Evaluation of the alternatives for gold ore grinding circuits by using of laboratory studies results and simulation method; case study: İranian Gold Co.

Year 2019, , 219 - 233, 15.08.2019

Hojjat Hosseınzadeh Gharehgheshlagh Ayşe Tuğba Cebeci Şevket Levent Ergün

https://doi.org/10.19111/bulletinofmre.501432

Abstract

In this study, simulation aided
design of grinding circuit for a gold mine in Iran is presented. The main
parameters for the design of the grinding circuit are the ore specifications
and the considered operating conditions. Ore specifications were characterized
by grinding tests, which included the Drop - weigh test (A, b), the abrasion
test (ta) and the Bond Work Index test (Wi). For this study, the operating
conditions for the processing plant are the ability to process clayey minerals
and the plant throughput and the d80 of the hydrocyclone overflow (leaching
tank feed), which are 125 tons per hour and 45 μm, respectively. Simulation
operations were performed using grinding parameters (A, b, ta, Wi), operating
constraints (plant capacity, d80 of the hydrocyclone overflow and ability to
work for clayey minerals), existing mathematical models for different types of
crushers, mills and separators and JKSimMet software. By completing the
simulation process, three different alternatives for the grinding circuit of
the considered ore were predicted. These three alternatives have been compared
and evaluated with each other in terms of specific energy consumption (kWh/t),
sensitivity to operational variables and the ability to process clayey
minerals. The optimal circuit must have the capability to process clayey
minerals and must have the lowest specific energy consumption and the least
sensitivity to operational variables. By considering all these factors, the
Alternative 3 is selected and suggested for an efficient grinding circuit.

Keywords

Comminution / Grinding circuit, Modeling and Simulation, JKSimMet, Gold ore, Clayey Minerals

Thanks

This study was carried out within the scope of Comminution Circuit Design for Iranian Gold Co. project at Hacettepe University in Turkey. Here, I would like to acknowledge to the Mining Engineering department of Hacettepe University for providing experimental facilities for conducting the research works. The authors also thanks to anonymous reviewers and Editor for their opinions, comments and enlightening discussions due to improve the paper.

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