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By H. Zhong, S. Wang, Q. Sun

The flotation performance of 2-(benzylthio)-acetohydroxamic acid (BTHA) to diaspore was first evaluated by micro-flotation tests. The adsorption mechanism was further investigated through adsorption experiments, molecular dynamics simulation, zeta potential and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results demonstrated that BTHA had a stronger ability to collect diaspore in comparison with another diaspore collector, benzohydroxamic acid (BHA), especially under the condition of weak alkalinity, the flotation recovery can reach 90%. The more negative interaction energy (ΔE) between BTHA and diaspore from molecular dynamics simulation results revealed that BTHA had an easier adsorption ablity onto diaspore than BHA, which matched with adsorption results. The zeta potential and XPS revealed that Al atoms might bond with -C(=O)NHOH by formation of Al-O bonds. Keywords: Diaspore, flotation; adsorption; 2-(benzylthio)-acetohydroxamic acid

Jan 1, 2020

By M. I. Brittan

Discussion Dr R. E. Robinson (Fellow): The author must be congratulated on a very meticulous and self-contained piece of work. It is indeed a pleasure to read a paper that is so clearly and systematically laid out, and where the conclusions and the testwork conducted have been so clearly described. The paper is complete in itself, which makes it very difficult for someone who is not intimately involved in the whole Torco project to make any comments on its content. However, two points that, strictly speaking, fall outside the scope of the paper are of considerable interest. The first relates to the particle size of the material treated. In the paper, the testwork is confined to one standard particle size (minus 60 plus 100 mesh). The essential feature of the paper is to indicate that the rate-controlling reaction in the whole segregation process is the rate of reaction of the ore particles with the reducing agent and the hydrogen chloride. One wonders, therefore, to what extent this relatively slow rate of reaction is affected by the particle size of the ore itself. One imagines that the reaction must take place by contact of the hydrogen chloride with the surface of the mineral particles, and it is reasonable to suspect that the rate of diffusion of the copper ions to the surface is a relatively slow process and is thus the limiting factor in this particular rate of reaction. It is possible, for example, that the improvement obtained, when the ore is subjected to reducing conditions before the chlorination, is due to a breakdown in the crystal structure of the original particle. This breakdown is brought about by the reduction and by the consequent increase in surface area available for reaction with hydrogen chloride. Can the author indicate whether any work has been done along these lines, and whether it has been established that the reaction depends on the surface area available? The second point relates to the application of this kinetic study to the actual operation of a Torco reactor. It was once planned to feed the sodium chloride, together with the reducing agent, into the top of the segregation chamber. In the paper, the author mentions that it has now been established that the segregation chamber behaves, to all intents and purposes, as a fluidized bed, and that there is, therefore, a rapid evolution of gas in the lower regions of the chamber, which, it is imagined, displaces the gas phase rapidly. Since the reaction between sodium chloride, water vapour, and the aluminium silicates in the ore is extremely rapid, one wonders how much of the hydrogen chloride produced is removed from the reaction zone before it has had time to react with the copper minerals. The extremely low consumption of sodium chloride (which is a vital feature of the Torco process) must depend on an extremely rapid circulation of the hydrogen chloride gas to all the ore particles in the segregation chamber. One wonders, therefore, if a system for the introduction of the sodium chloride into the bottom regions of the chamber might not result in even greater efficiency in the utilization of sodium chloride. ProC D. D. Howat (Fellow): All of us who have been concerned with the study of chemical reactions at high temperatures are keenly interested in kinetics and are well aware that this is not an easy study experimentally. Dr. Brittan is to be congratulated on the development of neat experimental methods and for his full discussion of the results obtained. Although the segregation process for the extraction of copper from oxide and silicate ores has been known for almost fifty years, the fundamental chemical and physical changes involved have been little understood and the fundamental data are very scanty. The work now in progress at A.A.R.L., together with that sponsored by the Anglo American Corporation in other research institutions throughout the world, is bound to produce new fundamental data and a much more complete understanding of this rather fascinating process. It is already apparent that some of the old and well-worn chemical reactions that were postulated to occur, just cannot take place in the way which was formerly accepted. Dr Brittan's work, carefully conducted and thoroughly analyzed as it has been, still leaves us with one great outstanding problem. The thermodynamic data and the possible reactions set out in Table I (page 281) of his paper leave us asking, in complete despair, how can copper be converted into a volatile chloride in the presence of HCl, CO and carbon at temperatures about 800°C? The thermodynamics all combine to show that copper should be reduced to metal as the first step in the process. This brings us right up against the second problem. If copper were reduced to the metal how would HCI convert it to the volatile chloride? On top of these problems is the unknown reason for the very high speed of reaction between CO, HCI and the ground copper ore. Still further into the region of the unknown is the reaction by which gaseous hydrochloric acid is produced in the actual process. Perhaps Dr Brittan is feeling grateful that he doesn't have to try to explain this reaction-at this stage of the research programme at least. The results very clearly show that both CO and HCl gas are essential for rapid production of the volatile copper chloride. Dr Brittan states that 18 minutes were required to attain 83 per cent extraction with HCl gas alone and this was reduced to 4 minutes when CO was

