This course provides an overview or introduction into the field of mineral beneficiation and comminution, systems and equipment used for the mineral processing industry. Fundamentals of basic separation and mineral beneficiation, environmental concerns, safety and terminology will be explored.
Course Information
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Placement in Mill Operations OE program
Instructional Goals
- Describe and explain the liberation and concentration principles of mineral recovery
- Describe particle size analysis and its importance for recovery
- Describe the reagent process and how it is used.
- Describe flotation circuit processes and its basic operation
- Describe the different types of dewatering circuits and their basic operation.
- Describe the water treatment process and its basic operation.
- Explain mill circuit capacities vs efficiency/recovery
- Explain efficiency of mineral processing operations
Student Outcomes
| Student Outcomes Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to do the following: | Assessment Procedures This outcome will be assessed by one or more of the following: |
|---|---|
| Students demonstrate an understanding of safety as applied to working in a mill facility | Performance answering identified mill safety test questions |
| Students demonstrate proper safety practices around rotating equipment | Observed performance demonstrating proper (general) safety practices required around rotating equipment |
| Students demonstrate knowledge of various types of liberation and concentration equipment | Performance answering identified liberation and concentration circuit equipment test questions Observed performance identifying various types of liberation and concentration equipment components |
| Students demonstrate knowledge of various types of dewatering circuits | Performance answering identified dewatering equipment circuit test questions Observed performance identifying various dewatering unit components |
| Students demonstrate knowledge of various types of froth flotation systems | Performance answering identified froth flotation test questions Observed performance identifying froth flotation unit components and associated equipment |
| Students demonstrate knowledge of reagents and their applications | Performance answering identified reagent application and performance questions Observed performance identifying reagent performance and application |
| Students demonstrate knowledge of water treatment circuits/systems used in mill operations | Performance answering identified water treatment process test questions Observed performance identifying water treatment circuit components and associated equipment |
| Students demonstrate knowledge of efficient mill operations involving liberation, concentration, and water treatment | Performance answering identified mill process operation and efficiency test questions Observed performance identifying proper operation of mill processes, and ability to summarize efficiency |
Course Outline
- Liberation and concentration principles
- Liberation (comminution) system terminology
- Comminution system components
- Comminution principles/targets (particle size analysis)
- Concentration system terminology
- Concentration methods/principles
- Flotation Circuits
- Froth flotation terminology
- Froth flotation system components
- Froth flotation principles of operation
- Froth flotation normal operation
- Froth flotation analysis/control parameters
- Dewatering circuits
- Dewatering equipment types
- Dewatering terminology
- Principles of dewatering/efficiency
- Dewatering system normal operation
- Dewatering system abnormal operation
- Reagents
- Reagent terminology
- Reagent principles/applications
- Reagent performance measures
- Reagent application methods
- Reagent safety and environmental concerns
- Mill water treatment
- Water treatment terminology
- Water treatment system components
- Water treatment principles/methods
- Water treatment environmental/efficiency concerns
- Communition & Concentration analysis and efficiency
- Guidelines for proper communition operation/efficiency
- Guidelines for proper froth flotation circuit operation/efficiency
- Guidelines for proper dewatering circuit operation/efficiency
- Guidelines for proper water treatment operation/efficiency
- Mill circuits process variables
Suggested Text
Wills’ Mineral Processing Technology, 8th edition
B.A Wills, James Finch PhD, Butterworth-Heinemann publisher, 2015
Bibliography
DACUM Research Chart for Mill Operator
Produced for Teck Alaska Inc. Red Dog Mine — June 2015
Prepared by John P. Hakala
ApprenticeshipUSA United States Department of Labor