Title: Physicochemical concentration of heavy minerals - a treatise on wet process media: gravity, centrifugal and flotation techniques

Authors: Nnaemeka Stanislaus Nzeh; Patricia Popoola; Abraham Adeleke

Addresses: Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria West 0183, South Africa ' Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria West 0183, South Africa ' Materials Science and Engineering Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife 220002, Nigeria

Abstract: The success and effectiveness of physicochemical concentration of heavy minerals (HMs) often encounters certain challenges. This is usually not far-fetched, from the inability to initiate suitable mineral characterisation strategies, to evaluate and understand the physicochemical responses and features distributed amongst the mineral particles. The intense need for advancement of effective pre/primary concentration steps/routes on HMs, most essentially for upgrade and recovery of near-dense, fine, low-grade HM deposits cannot be over-emphasised. However, the process of applying these concentrations on HMs has often been neglected. Existing reported literature does not completely incorporate certain process steps/routes, operating principles, parameters, and applications; as such, relevant information in this area is somewhat scanty, hence the study purpose. This present study aims to reveal the advantageous features, merits and/or demerits of wet concentration techniques, and process selection for optimum beneficiation and high-grade yields. Therefore, process applications, performance evaluation, operating principles/mechanisms in upgrading/treating HMs via wet process media, as well as recommendations have been adequately captured in this study.

Keywords: heavy minerals; HMs; beneficiation; density; specific gravity; SG; particle size; gravity; centrifugal; concentration; separation; flotation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMME.2024.140076

International Journal of Mining and Mineral Engineering, 2024 Vol.15 No.2, pp.161 - 236

Received: 22 Jun 2023
Accepted: 18 Dec 2023
Published online: 19 Jul 2024 *

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