Jan 2, 1970

By J. P. Hugo

Nuclear energy - its interactions with mining and metallurgy - PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS given by J. P. Hugo Pr. Eng., B.Sc (Eng.) (Rand), Ph.D. (Sheffield) Energy is the life blood of the modern technological era in which we live and it was, I think, Benjamin Franklin who said that the manipulation of energy was the basis of all science and technology. This is perhaps an oversimplification, but there can be little doubt that our life today, and the improved standard of living we aspire to, are governed almost entirely by our ability to generate and manipulate energy. This ability has made it possible for Man - each specimen a feeble twentieth of a horsepower - to travel to the moon, to recover valuable minerals from the depths of the earth, to do arithmetic at unbelievable speed, to lessen the drudgery of manual labour. For these and virtually every aspect of our life we are dependent on energy from external sources. It is, therefore, not surprising that the per capita consumption of energy, and more particularly electricity, has become one of the most reliable criteria by which to measure the standard of living and technological advancement of a country.

By B. Nemutudi, X. Zhang, B. McFadzean, P. E. Ngoepe, P. P. Mkhonto, S. Pikinini

The comparison study on adsorption of potassium normal butyl xanthate (PNBX) and sodium (nbutyl) dithiocarbamate (SNBDTC) on sperrylite mineral forms a basis in understanding the floatability improvement and paves a way for the design of collectors that may impact on a wide range of arsenide minerals. This study used a computational density functional theory (DFT) and experimental microcalorimetry approach to determine the adsorption energies of PNBX and SNBDTC collectors onto a sperrylite mineral surface. From a computational aspect, we considered the most stable surface plane of (100) surface, which had been found to give the lowest surface energy, compared to the other surface planes. It was observed that the PNBX and SNBDTC preferred to bridge on the As and Pt atoms through the S atoms. These findings showed that the collector adsorbed on the surface through both Pt and As atoms and indicated that the As atoms were significantly active in the adsorptions. We found that the adsorption energies were in the order: SNBDTC (–278.38 kJ/mol) > PNBX (–270.92 kJ/mol), indicating that the dithiocarbamate had stronger exothermic adsorption than the xanthate. From the microcalorimetry test it was also found that the SNBDTC was more exothermic than the PNBX and the adsorption energies were: SNBDTC (–473.50 kJ/mol) > PNBX (–331.13 kJ/mol). These results showed that the nitrogen atom in the SNBDTC collector had a great influence on the adsorption strength of the collector on the mineral surface. This is due to the electron deposition behaviour of nitrogen atoms compared to the electron withdrawing character of oxygen and as such the SNBDTC showed better collecting ability than the PNBX. These results paved the way for the design of collectors for sperrylite and other arsenide minerals and suggested that nitrogen in a collector may significantly improve the ability of the collector for improved recovery. Keywords: Computational modelling, microcalorimetry, SNBDTC and PNBX collectors, adsorption energies

