MINOPEX K1

NAME

CATEGORY

TERTIARY
TECHNOLOGY
STARTED DATE
END DATE

THEMBI PORTIA SHILENGE

METALLURGICAL STUDENT

: TSHWANE UNIVERSITY OF
: MARCH
: MAY

REPORT
: SHIFT ( D) REPORT ON THE
THINGS THAT I HAVE LEARNED AND DONE AROUND
THE PLANT K1
SUBMITTING TO
VISOR )

: COBUS GREEN (SHIFT SUPER

INTRODUCTION
K1 plant processes the platinum group metals and their tailings are Chrome
Crushing is a dry process, and is performed in several stages, reduction ratios
being small, ranging from three to six in each stage. The reduction ratio of a
crushing stage can be defined as the ratio of maximum particle size entering to
maximum particle size leaving the crusher, although other definitions are
sometimes used. There are a number of crushers available as jaw, gyratory, cone,
roll, and impact crushers at K1 a jaw crusher for primary crushing to a size of 75cm
is used and a cone crusher , reducing to a size that can pass a dry screen having
aparture size of 25cm.
Froth Flotation is a means of treating pulp of finely ground ores so that the valuable
or desired mineral is obtained in a concentrate, which will be suitable to further
processing. The process involves chemical treatment of the ore pulp to create
conditions favourable for attachment of the desired mineral particles to air bubbles
which floats to the top and recovered as froth

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Assistance was received from the shift supervisor Mr Cobus Green for handing me
this opportunity to work , observe and learn from his shift, Mr Diderek Nel a plant
Metturlugist , in the elucidation of practical training and the conduct of joining the
shift D. Gratitude is also directed to K1 and all the operators and workers from the
shift for supplying a fully informative knowledge. The metturlugical engineering
books also assisted in directing the compilation of this report

ROM CRUSHING (SECONDARY CRUSHING K1)

SAFETY
PPE always worn in full, safety clothes, safety boots, hard hat, googles, ear plugs
and safety glasses. The noise is too high it can affect the hearing, a job card (risk
assessment and hazards identification ) is required before any task can be
performed and no one is allowed to work on a moving machinery. Each individual is
responsible to maintain and adhere to the safety standards of the company.

Always apply the four steps to safety

Always adhere to the DEADLY FIVE

THEORY
Crushing is a dry process, and is performed in several stages, reduction ratios
being small, ranging from three to six in each stage. The reduction ratio of a
crushing stage can be defined as the ratio of maximum particle size entering to
maximum particle size leaving the crusher, although other definitions are
sometimes used. There are a number of crushers available as jaw, gyratory, cone,
roll, and impact crushers at K1 a jaw crusher for primary crushing to a size of 75 is
used and a cone crusher , reducing to a size that can pass through a dry screen
having aparture size of 25 and material that couldnot pass through a dry screen
conveyor are the over size then are sent to the secondary crushing at a cone
crusher, and the material that passed the through are called the under size fines
flows to the 8000 silos and can be ready for Dense Medium Separation (DMS)
JAW CRUSHER (PRIMARY CRUSHING)

Compression breakage between crusher jaws and rock.

Rocks break and become smaller as they move down
Smallest particles leave through discharge gap
Primary Crusher
Can crush large rocks
Works like an animals jaws that clench the rock and apply pressure until the
rock breaks
One fixed jaw and one swing jaw
High capacities possible with larger machines
Robust
Very commonly used crusher

CONE CRUSHER (SECONDARY CRUSHING)

Secondary Crusher
Crushes smaller rocks
The cone rotates off centre in a conical shell and the rock gets crushed
between the cone head and the shell
Fine particle sizes can be produced
Good size control possible
Usually operated in closed circuit with a screen

OBJECTIVES
Crushing is the first mechanical stage in the process of comminution in which the
main objective is the liberation of the valuable minerals from the gangue. It is
generally a dry operation and is usually performed in two or three stages at K1 its
first primary crushing (JAW CRUSHER) then secondary crushing (CONE CRUSHER)

FLOW
We first get the ore from ROM in larger sizes , since its easier to treat smaller
particles than bigger particles , jaw crusher is fed with the ore and breaks into
smaller paricles the materials flows via the conveyor belt to the 800 silo, it meets
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the cross belt conveyor and goes to the dry screen where undersize will go to 8000
silos and oversize to the cone crusher for re-crushing. The Dry Circuit Screen Feed
Conveyor already loaded with the product from primary crushing; passes
underneath Cone Crusher and further collects Cone Crusher product. The joined
material is then gets conveyed and discharged onto the double Decker Dry Circuit
Screen , This conveyor is the longest in the plant and is more prone to tears and
misalignments than other belts in the plant. It is therefore important to ensure
conveyor pre-use or pre-shift checks are done thoroughly, The <25mm screen under
pass is discharged onto the Transfer Conveyor . The Transfer Conveyor discharges
its contents into a shuttle chute which can re-direct the material in to the 8000 silo

