Modern Process Mineralogy: An integrated multi-disciplined approach to flowsheeting

The history of development of Process Mineralogy is reviewed, and updated. Specifically, the approach taken by Xstrata Process Support is discussed. It is shown that across the current generation of practice, a multi-disciplinary approach of sampling, geology, quantitative and qualitative mineralogy, applied statistics and mineral processing hybridises well into a synergistic arrangement that delivers better flowsheeting for the concentrator. The development of modern mineralogical and mineral processing equipment and methodology has contributed in great measure to an overall ability to correctly assess the processing needs of an orebody. This leads to a more accurate understanding of the flowsheet requirements, thus the flotation testing becomes more focussed and delivers a more viable flowsheet at an earlier stage of the project. The role of applied statistics in this practice additionally contributes relevant quality controls to the sampling and laboratory quality controls, as well as to the all-important plant scale trial, which must be able to demonstrate the expected performance gains. Some suggestions for the path forward from here onward are made.