OPTIMIZATION AT LABORATORY SCALE OF CELESTINE MINERAL CONCENTRATION USING DENSE MEDIA IN A HYDROCICLONE SYSTEM
objective
This project aims to design and optimize a mineral concentration process based on dense medium. Characteristics of the dense medium and plant operation parameters will be analysed to achieve the highest celestine concentrate yield while maximizing the heavy mineral recovery.
Objective 1
Designing and optimization of the concentration experiments
A factorial design of experiments will be defined using the following variables: celestine mineral granulometry, feeding rate, heavy mineral suspension composition, flow rate. Experiments will be carried out in order to: - Provide a better understanding of the mineral concentration process. - Determine the performance of heavy minerals (magnetite, ferrosilicon, ilmenite) in the dense medium. - Optimize the operating conditions to obtain an economically viable mineral concentrate (> 80 % celestine).
Objective 2:
Heavy mineral suspension design and testing
We will use Celestine mineral (64-69% celestine; 0-6 mm in grain size) to prepare different mixtures of heavy mineral suspension and celestine mineral for the concentration experiments using a small hydrocyclone (75 mm in diameter) in a laboratory system. The evolution of celestine concentration during the gravity separation process will be evaluated for the different operation parameters. Celestine concentration will be determined by XRD and XRF. This data will be used to determine the optimum operating conditions.
Objective 3:
Extrapolating lab results to a semi-industrial level in the pilot plant
The optimum results from the lab-scale plant will be extrapolated to the semi-industrial pilot plant. The researchers pretend to obtain the optimum operation conditions that can be scale up and apply in the semi-industrial Pilot Plant.
Objective 4:
Evaluation of costs and environmental impacts
The cost of the concentration process will be evaluated considering their celestine concentration efficiency, recovery rate and price of heavy minerals. The environmental impacts (water and energy use, residue generation and emission) will be evaluated.
This project has received funding from the European Union's EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 under Grant Agreement No 873149. The content of this document represents the view of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility: it cannot be considered to reflect the views of the European Commission and/or the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME). The European Commission and the Agency do not accept responsibility for the use that may be made of the information it contains.
Send an email to canterasindustriales@yahoo.es for more information about the project.
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