Identifying Separation Potency and Relationship of Grade and Density of Copper Ore for Gravity-Based Early Coarse Gangue Rejection using Statistical Method

Abstract

The mineral processing industry faces a pressing challenge of declining productivity, particularly in metal minerals production, driven by soaring operational costs, with crushing and grinding operations accounting for a substantial portion of the energy consumption. To mitigate these challenges, early gangue rejection or preconcentration is proposed as an effective solution. This approach involves the removal of non-valuable materials and the concentration of valuable minerals at the initial processing stages, leading to increased efficiency, higher ore feed grades, cost savings, and reduced environmental impact. Various methods for gangue rejection exist, with gravity-based separation and ore sorting being the predominant options. Gravity-based separation stands out for its simplicity and versatility, making it the preferred choice in many scenarios. This study introduces a novel approach for evaluating gangue rejection potential, optimizing data distribution, and generating theoretical separation potential curves that account for both grade and density criteria. These curves provide insights into material rejection, metal losses, and optimal separation points, offering valuable guidance for mineral processing operations. Additionally, the study investigates the correlation between raw ore grade and density data, highlighting a strong relationship across different size fractions. This finding suggests that gravity-based separation can effectively rely on both grade and density parameters, resolving previous disparities observed in distribution models. By shedding light on advanced gangue rejection strategies, this research contributes to improved productivity and informed decision-making in the mineral processing industry.