Sulphide Ore Bulk Sorting and Coarse Flotation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The mining industry faces high capital and energy costs due to the need for fine grinding and excessive water consumption in processing sulphide ores, with existing beneficiation techniques failing to economically reject low-grade ore and achieve sufficient recovery and upgrade ratios.

Innovation Solution

An integrated process involving bulk sorting, screening, and coarse flotation to reject low-grade ore before fine grinding, optimizing the multistage configuration to minimize energy and water consumption while maximizing waste rejection and grade recovery.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional fine grinding and flotation process is used to process all ore, then complete liberation of valuable components is achieved, but energy consumption and water consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveliberation of valuable componentsVSAvoidcomminution energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary bulk sorting and screening before fine grinding to pre-concentrate the ore and reject waste material. This preliminary action reduces the volume of material requiring energy-intensive fine grinding, thereby reducing overall energy consumption while still achieving complete liberation of valuable components in the concentrated feed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the processing into distinct stages: bulk sorting, screening, coarse flotation, and fine grinding. By separating waste rejection from valuable mineral processing, only the concentrated ore fraction undergoes fine grinding, reducing total energy consumption while maintaining manufacturing precision for the valuable components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If conventional fine grinding and flotation process is used to process all ore, then complete liberation of valuable components is achieved, but water consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveliberation of valuable componentsVSAvoidwater consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary bulk sorting and screening to pre-concentrate the ore and reject waste material before the water-intensive flotation process. This reduces the volume of material requiring water for slurry preparation and flotation, thereby significantly reducing water consumption while still achieving complete liberation of valuable components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the processing to separate waste rejection from valuable mineral processing. By directing only the concentrated ore fraction through the water-intensive fine grinding and flotation stages, total water consumption is reduced while maintaining the manufacturing precision needed for complete liberation of valuable components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of manufacture

If beneficiation parameters are set to reject sufficient ore to economically warrant the cost, then processing costs are reduced, but loss of values increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing costVSAvoidloss of values

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments waste rejection into multiple stages with progressively different selectivity: bulk sorting rejects coarse waste, screening rejects intermediate material, and coarse flotation rejects fine waste. This multi-stage segmentation allows each stage to be optimized for its specific function, maximizing waste rejection while minimizing loss of valuable minerals at each stage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the separation parameters at each stage: bulk sorting uses density differences, screening uses size thresholds, and coarse flotation uses surface chemistry. By varying the separation mechanism and parameters across stages, the system achieves high overall waste rejection ratios while maintaining high recovery of valuable minerals, reducing processing costs without excessive loss of values

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Productivity

If cut-off grade is set high to maximize feed grade and production, then processing efficiency is improved, but economically attractive ore is rejected to waste pile

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction from processing capacityVSAvoideconomic resource loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary bulk sorting and screening to pre-concentrate the ore feed before processing. This preliminary concentration increases the feed grade without requiring a high cut-off grade, allowing marginal ore to be recovered while maintaining high production efficiency from the processing capacity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the ore body into waste, marginal ore, and high-grade ore through multi-stage beneficiation. This segmentation allows marginal ore that would be rejected at high cut-off grades to be recovered in the concentrated feed, reducing economic resource loss while maintaining productivity through optimized processing capacity utilization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The process reduces water and comminution energy consumption by 50-80%, allowing for a lower mining cut-off-grade, extending mine life, and significantly lowering unit costs and capital expenditures, while enhancing resource utilization and production margins.

Implementation Method 1

bulk sorting and screening the crushed ore to provide a sorted/screened coarse ore stream and a waste ore stream

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectX-ray: X-Ray

Implementation Method 2

bulk sorting and screening the crushed ore to provide a sorted/screened coarse ore stream and a waste ore stream

Methodology Applied

Scientific Effectneutron activation:

Implementation Method 3

bulk sorting and screening the crushed ore to provide a sorted/screened coarse ore stream and a waste ore stream

Methodology Applied

Scientific Effectmagnetic resonance:

Implementation Method 4

the ore is separated using a flotation process to produce a saleable concentrate and tailings

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFlotation: Froth Floatation

Data Source

PatentUS9968945B1Maximise the value of a sulphide ore resource through sequential waste rejection

Publication Date: 2018.05.15 ANGLO AMERICAN TECH & SUSTAINABILITY SERVICES LTD

AI summary

This invention relates to an integrated process for recovering value metals from sulphide ore which includes the steps of bulk sorting 16 and screening 24/28 crushed ore. The sorted/screened coarse ore stream is ground and classified 20 to provide a coarse fraction 34 suitable for coarse flotation and a first fine fraction 38 suitable for flotation. The coarse fraction suitable for coarse flotation is subjected to coarse flotation 36 thereby to obtain a gangue 42 and an intermediate concentrate 46. The intermediate concentrate is subjected to grinding 48 to provide a second fine fraction suitable for conventional flotation. The first fine fraction and the second fine fraction are subjected to conventional flotation 40 to provide a concentrate and tailings. This process that capitalizes on the natural heterogeneity of sulphide orebodies, and utilizes bulk sorting, screening and coarse flotation beneficiation technologies in a novel multistage configuration to reject the maximum quantity of waste gangue prior to fine comminution.