Recovery of total heavy minerals using gravity concentrators on lean and off grade beach sands

Abstract

In the present investigation, an attempt is made to synergize the effects of textural, physical and chemical characteristics of placer deposits. These deposits are associated with lean and off-grade placer heavy minerals, which typically exhibit variations in total heavy minerals, texture and composition. They are found all along the coastal stretch of the Bay of Bengal, from Chatrapur to Puri Dists, Odisha, India. The aim is the recovery of total heavy minerals using various models of gravity concentrates. The results of the present study reveal that the Mozley table produced a concentrate containing 93.2% THM. In comparison, the gravity table, HG8 spiral, CT spiral and Humphrey spirals yielded concentrates with 92.2%, 92.9%, 93.6%, and 98.2% THM, respectively, from a feed sample containing 4.72% THM. Additionally, it was observed that the performance of the spiral depends on both the feed grade and the texture analysis of the input material.

Keywords

• beach sand
• placer
• heavy minerals
• mineral separator
• spiral concentrators