Jan 1, 2020

By R. J. Davidson, M. V. Nkosi, V. Veronsee

When activated carbon is used for the recovery of gold and silver from Witwatersrand gold-plant solutions, severe fouling of the carbon by calcium carbonate is experienced. Also, difficulty is encountered in the retention of the adsorbed silver on the carbon because it is displaced by gold. The acidification of plant pregnant solutions before they are contacted with carbon was therefore investigated as a means of overcoming these shortcomings. The results from batch laboratory experiments on the effect of pH on gold adsorption from plant solutions and from synthetic solutions of high ionic strength indicated reaction rate optima in the region of pH 5 and below pH I. The effect of pH on the equilibrium capacity constant for gold adsorption onto activated carbon was also studied, using both a plant solution and a synthetic solution of high ionic strength. In the case of the plant solution, the results suggested only a marginal change in carbon capacity for gold in the pH range 12 to 6, with significant increases in capacity at lower pH values. In the case of the synthetic solution of high ionic strength, the capacity constant was found to increase steadily as the pH was lowered from 12 to I. It was also found that the gold adsorption capacity of the carbon was significantly better for the synthetic solution. No precipitation of gold from the pregnant solution (gold content approximately 6 g/t) was noted as the pH was decreased to values as low as ,. However, about 25 per cent of the 0,6 g/t silver content was found to have precipitated when a pH value of 3,0 was attained. Further substantial precipitation of silver took place as the pH was lowered further. The investigation was extended by the passing of suitably acidified gold-plant solutions through one or more columns containing activated carbon. Preliminary results showed that the particle size of the carbon had a significant effect on the rate of gold adsorption. No displacement of adsorbed silver by gold was observed to take place at an influent pH of 5. In a typical continuous 'merry-go-round' operation involving three columns in which gold was eluted from the lead column every 48 hours, effluent values averaging 0,001 g/t gold could be consistently achieved under simulated plant-operating conditions. The results were obtained at relatively high velocities of influent solution, resulting in very little hold-up of gold in the carbon-recovery circuit. More than 99,9 per cent of the gold and more than 99,8 per cent of the silver was recovered in the adsorption circuit, while the elution data indicated an average elution recovery of 99,8 per cent of the adsorbed gold and 98,2 per cent of the adsorbed silver. Elution of the carbon was carried out at 91 QC. This involved pretreatment of the carbon with a sodium cyanide solution, followed by elution with deionized water. At a loading flowrate of 66 bed volumes per hour, the indicated take-up of metals on the carbon in the lead column was as follows; 53 k g/t gold, 6 k g/t silver, 57 k g/t copper, 14 k g/t nickel, and I k g/t zinc. Only a trace of cobalt was adsorbed. At an elution rate of 1,7 bed volumes per hour, the lead column was found to be completely stripped in under 5 hours, with concentrations of gold in the eluate reaching 6 to 7 g/l. Besides the excellent adsorption and elution results obtained when acidified pregnant solution was used, no fouling of the carbon was indicated, and the pressure drop across the three columns was considered to be well within practical limits. When compared with conventional zinc precipitation, the carbon process would appear to have considerable economic merit, with strong indications that significant savings would be possible both in capital and operating costs. Further pilot-plant experiments, preferably on a gold plant, would be required before a meaningful cost comparison could be made with the existing process.

