Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Precedent preparation of items or materials to facilitate...
Utility Patent
1999-05-12
2001-01-02
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Precedent preparation of items or materials to facilitate...
C209S127100, C209S127200, C209S127400, C209S128000, C209S129000, C209S130000, C209S131000, C209S011000
Utility Patent
active
06168029
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates generally to mineral processing and refining and, more specifically, the present invention relates to methods for separating certain mineral components of an ore from other mineral components of the same ore. Still more specifically, the present invention relates to methods for separating mineral components of an ore utilizing electrostatic separators. Still more specifically, the present invention relates generally to methods for separating conductive components of an ore from non-conductive components of an ore with electrostatic separators.
2. Description of the prior art
The processing and refining of many types of mineral ore, including mineral sands, generally involves the separation of certain mineral components from other mineral components. For example, a single ore or mineral sand may typically include both rutile and zircon. Both of these minerals have independent uses and must be separated from one another. Such a mineral sand may also include ilmenite, monazite, quartz, staurolite and leucoxene, which also must be separated from the rutile and zircon. The mining of kaolin also requires that kaolin be separated from other materials such as other clays.
One means for separating mineral components of an ore or mineral sand is to take advantage of the differences in conductivity of two components. For example, zircon is a non-conductive material while rutile is a conductive material. As a result, it is known in the mineral processing and refining art to separate zircon and rutile by passing ground or pulverized ore or mineral sand containing the two components through an electrostatic separator. The electrostatic separator applies a voltage across the ore which results in the conductive components such as rutile and ilmenite to migrate to one end of the separator and the non-conductive components such as zircon to migrate to an opposing end of the separator. Thus, the stream of ground ore or mineral sand is split into two streams and each stream may be treated separately in a magnetic separator to separate the magnetic components from the non-magnetic components.
While electrostatic separation is an effective process, it is not efficient. Specifically, current efficiencies are limited to about 70 percent. Thus, a 60 ton per hour feed rate, with only a 70 percent efficiency, requires a recirculating load that also equals about 60 tons per hour. As a result, even a 1 percent improvement in efficiency would enable the feed rate to be increased 2 tons per hour or a 3 percent net increase in feed rate.
Further, in the mining of rutile and zircon, it has been estimated that a 5 percent increase in efficiency, from 70 percent to 75 percent, would result in a significant reduction in processing costs.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved method for separating conductive mineral components from non-conductive mineral components of a common ore or mineral sand. Such an improved separation technique would be applicable to the mining of rutile, zircon or any other ore that includes both non-conductive and conductive components having a commercial value. The mining of kaolin is one additional example.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention satisfies the aforenoted need by providing a method for separating an electrically conductive component of an ore from an electrically non-conductive component of the ore which comprises the steps of providing a supply of the ore comprising at least one non-conductive component and at least one conductive component, processing the ore (by techniques including grinding, wet separation, attritioning, and acid or alkali washing), adding a polymer to the processed ore, drying the polymer and ore, and separating at least some of the conductive components from the non-conductive components by feeding the ore and polymer through an electrostatic separator and collecting at least some of the conductive components from a first end of the electrostatic separator and at least some of the non-conductive components from a second end of the electrostatic separator.
In an embodiment, the polymer is a latex polymer.
In an embodiment, the polymer is a dry polymer.
In an embodiment, the polymer is a flocculant.
In an embodiment, the polymer is a latex flocculent.
In an embodiment, the polymer is a dry flocculant.
In an embodiment, the polymer is an anionic latex copolymer.
In an embodiment, the polymer is an anionic dry copolymer.
In an embodiment, the polymer is an anionic copolymer of acrylic acid and acrylamide.
In an embodiment, the polymer is polyacrylate.
In an embodiment, the polymer has an anionic charge ranging from about 0.5 to about 1.5 meq/g.
In an embodiment, the polymer has an anionic charge ranging from about 10 percent to about 55 percent.
In an embodiment, the polymer has an anionic charge of about 30 percent.
In an embodiment, the step of adding the polymer to the ore further comprises adding the polymer to the ore at a polymer/ore ratio ranging from about 20 grams per ton to about 100 grams per ton.
In an embodiment, the adding step further comprises adding the polymer to the ore while the ore is under a turbulent flow or under turbulent conditions.
In an embodiment, the present invention provides a method for separating rutile from zircon that comprises the steps of providing a supply of an ore comprising rutile and zircon, processing the ore (by techniques including grinding, wet separation, attritioning, and acid or alkali washing), adding an anionically charged polymer to the processed ore, drying the polymer and ore, and separating at least some of the zircon from the rutile by feeding the ore and polymer through an electrostatic separator and collecting at least some of the zircon from a first end of the electrostatic separator and at least some of the rutile from a second end of the electrostatic separator.
In an embodiment, the polymer is a flocculent.
In an embodiment, the polymer has an anionic charge ranging from about 0.5 to 1.5 meq/g.
In an embodiment, the polymer is an anionic copolymer of acrylamide and acrylic acid with an anionic charge of about 30 percent. The residual acrylamide content of the polymer can range from 0 to 1,000 ppm; the gel number can range from 0 to 60; the molecular weight, represented as RSV (dL/g), can range from 28 to 60; the invert viscosity can range from 100 to 600; the minimum invertability can range from 50 percent to 70 percent and the anionic charge can range from about 0.62 to about 1.22 meq/g.
In an embodiment, the polymer is a flocculating, anionic co-polymer or ter-polymer.
In an embodiment, the polymer is added to a heavy mineral concentrate (HMC).
It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide improved zircon and rutile product quality.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it increases the zircon and rutile production rates as opposed to conventional methods.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it reduces the loss of zircon or rutile during processing.
Still another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a means for improving efficiencies of electrostatic separation of conductive minerals from non-conductive minerals.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and appended claims, and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
Chemical Abstracts 80:61592, Composition and enrichability of sands from a placer deposit in Kazakhstan. Dolomanova, M. G.; Komarov, O. K.; Anikeeva, V.I.; Gubanova, T. L. (USSR). Nauch. Tr., Gos. Nauch.-Issled. Proekt. Inst. Redkmetal. Prom., 25, 257-70 (Russian) 1971.
Chemical Abstracts 90:41747, Separation techniques suitable for beach sands of Quinlon. Grover, A. R.; Kulpati, S. D. (India). Plant Maint. Import Substitution, 11(1), 14-19 (English) 1978.
Allan Graeme
Henderson Raymond Leslie
Breininger Thomas M.
Cummings Kelly L.
Miller Jonathan R.
Nalco Chemical Company
Walsh Donald P.
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