OPERATION
The operating parameters for the Crusher are:

Feed rate
Feed Size
Closed Side Setting (Gap Setting)
The size of the final product
Controlled by Crusher Gap Setting
The maximum particle size of the feed material
Controlled by upstream process
Feed rate Controlled by feeder

Feed rate
If the screen is fed by a variable speed feeder, the feed rate onto the
screen can be accurately controlled.
In many cases, the feed rate is dictated by the operation of the
upstream process and cannot be controlled directly.
Feed size
The feed size to the screen is determined by the upstream process.
This usually is controlled by the crusher. The crusher gap setting
influences the feed size of the material.
Product size
The size of the screen products is controlled primarily by the size of the
screen panel apertures.
The shape of the aperture may also play a role in determining the cut
size of the screen.
Distribution of feed

 The material that is fed onto the screen must be evenly distributed
across the width of the screen. If the material is fed unevenly, this
leads to inefficient screening and uneven wear and tear of screen
panels.
Vibrating speed
If the speed of vibration is too high, the material will be forced off of
the screen too quickly and efficient separation will not be possible.
Excessive vibration can also lead to screen damage.
If the vibration speed is too low, the bed of material will not be opened
up and the smaller particles can be carried across to the oversize.
The vibration speed must be set by the engineering department.
The operators and supervisors responsibilities and duties are:
Achieve production targets
Ensure a safe and healthy working environment for your workers
Minimize downtime
Control operating costs
Identify and solve process problems
Prevent equipment breakdowns through inspections and planned
maintenance
Manage and lead an effective and motivated workforce
Optimize the process

TASKS PERFOMED
I worked with Isaac Maimane which is the crushing section operator , I did visual
inspection on the gutters on the conveyor guards if they are well screwed and stiff
and there is no missing screw on the corners of the guard before the crushing and
the conveyor belts can start , if we are at the desired set point of the mass (700-800
tons) transported by the conveyor by checking the tag at each conveyor belt, if they
are any damaged belts and if there is a rain, if yes then the set point of the mass
was reduced because the belt may break if it transport more weight. Checked the
level of the pressure on the cone crusher, check if the dry screen its fed in the
middle and not on the sides by the dry screen belt conveyor, the stitched belt
should not transport more than 700 tons of mass, it must be kept 500-600 tons or
below. If the cone crusher is crushing more fines then adjustments were made ,
check if there are no steel metals moving with ore on the conveyor, because they
7

can damage the belt, unchoked the 8000 silo feed by hosing on the feed conveyor
and housekept the section by removing the waste pipes, plastics and metals off the
section . If the matters I have mensioned are not up to standard then I report to the
control room to send the relevant people to fix the issues.

DMS (DENSE MEDIUM SEPARATION)

SAFETY
PPE always worn in full, safety clothes, safety boots, hard hat, googles, ear plugs
and safety glasses. The noise is too high it can affect the hearing, a job card (risk
assessment and hazards identification ) is required before any task can be
performed and no one is allowed to work on a moving machinery. Each individual is
responsible to maintain and adhere to the safety standards of the company.

Always apply the four steps to safety

Always adhere to the DEADLY FIVE

THEORY and the FLOW

Dense medium separation is performed using a variety of mediums here in K1 fesi is
used, its classified as an absolute gravity separation as the sinks and the floats
travel in different directions