Jan 1, 1979

By D. Amariei, G. Bartolacci

Preconcentration of precious and base metal ore types is becoming more relevant with the discovery, the development and the operation of many lower grade deposits around the world. Ore preconcentration designates an operation consisting of sorting an ore to reduce the quantity of waste material sent to the concentrator. It can be seen as rejecting waste material as much as possible, without compromising the recovery, or as the recovery of as much valuable metal as possible into an optimum mass yield. Benefits of preconcentration are multiple: grinding energy savings, costs reduction, lower environmental footprint, extension of the reserves, etc. However, all of these benefits do not apply simultaneously and are not applicable to each ore type. Technologies employed for preconcentration are highly dependent on ore properties, especially on the particle size at which the gangue is liberated. Thus, from coarser to finer particle sizes, technologies such as screening, ore sorting, gravity separation (Dense Media Separation (DMS) and jigs) and coarse flotation could be used for the rejection of liberated gangue. The difficulty starts when a benchmark is needed to select a suitable technology, especially for low-grade gold deposits. This paper presents the challenges of comparing lab-scale technologies (DMS versus jig) for gold preconcentration. The experimental data will show to what extent comparing two lab-scale gravity technologies for gold preconcentration can be challenging. An attempt to evaluate the energy savings by assessing the hardness of the tailings after gravity separation will also be presented. Keywords: Challenges in gold preconcentration, gravity separation, jig, dense medium separation

Jan 1, 2020

By D. F. Malan, W. J. Theron

Practical mining aspects should be considered when conducting pillar designs for bord-and-pillar layouts. The current methodology for pillar design will result in increasing pillar sizes with depth. This affects the extraction ratio and will result in onerous ventilation requirements when cutting large pillars. A holistic approach, including all mining engineering requirements, is required to ensure that the rock engineering designs are optimized to ensure efficient mining operations and sustainable production. Bord widths should not only be a function of the rock mass ratings, but should also be selected to fit the specifications of the mechanized equipment. The use of a ‘squat pillar’ formula for hard rock is discussed in the paper and the formula based on the exponents of the Hedley and Grant pillar formula, is explored. The effect of abutments and geological losses on average pillar stress is also explored. These factors must be considered when designing layouts at increasing depths.

Nov 27, 2024

The development of 3D multi-parametric models facilitate the provision of resource information well in advance of the mining face. Using the model, one can evaluate mining areas not only for grade and tonnage predictions but also for predictions of rock mass quality. Blast design and milling requirements can be derived from the rock mass quality predictions. This information can be used for overall mine planning and evaluation, costing, production optimization and slope design. This allows the full range of mining activities and costs to be interconnected, there by lowering costs and improving efficiencies through the application of the multi-parametric model. Feasibility studies for new projects require an expected budget expenditure estimate to within5% of actual costs. This level of accuracy is expected by mining companies and investors but cannot be achieved without a sound knowledge of the rock mass variability. By developing a 3Dmulti-parametric model as part of the feasibility study and using the same geological model exploration boreholes, a significantly better understanding of the rock mass conditions can be obtained. This rock mass information can be used for equipment selection, economic pit layouts, processing plant design, underground mining layouts and support requirements, to name but a few design parameters that depend on rock mass conditions. The initiative at Anglo Platinums, Potgietersrust Platinum Ltd.?s (PPRust) operation, has delivered significant results showing improvements across the mine to mill value chain. These include increased loading rates, reduced electricity and crushing consumables, as well as higher plant throughput. The ore reserve model has gained international acceptance as an invaluable tool for a mining operation. Certainly most financial organizations will not invest in a mining project that does not have an ore reserve model. There is the potential for multi-parametric models to be recognized as vital tools in the mining process, as is the case with ore reserve models.

