Mineral Processing I

Recommended Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of geoscience.

Teaching Methods

Theorical: using audiovisual means to facilitate the understanding of concepts, models and methodologies. Students will participate in lectures, through its intervention or, occasionally, by presenting subjects within the discipline syllabus.

Practical: application of theoretical knowledge to practical cases, by solving problems.

Laboratory: Carrying out laboratory tests of fragmentation and classification (screening) to a better understanding of these processes and to analysis of some of the factors conditioning.

Tutorial support in problem solving, and in preparation of the report.

Learning Outcomes

The course aims to:

A) The student should know what are the main crushers and mills, their strengths and weaknesses; factors affecting their performance; fields of use. The student should be able to select the main equipment, including crushing equipment and milling.

B) The student should know what are the main screening and classifiers, factors affecting their performance; fields of use, and should be able to select screening types and classifiers type.

C) The student should know how to analyze with a critical sense and develop a circuit of comminution and classification.

As competences students should acquire: instrumental competence of analysis and synthesis, problem solving, personal competences of teamwork, critical thinking, systemic skills to adapt to new circumstances, to independent learning, to plan and manage.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1 - Key aspects: Characterization of particles; the caliber property; the content property; degree of liberation.

2 - Comminution: general objectives; comminution stages; comminutions theory; reduction ratio;

2.1 - Crushing: general objectives; characterization of primary crushers (jaws; gyratory), secondary crushers (cone, rolls; impact); maximum permissible sizes; selection of crushers;

2.2 - Grinding mills: Grinding process; technology; energy levels; type of grinding agent; autogeneous mills; comminution circuits.

3 – Screening and classification: Overall objectives; laboratory and industrial classification.

3.1 - Screening: physical mechanism of screening; screen types; factors affecting screen performance;

3.2 - Classification: principles of classification; types of classifier (gravity field and centrifugal field).

4 - Laboratory tests of comminution and screening. Visit to an industrial plant.

Head Lecturer(s)

Fernando Antunes Gaspar Pita

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Laboratory work or Field work: 15.0%
Exam: 85.0%

Bibliography

TLuz, A.B.; França, J.A.; Alves S.C. (2010). Tratamento de Minérios (3ª Ed.). Centro de Tecnologia Mineral (CETEM). Rio de Janeiro.
Barry A. Wills; Tim Napier-Munn, (2006). Wills´s Mineral Processing Technology (7th Edition). An Introduction to the Practical Aspects of Ore Treatment and Mineral Recovery.
Mular, A.L., Halbe, D.N., Barratt, D.J. (2002).  Mineral Processing Plant Design, Practice, and Control. Proceedings. Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc. (SME). Littleton, Colorado USA.