wide range of physicochemical conditions under which the froth flotation process is employed around the world.

Session Two-  Engineering of Flotation 1

1. Lab testing and Pilot Plant

• Milling Curve , Grin Optimisation

• Reagent scouting rougher test, Rougher / cleaner rate test

• Locked cycle test and Variability test program

1.  –  The Engineering of Flotation 2-Plant Design

• Mineralogy and metallurgical Test work

• Flow sheet development and Mass Balancing

• Cell selection and Ancillary equipment

• Flotation Cells Sizing & Design Information

Session three – Flotation Circuit Operation

In recent years the mineral processing industry has downsized its labor force, installed new technology with larger equipment and incorporated plant wide automation, all in an effort to improve productivity and performance while maintaining operating cost at a minimum. As a consequence of these actions the operator is now required to make more and better informed decisions. To meet the educational needs at the concentrator operation level, the facilitator has developed a Flotation Circuit unit operations Program

A partial list of topics covered in this session  include:

• Mechanical Flotation Cells,

• Column Flotation Cells,

• Conditioners,

• Regrind Mills,

• Cyclones and Auxiliary Equipment.

• Fine grind milling

• Flowsheet with fine grind in circuit (Isamill, VertiMill, Stirred Mill, etc..)

Session Four- Flotation Case Studies:  Oxide minerals Flotation and design problem solving

Case study 1 – Flotation Cell Selection Example

Case study 2: Iron Concentrators Plant (Utah, USA)

Case study 3:  Copper Concentrator (Ankara, Turkey)

DAY 2

Session One –Flotation Plants World Wide

• Trends

• Milling Circuits

• Ultrafine Grinding

• New Technologies

Flotation Cells Sizing and Process Design

1. 1. Flotation cells Sizing

   2. Dart Valve Sizing

   3. Blower Sizing

   4. Motor and Mechanism Sizing

Case study 4 : Gold flotation Concentrator plant:  Flotation Plant Design and sizing (Siberia in Russia)

Session Two – Case studies

1. Sulphide and oxide flotation case studies

Case Study 5: Katanga Copper Mining Concentrator (Kolwezi, DRC)

Copper Sulfides / Oxides separation

• Circuit configuration

• Reagent and Flotation Chemistry

• CPS

1. Case study 6: PGM flotation (South Africa)

• Circuit configuration

• Reagent and Flotation Chemistry

• Optimisation (Fine Grind with IsaMill online )

Session Three: Flotation Plant Optimisation

1. Flotation Plant Optimisation Process

   • Round-table “brainstorming

   • Collation of data surrounding the existing flowsheet.

   • Review the feed types and overall implications for processing

   • Critical techno-economic assessment of possible changes to process flowsheets or operating conditions

     • Process flowsheet definition

     • Metallurgical accounting

     • Calculation of process inputs  and Component mass-balancing

     • Simulation modelling

     • Potential technical viability and Estimated product yields and qualities

     • Estimated equipment capital costs, operating costs and economic viability

     • Mineralogical considerations that may impact upon processing

     • Environmental compliance baseline, potential recycles and consideration of locality.

Session Four : Process Control and Optimisation of flotation circuits

Case Studies: Example of How to Identify and Solve Problems in a Flotation Plant

1. Case Study 7 : Oxide/Sulphide  Copper Mining Concentrator Plant (DRC)

• The Oxide/Sulphide Copper mine (Introduction of the operation)

• Data Acquisition

• Problem Definition

• Solution Development and Testing

• The Down-the-Bank Survey

• Estimated Mineral Assays from Elemental Data

1. Case study 8: PGM Concentrator Plant flotation optimisation (South Africa)

• Solid Balance and Water Balance Calculation by Surveying

• Calculation of Mineral Recoveries

• Calculation of Recovery-Size Data

• Interpretation of Recovery-Size Curves

• Addition of Liberation Data to Recovery-Size Data

• The Role of Surface and Solution Analyses for Organic and Inorganic Species

• Inclusion of Froth Recovery in Surveys

• Process Analysis with Down-the-Bank Flotation Data

• Use of Summary Graphs with Limits Imposed by Liberation

• Chemical Measurements During Plant Surveys

• Chemical Measurements During Plant Surveys

• Analysis and Interpretation of Survey Chemical Data

1. Further case studies to discuss …