Jan 1, 2006

By R. C. W. Webber-Youngman

The mining industry in South Africa faces real challenges with regard to the reduction of safety-related incidents. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the need for alternative interventions in addition to other safety improvement strategies already employed on mines. It furthermore supports an existing paradigm: incident investigations. An investigation into fatalities in the South African mining industry shows that although great progress has been achieved through the reduction in fatalities in all sectors of the industry over the last few years, more can and should be done to achieve status of ?zero harm?. Fatalities and lost time injuries on mines result not only in large financial losses, but also in disruptions of mining operations in general through Section 54 stoppages to resolve the situation. The approach of the paper is therefore not to try and prove whether there is high fatality rate and/or lost time injuries, but in what way incident reconstruction simulations (IRS) can have an impact in the future prevention of such incidents. The challenge therefore lies in the utilization of pro-active systems that would show employees the possible outcomes of being exposed to certain hazards. In real life, these incidents cannot be re-enacted and in most cases we can only learn through the previous mistakes of others. A virtual reality (VR) education and training system will enable employees to be ?exposed? to different hazards in a safe environment, and simulation, in a ?forgiving? environment, of the possible consequences of unsafe acts. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), unsafe acts and unsafe conditions are indirect causes of safety-related incidents, but there are also direct causes; for example, unplanned release of energy and/or hazardous material, and basic causes, for example, management safety policies, personal factors, and environmental factors. The administrative workload associated with any incident investigation places a large burden on the investigation team, and in most cases other employees are informed through vague administrative processes what the ?real cause? for the incident/accident was. New preventative strategies are often put in place without showing the employees what the real causes of the incident/accident were. This can be mitigated through the use of interactive VR simulations/animations of the hazards that they are exposed to and how to deal with them. If VR interventions are not used as proposed by this paper, the real causes and consequences of almost all fatalities and lost time injuries may never be fully understood. This paper also emphasizes what potential impact IRS could have on the prevention of future mine incidents as part and parcel of a pro-active risk prevention strategy. The intention is therefore not to replace any other risk prevention strategies, but to visually enhance the reality of the incident. Keywords virtual reality, risk management, incident reconstruction simulations, interactive safety training, usability context analysis, mine safety.

Jun 1, 2013

By F. Reyes, M. Hilden, G. Forbes, M. Yahyaei

Since AlphaGo defeated the best human player in the game of Go in 2016 - something thought to be an impossible achievement - machine learning, deep learning and reinforcement learning have caught the attention of scientists, the media and the general public alike. This recent development in machine learning (let us remember that neural networks have been available for decades now) opens new possibilities in the areas of modelling and process control. However, little has been reported in the minerals processing industry about these new possibilities and opportunities. This paper presents and introduces the topic of reinforcement learning and the different platforms that allow its implementation. The paper shows the consequences of using reinforcement learning for the specific area of process control and optimisation. As an example, the authors present the use of reinforcement learning for the control of a SAG mill closed with a pebble crusher using industrial data from an operation. A comparison with advanced model-based process control is provided, showing the benefits and shortcomings of reinforcement learning as a new control and optimisation technique. Keywords: Reinforcement learning, deep learning, process control, process optimisation

Jan 1, 2020

1. USSR co-operation International Mining, the London-based publication, has received USSR Government approval to publish a Russian language edition for circulation in the Soviet Union. 2. Mintek publications Special Publication no. 11. World chromite resources and ferochromium production, by M.H. Silk. 1988. 160 pp. South Africa RlOO including postage; elsewhere US$lOO including postage. Application Report 4 The development and implementation of novel refining processes for the platinum-group metals (including the refining of anode slimes). 1988. 16 pp. Report M249D The acid activation of local clays including solid-liquid separation, by P.M. Cole and G.F. Lahoud. First issued Mar. 1986, reissued Apr. 1988. 46 pp. ReportM250D The production of refined feromanganese in a transfered- arc plasma furnace, by A.F .S. Schoukens and M.Ford. First issued Mar. 1986; reissued Apr. 1988.23 pp. ReportM257D Extraction of gold from eastern Transvaal concentrates by roasting and cyanidation, by J.J. Robinson. First issued Apr. 1986; reissued Apr. 1988. 55 pp. ReportM267D The recovery of gold from backfil by gravity separation, by R.N. Guest. First issued Jun. 1986; reissued Apr. 1988. 18 pp. ReportM285D Autogenous miling of kimberlite, by D.I. Hoyer. First issued act. 1986; reissued Apr. 1988. 11 pp

