Understanding the Basic Mineral Processing Flowsheet

Summary
The purpose of this short course is to provide attendees who are new to the topic with an overall understanding of a typical copper/gold mineral processing circuit from crushing and grinding to concentration by flotation.

The material is presented in a manner that starts with the simple process flow, then goes to more detailed explanations of sub circuits and components, without using highly technical and mathematical formulas. The course also provides explanations of basic concepts used in mineral processing on a daily basis.

Objectives
After attending this course each participant will be able to:

name the major building blocks of a typical processing plant;
explain the process at a block diagram level;
explain basic concepts and principles such as:
liberation,
separation,
dewatering,
S/G,
% solids, and
% passing;
explain each sub circuit and name its components:
crushing/conveying,
grinding,
flotation, and
dewatering;
name the major parts and explain the basic operation of all major components:
crushers,
conveyers,
grinding mills,
flotation cells,
regrind circuit, and
dewatering circuit; and
explain basic process automation.