Mineralogical Factors Affecting the Dense Medium Separation of Nickel Sulfide Ores

Dense medium separation (DMS) is often used to reject a large portion of gangue material upfront create cost and energy savings during processing. As lower-grade ores with complex mineralogy are being increasingly exploited, the properties minerals begin play more important role in upgrading ore. It therefore understand these mineralogical factors be able select suitable processing routes for specific ore types. Two nickel sulfide deposits southern Africa were chosen as case studies differences DMS efficiency when applied different ores: Ore A B. Both showed upgrades using products then characterized QEMSCAN, aid X-ray diffraction electron probe microanalysis. Overall, particle density remains main control on separation, followed by texture, massive net-textured sulfides having larger grain sizes better liberation than disseminated sulfides. In addition concentration sulfides, primary secondary silicate separated their differences, which can affect recovery finely associated them. Particle size also DMS, near cut-point separating rather density. The understanding affecting prediction suitability