Strategies for Improving the Effectiveness of Professional Practice for Full-Time Professional Master Degree Postgraduate in Mineral Processing Engineering

In order to gain practical experience and hands-on skills,full-time professional master degree postgraduate in mineral processing engineering should engage in professional practices.Nonetheless,a series of problems,including insufficient time for practice,low management level,inadequate implementation of the double-supervisor system,and poor results of professional practice,has reduced the effectiveness of professional practice.In view of the aforementioned problems and the characteristics of the discipline,this paper proposes several strategies for improving the effectiveness of professional practice for postgraduates in mineral processing engineering.

Mineral Processing of Silica Sand in Hanout Area/South of Jordan

White sandstone samples from Hanout area of Late Cambrian-Early Ordovician sandstone in south of Jordan were studied and assessed as a source of glass sand. Upgrading the sand included removing or reducing the content of the contaminant oxides and the heavy minerals. The aim of this research was to achieve this upgrading by examining the best-suited and cost-effective processing method(s) with sufficient product recovery. Following the initial sample characterisation at “bench scale”, a pilot study was performed. A high-grade Glass Sand product of 500 - 125 μm size fraction was produced by wet screening, attrition scrubbing and the separation of heavy minerals using spirals. The high quality Glass Sand product compared well with Grade-A of the British Standard for glass sand. Due to the relatively low level of impurities in the raw material, a substantial silica sand recovery was produced with a high silica grade. The silica sand product was capable to be used in the high quality glass industry and in many other applications where pure silica is required. The mass flowrate of the feeds and the products in the spiral was calculated for the bulk sample as well as the amount of water required operating the process.

NEW PROGRESS IN MINERAL PROCESSING——REPORT ON FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MODERN PROCESS MINERALOGY AND MINERAL PROCESSING

The first International Conference on Modern Process Mineralogy and Mineral Processing, organized by the Nonferrous Metals Society of China and hosted by Beijing General Research Institute of Mining and Metallurgy,was held on September 22-25,1992,in Beijing,China.About 350 scholars and experts from 25 countries and regions showed up at the conference and 130 papers were presented,among them 98 papers are of mineral processing.Some of the papers given in mineral processing are summed up as follows.

Effect of Mineral Processing Wastewater on Electrochemistry of Galena

Electrochemical technology was introduced to study the floatability of galena in some wastewater samples from different processes of mineral processing plant in Fankou Lead-Zinc Mine. It is shown that the residual collector molecules in the wastewater from the thickening of lead and zinc concentrates can benefit the formation of lead xanthanate onto the surface of galena, yet, some special chemical components in the wastewater from zinc tailings and effluent may induce some surface reactions on galena, and herewith the direct reuse of this water may bring disadvantageous influence on galena flotation.

Discussion on the Teaching of“Metallic Mineral Processing”for Mineral Processing Engineering

Social economic growth and the increasing demand for mineral resources have promoted the development of metallic mineral processing technology.Therefore,in order to satisfy the demands for development in mining,cultivating comprehensive mineral processing engineering professionals with strong innovative practical skills has become the top priority in current education.We have established a new course,“Metallic Mineral Processing,”for students majoring in mineral processing engineering in universities,with coal and other sources of energy as the main focus.This paper analyzes the purpose and significance of setting up this course and the exploration of the reform of the teaching mode,with the aim of improving the teaching quality and ensuring the cultivation of mineral processing engineering undergraduates.

Mineral processing plant location using the analytic hierarchy process——a case study:the Sangan iron ore mine(phase 1)

Locating the mineral processing plant near a mine is the most important parameter that affects the whole process.Many factors,and their preferences,should be considered in this stage.The factors include economical,geological,technical,environmental and tectonic parameters.A multi-criteria decision making method is necessary to rank the alternatives.In this paper we describe how plant location is selected by using the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP).This method,with eight criteria,was used to select a location for the mineral processing plant at the Sangan iron ore mine(phase 1).Three alternatives for the processing plant were evaluated.The main criteria were distance from the mine,access to heavy machinery transport,the amount of excavation required for grading,bed mixture capacity,belt conveyor length,distance from the tailing dam,distance from the waste dumps and surface water diversion requirements.Finally,the alternatives were ranked and the best location was proposed.

An Overview of Mineral Processing in China

The latest progress in mineral processing in China is described. It is also pointed out that the existing technology can not meet the needs of economic development. The combined challenges of poor resources, economical benefits and environmental pollution issues require further research to upgrade the separation efficiency economically. The methods of mineral processing should play a more important part in waste treatment such as wastewater treatment, the remediation of contaminated soil and the recycling of wastes. Biomineral technology will be utilised in the near future.

