Profound News on Gravity Concentration

Jun 4, 2012 by Jack Chan

Gravity Concentration, one of the oldest mineral beneficiation processes, has evolved over the decades and continues to play an important role in modern mineral processing operations with sand maker. Gravity concentration, where applicable and effective, has the lowest installed and operating costs when compared with other beneficiation technologies. It also tends to have the lowest environmental impact as gravity concentration does not require the use of chemicals and reagents. Hence, with the recent increases in energy, capital and operating costs as well as environmental concerns, gravity is often one of the first processes evaluated for new flowsheets.

In the case of gold and other precious metals, modern gravity concentration equipment such as Raymond mill can easily generate saleable concentrates and provide quick cash flow at a relatively small capital cost. Gravity concentration has been used throughout the ages to separate minerals, with many of the historic methods still used to the current day. With the advent of froth flotation process during the last century the significance of gravity concentration in ‘modern’ mineral processing plants was diminished.

Finally, gravity concentration provides the versatility for treating a wide particle size range. Using pre-concentration as an example, devices such as jigs and spirals can be used for coarser particle size classes while proven enhanced gravity concentrators can be used for scavenging fine particles. Modern centrifugal concentrators are routinely effective down to 20 microns. Good performance to below 10 Microns has been demonstrated in some cases.

Met-Solve Laboratories has developed not only an expertise in testing gravity concentration equipment, but it has developed advanced testing procedures to take advantage of the modern centrifugal gravity equipment. Gravity recovery of gold from within grinding circuits has become common in many operations around the world. Effective gravity concentration effort is a function of numerous factors including the quantity and size distribution of the Gravity-Recoverable-Gold (GRG) present, downstream processes, water balance and gravity section operating costs. This paper describes test work protocols, mathematical modeling techniques and the practical considerations that lead to the ‘right’ gravity circuit being installed in a given grinding circuit. The right gravity concentration effort is that which produces the best economic outcome for the operator.vibrating screen:http://www.hxjq-crusher.com/40.html
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In many situations a large portion of the valuable mineral can at least be pre-concentrated effectively by economical and environmentally acceptable gravity systems. The amount of reagents and energy used can be reduced considerably when the more costly methods are limited to the treatment of a gravity concen­trate. Gravity separation of minerals at coarser sizes, as soon as liberation is achieved, can boast significant advantages for down stream treatment stages due to decreased surface area, more effi­cient dewatering, and the absence of chemical coatings that can interfere with further processing.

More recently gravity concentration has been reassessed due to the increasing costs of flotation chemicals, the relative simplic­ity of gravity processes, and the fact that they create significantly less environmental pol­lution. Because gravity separation does not require the use of chemicals, the technique offers significant advantages over many other methods of mineral concentration in meeting environmental requirements.

 

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