Jan 1, 1988

Orange Free State Branch Minutes of a General Meeting held at the Welkom Mine Canteen on Wednesday, 21st November, 1973, at 4-.00 p.m. Present Mr E. T. Wilson (Chairman) in the Chair, 15 Fellows and Members, 12 Associates, Graduates, and Students, and 11 Visitors (Total 38). Book review Symposium on Environmental Engineering in Coal Mining The 20 papers presented at the symposium cover some 14 subjects related to environmental engineering in coal mines, such as dust, heat, gas emissions, ventilation, noise, and lighting. Competition for students Each year the Institute offers a prize (or prizes should the entries warrant it) of up to Rl00 for the best paper or dissertation on a topic appropriate to the interests of the Institute. A.8. & T.8. Trust The A.S. & T.S. Trust has been formed with the specific object of establishing a worthwhile source of funds which can be used to further the progress of science and technology in South Africa. Nim reports Report No. 1573 A pilot-plant investigation of a flotation model. Report No. 1597 The role of sulphur in the flotation of sulphide minerals. Report No. 1599 The analysis of silicate rocks and metallurgical slags by X -ray-fluorescence spectrometry. Report No. 1607 The analysis of ion-exchange resins by X-ray- fluorescence spectrometry. Report No. 1617 An electronic differential precision thermometer.

Jan 6, 1974

By A. F. Mulaba-Bafubiandi

Pseudomonas spp was isolated from mine water and tailings samples collected from mining effluents and mine dumps in the Gauteng and Northern provinces of South Africa respectively. Adsorption properties of Pseudomonas spp were then tested for the removal of Cu and Co initially from their synthetic sulphate solutions, subsequently from effluents derived from metallurgical operations. The effects of experimental conditions such as pH, temperature, time, volume and metal concentration on the efficiency of the biosorption process were studied. Absorption of 45% Cu (pH 6, 37°C, 24 hours) and 40% Co (pH 6, 37°C, 24 hours) was observed from solutions with low concentrations (0.07 M). A maximum of 73% and 65% of Cu and Corespectively were recovered from the mine water samples derived from effluents.

Jan 1, 2009

By A. Singh, R. R. Maclachlan

SYNOPSIS A back-analysis procedure based upon 35 mm photography was developed on a laboratory scale for the pur¬pose of determining the percentage of oversize particles known to be present in heaps of fragmented rock. Eight simple blends of crushed stone containing varying percentages of oversize on a 1:40 modelled scale were examined. Simulated test conditions for the following were subjected to the photographic study: (1) a bench heap, (2) the surface exposure of a partially excavated heap, (3) a gravity-sorted surface as occurs on an apron dump, and (4) four quadrant views of an incrementally built conical heap of rock fragments. The best back-analysis determinations were obtained from (4), the cone, over all eight blends of fragments. The mean error was within -0,16 per cent of the true value, with a range of ± 1,872. This was for oversize contents of 5 to 20 per cent where a minimum 25 per cent of the photograph area was processed by digitizer. The worst results were from the apron dump at - 1,462 per cent for a mean error of ± 4,174 per cent. The intermediate results were from the undisturbed bench at -0,186 per cent with a mean error of ±2,862 per cent.

Jan 1, 1989

By Z. Ruetz

Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis has been widely adopted in the geochemical and environmental field as a cost-saving alternative to standard analyses. This paper outlines the efficacy of a method for indirectly quantifying organic copper content in solvent extraction circuits via stripping of the chelated metal with concentrated sulfuric acid in a single contact and subsequent pXRF aqueous analysis. pXRF analysis is common within the mining industry but presents unique challenges with liquid analysis, the most prevalent of which are briefly discussed. This method was developed specifically for mining operations with regional constraints and limited resources. Providing an in-field alternative to flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, this entirely mobile XRF analysis method produces consistent and accurate results within minutes and at a fraction of the cost.