Study on mixing and segregation behaviors in particulate fluidized bed system for mineral processing

In order to identify the mixing and segregation behaviors in a mineral processing operation, present study aimed on the hydrodynamics of solid–liquid fluidization. The study was carried out in a fluidization column with tapings at different height of the bed to collect the sample. The binary particles considered in this study are hematite(4800 kg/m3) and quartz(2600 kg/m3) at different size fractions in the range of average size 87×10^(-6)m to 400×10^(-6)m. It is observed that for various binary mixtures, both quartz and hematite particles share the equal composition by mass(50%) at a particular height of fluidized bed, referred as ‘‘locus point'' of mixing. Study indicates that the mixing zone volume will increase for a continuous fluidized bed plant operation. It is observed that the number of locus points varies from 1 to 3 signifying their dependency on the size ratios of binary mixture. Whenever, the difference in terminal velocity between quartz and hematite particles approaches to zero, mixing is enhanced.Further, the present study is extended to find the segregation index for the different size ratios of quartz and hematite particles. It is evident that depending on the size ratios, various regions such as complete segregation, partial mixing and complete mixing can be observed.

WANG DIANZUO—DISTINGUISHED EXPERT OF MINERAL PROCESSING

Mr. Vang Dianzuo was born in 1934, He entered Central-South Inst-

HEATING RATE OF MINERALS AND COMPOUNDS IN MICROWAVE FIELD

More than 40 kinds of selected minerals and compounds were individually irradiated by microwaves under an inert atmosphere,and the temperatures of samples were measured with a metal-sheathed thermocouple inserted into the samples directiy.The results indicated that most sulphide and some oxide minerals and compounds could be heated to high temperatures in a short timet whereas the common gangue minerals,some oxide and oxy-salt minerals or compounds could not.The sulphide minerals had faster heating rate than the oxide minerals containing the same cations.The impurities of minerals had significant effect on the heating rate.The selective heating characteristics of microwaves on different minerals and compounds could be attributed to the differences between their conductivities or dielectric loss factors and bonding properties.

Alunite processing method selection using the AHP and TOPSIS approaches under fuzzy environment

Alunite is the most important non bauxite resource for alumina. Various methods have been proposed and patented for processing alunite, but none has been performed at industrial scale and no technical,operational and economic data is available to evaluate methods. In addition, selecting the right approach for alunite beneficiation, requires introducing a wide range of criteria and careful analysis of alternatives.In this research, after studying the existing processes, 13 methods were considered and evaluated by 14 technical, economic and environmental analyzing criteria. Due to multiplicity of processing methods and attributes, in this paper, Multi Attribute Decision Making methods were employed to examine the appropriateness of choices. The Delphi Analytical Hierarchy Process(DAHP) was used for weighting selection criteria and Fuzzy TOPSIS approach was used to determine the most profitable candidates. Among 13 studied methods, Spanish, Svoronos and Hazan methods were respectively recognized to be the best choices.

Magmatic Evolution and Mineralization Process of the Super-Large Shihuiyao Rb–Nb–Ta Deposit,Southern Great Xing'an Range,China

Rare metal ore reserves are an important strategic resource, and their metallogenic mechanism and mineralization studies have also been received widespread international attention.

Mineralogical Characteristics of Exsolved Spinel in the Panzhihua V-Ti Magnetite Deposit, Sichuan: Implications for the Mineralization Process

Spinel exsolution is widespread in titanomagnetite from the Fe-Ti oxide gabbro of the Panzhihua intrusion, Emeishan Large Igneous Province, SW China. However, little research has been conducted into the implications of patterns in the mineralogical characteristics of the spinel for spatial variation in the controls on the exsolution mechanism and, hence, the formation process of the ore deposit. This study selected the Lanjiahuoshan Ore Block in the Panzhihua V-Ti magnetite deposit to explore this issue, systematically studying exsolution textures in the titanomagnetite through petrographic observation and the integrated use of in-situ microanalysis. The results show that the exsolved spinel gradually becomes finer-grained and less abundant from the center to edge and the bottom to top of the ore bodies. Compositionally, there is an inverse correlation between the size of exsolved spinel grains and their Mg# value. In addition, there is compositional zonation in the spinel interiors, with a gradual increase in the Mg content and decrease in Fe content from the core to the rim. The analysis suggests that fractional crystallization of ferrotitanium magma with a high oxygen fugacity in a shallow magma chamber caused compositional differences in the primary magnetite solid solution in different parts of the Panzhihua intrusion. Additionally, the thermal evolution of the magnetite solid solution differed in different parts of orebody, bringing about variations in spinel development. Together, these effects resulted in spatial variation in the abundance, grain size, and morphology of spinel in different parts of the orebody and intrusion that follows an identifiable distribution law. Furthermore, the compositional zonation of exsolved spinels reflects the rapid growth of exsolution features in a high-temperature environment. Thus, the size, morphology, abundance, and composition of spinel exsolution features in titanomagnetite provide a valuable petrogenetic tool for estimating the maturity and formational environment of the deposit.

