A collaborative approach to iron ore beneficiation at Assmang Khumani processing plant.

A feasibility study was carried out at Beeshoek Mine (Assmang Khumani, Northern Cape, South Africa) which included extensive mineralogical and metallurgical investigations. The design process and logic followed over the last years is outlined, and the reasoning behind today's value added approach discussed. As an integral part of the beneficiation concept, focus is set on the jigs; lumpy and fine jigs sort grain sizes under 32 mm at 340 t/h and under 8 mm at 300 t/h, respectively. Dense media separation was evaluated as an alternative to jigging in a comparative test work study, but this option had to be excluded due to its inability to achieve the sales specifications. In contrast, the prospect of producing an additional middlings fraction on the lumpy ore jigs proved to be an adequate option for further improvements of overall mass yield. With further liberation, a saleable product will be achieved by secondary beneficiation on fines jigs and wet high intensity magnetic separation (WHIMS). Jigs are considered the most viable and cost effective beneficiation process for off-grade ore +0.8 - 32 mm, while WHIMS is the process under consideration for super fines recovery.
A feasibility study was carried out at Beeshoek Mine (Assmang Khumani, Northern Cape, South Africa) which included extensive mineralogical and metallurgical investigations. The design process and logic followed over the last years is outlined, and the reasoning behind today's value added approach discussed. As an integral part of the beneficiation concept, focus is set on the jigs; lumpy and fine jigs sort grain sizes under 32 mm at 340 t/h and under 8 mm at 300 t/h, respectively. Dense media separation was evaluated as an alternative to jigging in a comparative test work study, but this option had to be excluded due to its inability to achieve the sales specifications. In contrast, the prospect of producing an additional middlings fraction on the lumpy ore jigs proved to be an adequate option for further improvements of overall mass yield. With further liberation, a saleable product will be achieved by secondary beneficiation on fines jigs and wet high intensity magnetic separation (WHIMS). Jigs are considered the most viable and cost effective beneficiation process for off-grade ore +0.8 - 32 mm, while WHIMS is the process under consideration for super fines recovery.