Jan 1, 2023

By E. van Steen, G. M. Leteba

Optimizing the catalytic performance of multimetallic nanoparticle (NP) catalysts demands a concrete understanding of their design, while preferentially deploying wet chemical synthesis procedures to precisely control surface structural properties. Here we report the influence of reductants such as hydrogen-rich tetrabutylammonium borohydride (TBAB) and carbon monoxide-rich molybdenum carbonyl (Mo(CO)6) on the shape and morphological evolution of Pt-based binary (PtNi and PtCo) and ternary (PtNiAu and PtCoAu) nanostructures derived from a homogeneous solution of aminebased surface active agents (surfactants) in a high boiling point solvent. We successfully synthesized nanostructures exhibiting well-defined and composition-controlled surfaces deploying a one-pot synthetic approach. The development of the surface properties was, however, observed to be alloyspecific. The resultant highly monodisperse alloy NP with narrow size distributions and facet-oriented surfaces are expected to display enhanced functionality as catalysts for utilization in specific chemical reactions.

Jun 1, 2021

By D. -X. Li

The paper covers many literature reports of processes using nitrogenous species as an oxidant for processing refractory gold ores, especially development in the pretreatment of refractory gold minerals by nitric acid. These processes include the high-pressure and the atmospheric-pressure oxidation methods. High-pressure oxidation processes are difficult to carry out, because they require high-capital cost autoclaves. Atmospheric-pressure oxidation processes are easier to manipulate, but complete absorption and reuse of NOx is difficult or multiple-stage absorption must be established for its reuse. So, some new methods were developed, such as catalytically oxidizing technology of NOx to allow subsequent recovery of gold. Keywords: nitric acid; pretreatment; refractory gold

Jan 1, 2009

By L. Naude, J. Cloete, S. Engelbrecht

The results of an investigation evaluating whether an industrial plant, currently operating using sodium isobutyl xanthate (SIBX) as primary collector for sulphide minerals (mainly chalocopyrite), could adapt to operate using an alternate primary thiol collector without compromising plant and metallurgical performance. Initial laboratory scale flotation tests identified commercial dithiophosphate (DTP)-based and thionocarbamate (TC)-based collectors, that when blended, showed potential to replace the incumbent SIBX primary PGM collector. Industrial plant trail results show that there was no deterioration in recovery of 4E PGMs, even at a lower concentrate grade when operating the plant on the identified (DTP + TC)-based collector blend compared to SIBX. The effect on Cr2O3 content in the final concentrate was also found to be negligible. The (DTP + DTC)-based collector blend also showed promise in terms of plant adaptability in accommodating a new primary specialty collector blend. These observations highlighted the potential of replacing xanthate primary collectors with alternate thiol collector blends for PGM flotation. Keywords: PGM, xanthate replacement, specialty collector, sodium iso-butyl xanthate (SIBX), dithiophosphates (DTP), dithiocarbamates (DTC)

Jan 1, 2020

By D. I. Nicol

An assessment is made of the possible scope for the use of activated charcoal as the solid adsorbent in an upflow fluidized-bed contactor, and a pilot-plant programme for the recovery of low concentrations of dissolved gold in this contactor is described. It was found possible to produce an effluent that contains less than 0,01 p.p.m. of dissolved gold.

Jan 1, 1997

Jigging is a process of particle stratification in which the particle rearrangement results from an alternate expansion and compaction of a bed of particles by a pulsating fluid flow. The rearrangement results in layers of particles that are arranged by increasing density from top to bottom of the bed. The particles, in addition to the vertically expanded and compacted bed motion, move continuously, horizontally across the supporting screen and helped and influenced by the feed material that is introduced at one end. Following the particle stratification, the particle bed is physically ?cut? at a desired horizontal particle density plane to separate the desired product from the less dense gangue material. The issue of correct pulse characteristics (shape, amplitude and frequency) for the optimal metallurgical stratification of air pulsating jigs has been the subject of much discussion over the years. The accuracy of the dissymmetric stratification depends on the control parameters and the mechanical condition of specific equipment used. This paper will touch on some of the control and mechanical parameters affecting the separation efficiency.

Jan 1, 2010