Cadmium-containing Wastewater Induced by SRB:Effect of Multiple Ions and Mineralization Process

The effects of various general and heavy metal ions in acidic cadmium-containing wastewater on SBR desulfurization and cadmium removal under different concentrations were studied.CrO_(4)^(2-) and S^(2-) inhibited SRB mineralization,and Mg^(2+),Ca^(2+),Fe^(2+),and Fe^(3+) promoted SRB mineralization at low concentration(<50 mg/L).The inhibitory concentrations of Cu^(2+),Mn^(2+),Co^(2+),Zn^(2+),Pb^(2+),Hg^(2+),Cr^(3+),and Ni^(2+) were 10,30,2,20,25,5,30 mg/L,respectively.The inhibition order was Co^(2+)>Hg^(2+)>Cu^(2+)>Ni^(2+)>Zn^(2+)>Pb^(2+)>Mn^(2+)>Cr^(3+).Furthermore,the inverted microscopy and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)were used to observe the sediment crystallization process from macroscopic and microscopic viewpoints in the optimized ion environment.The experimental results show that under the mineralization of SRB,cadmium sediment crystallization is mainly divided into the rapid growth of bacteria,crystal nucleus production,block formation,and crystallization occuration.At the same time,X-ray diffraction(XRD)and energy-dispersive spectra(EDS)have also confirmed the sediment and crystallization.

A preliminary study on microtextures，structures and mineralizing processes of hydrothermal chimneys in Mariana Trough

Microtextures and struetures of 9 hydrothermal chimneys sampled on the small spreading ridge Of the Mari ana Trough during SONNE Cruise 57 (SO57) and 69 (SO69) in 1988 and 1990 were studied by means of scanning electron microscope. The results reveal that the two types of chimneys from the Mariana Trough. the 'silicic chimneys' containing Fe sulfide and the pure 'silica chimneys' without sulfide, vary distinctly not only in mineral and chemical compositions, but also in microtextures and structures. The silicic chimneys generally show three major types of microtextures.The inside of the chimneys is dominated by holocrystalline or semicrystalline idiomorphic and hypidiomorphic granular textures and the outwall by amorphous colloidal texture. In some of the silicic chimneys relict texture is observed. However,the pure silica chimneys show chiefly amorphous colloidal texture from the inside to the outwall. Microstructurally. theinside of the silicic chimneys is dominated by a 'silica-covering' structure and a 'voidfilling' structure, and the outwall by a chain-like or three-dimentional chain-network structure built up by individual opal globules, whereas the pure silica chimneys are mainly three-dimentional chain-network and the dense silica bands in structure. These variations suggest that not only mineralizing conditions but also processes differ distinctly during the formation of the two types of chimneys, and that hydrothermal mineralization in the Mariana Trough shows a multistage or multieplsodical nature.

Study of the Mineralization Process of granular apatites in Weng'an Baidou Phosphate Deposit Using Microbeam Analyses

1 Introduction Studies of marine sedimentary phosphate rock have lasted decades,scholars proposed some standpoints about mineralization,however,the genesis of mineral deposits remains to be a controversial question(She et al.,2013).There are many viewpoints of mineralization about the Doushantuo phosphorites,Central Guizhou,including biological mineralization(Mi et al.,2010;Shi et al.,2005),

Metallogenic Processes:Evidencesfrom Zoning Patterns of Mineralization and alteration and fluid inclusion geochemistryin the Lehong Zn-Pb Deposit in Northeastern Yunnan, China

1 Introduction The large clusters of Zn-Pb deposits in northeastern Yunnan,located in the southwestern margin of the Yangtze Block,are an important part of the Sichuan-YunnanGuizhou Pb-Zn Poly-metallic Metallogenic Triangle Area

Application of ionic liquids in hydrometallurgy of nonferrous metals

Ionic liquids as green solvents have shown important application in the extraction and separation of nonferrous metals.The new application perspective,the important fundamental and the applied studies of the extraction and separation of nonferrous metals in ionic liquids,including the dissolution and corrosion of metal and metal oxide,hydrometallurgy of chalcopyrite and metallic oxidized ore,and extraction and separation of metal ions,are introduced.

Modeling the effects of ore properties on water recovery in the thickening process

A better understanding of solid-liquid separation would assist in improving the thickening performance and perhaps water recovery as well. The present work aimed to develop an empirical model to study the effects of ore properties on the thickening process based on pilot tests using a column. A hydro-cyclone was used to prepare the required samples for the experiments. The model significantly predicted the experimental underflow solid content using a regression equation at a given solid flux and bed level for different samples, indicating that ore properties are the effective parameters in the thickening process. This work confirned that the water recovery would be increased about 5% by separating the feed into two parts, overflow and underflow, and introducing two different thickeners into them separately. This is duo to the fact that thickeners are limited by permeability and compressibility in operating conditions.