FLOW, The ore from 8000 silo is conveyed into the DMS feed preparation (banana)
screen . The banana screen feed conveyor is equipped with a weight-o-meter to
determine the amount of ore being fed to the DMS plant. The feed conveyor
discharges onto banana screen, with fines from the effluent sump and spray water.
The banana screen underflow passes to the the de watering screen and the over
size to the mixing box where it will mix with the medium fesi and distributes to the
three cyclones. The cyclone feed is monitored by pressure transmitter to ensure
correct pressure head is maintained to feed the cyclones. The cyclone underflow
passes onto the float screen its the heavier stones with no or little pgms, and the
overflow discharges on to the sinks screen these are the lighter materials with more
pgms. On the float and sinks screen the first potion collects the medium back to the
CM tank
DMS Main Stream
The feed preparation (banana) screen oversize passes to three DMS mixing boxes,
where medium is added from the medium head box . The resulting slurry passes by
gravity into the DMS cyclones, via a specially designed pressurised splitter.
The DMS floats pass over a drainage panel where the bulk of the medium is drained
back to the circulating medium tank . The floats then pass over the floats drain and
rinse screen where the remainder of the medium is drained back to the circulating
medium tank. The remainder is washed off and then clean with water. This dilute
stream drains to the dilute medium tank
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The DMS sinks pass over a drainage panel where the bulk of the medium is drained
back to the circulating medium tank . The sinks then pass over the sinks drain and
rinse screen where the remainder of the medium is drained back to the circulating
medium tank. The remainder is washed off with clean water. This dilute stream
drains to the dilute medium tank . From the head box, medium is distributed to the
mixing boxes. Also some of the medium in the header box is directed to the circuit
densifiers to dewater the FeSi medium.
The densifier overflow is directed to the medium bleed by where medium can be
directed to either the dilute medium tank (DM) or circulating medium tank (CM).
The densifier underflow is directed to the circulating medium tank. The dilute
medium drained from the drains, rinse screens and the underflow, and the densifier
overflow all pass to the dilute medium tank from where it is pumped to the
magnetic separators . The separator effluent or overflow is split into three water
with a little bit of fesi is used as drain and rinse screen primary spray water and
fines to the effluent sump and the medium back to the CM tank. The magnetic
separator concentrate passes to the circulating medium tank.
Fresh Ferro-Silicon (FeSi) medium is made up by adding the FeSi powder to the
make-up tank, which is pre-filled with water. The resulting slurry is circulated to the
tank by pump and head box and once sufficiently conditioned and wetted, the head
box transfers the FeSi slurry to the circulating medium tank.
The dewatering screen separates fines from the water, and the underflow flows to
the dewatering sump where reagents are added for further collection (SIBX, KU5
and Frother) the fines flow via the conveyor belt together with the sinks going to the
primary ball mill beams to feed the mills 1 and 2 at an equal percentage
The dewatering sump is pumped to the flash float cell 1 , the overflow feeds cell 2
and their underflows goes to the settling cone sump their overflow feeds flash float
cell 3 where its overflow is pumped to the final concentrate tank at the float section
and its underflow goes back to the dewatering sump for re floatation again,the
slurry from the settling cone is pumped to the primary mill cyclones, floats stones
are disposed as waste via the conveyor belt

TASKS PERFOMED
Checked if the fesi is not lost by holding the floats and sinks stones using my
hand, if my hands remained clean then fesi was consumed and if showed
some filthy then it meant fesi was lost
Checked if the flash floats cells were floating, the level of fesi in the CM Tank
The level of SIBX if it corresponded with the one on set point
Controlled the level of effluent sump not to overflow, by decreasing the level
of the air
10

 Helped in changing the screen panels at the banana screen, sinks and floats
screen

OBJECTIVES
To separate the platinum group metals from the unwanted materials

OPERATION
BANANA SCREEN AND HOW IT WORKS
Banana or Multi-slope screens have become widely used in high-tonnage sizing
applications where both efficiency and capacity are important. Banana screens
typically have a variable slope of around 40-30 degree at the feed end of the
screen, reducing to around 0-15 degree in increments of 3.5-5 degree. Banana
screens are usually designed with a linear-stroke vibrator. The steep sections of the
screen cause the feed material to flow rapidly at the feed end of the screen. The
resulting thin bed of particles stratifies more quickly and therefore has a faster
screening rate for the very fine material than would be possible on a slower moving
thick bed. Towards the discharge end of the screen, the slope decreases to slow
down the remaining material, enabling more efficient screening of the near-size
material. The capacity of banana screens is significantly greater and is reported to
be up to three or four times that of conventional vibrating screens.
SCREEN OPERATING PARAMETERS
Feed rate
If the screen is fed by a variable speed feeder, the feed rate onto the screen can be
accurately controlled.
In many cases, the feed rate is dictated by the operation of the upstream process
and cannot be controlled directly.
Feed size
The feed size to the screen is determined by the upstream process. This usually is
controlled by the crusher. The crusher gap setting influences the feed size of the
material.
Product size
The size of the screen products is controlled primarily by the size of the screen
panel apertures.

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The shape of the aperture may also play a role in determining the cut size of the
screen.
Distribution of feed
The material that is fed onto the screen must be evenly distributed across the width
of the screen. If the material is fed unevenly, this leads to inefficient screening and
uneven wear and tear of screen panels.
Vibrating speed
If the speed of vibration is too high, the material will be forced off of the screen too
quickly and efficient separation will not be possible. Excessive vibration can also
lead to screen damage.
If the vibration speed is too low, the bed of material will not be opened up and the
smaller particles can be carried across to the oversize.
The vibration speed must be set by the engineering department.

The operators and supervisors responsibilities and duties are:

Achieve production targets

Ensure a safe and healthy working environment for your workers
Minimize downtime
Control operating costs
Identify and solve process problems
Prevent equipment breakdowns through inspections and planned
maintenance
Manage and lead an effective and motivated workforce
Optimize the process
Check and change screen panels if required
Check and change cyclone or spigots if required
Ensure correct reagents dosing at all times at the DEWATERING sump

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MILLING SECTION (PRIMARY BALL MILL 1 & 2)

SAFETY

Full PPE is worn at all the time, a job card is made before any task can be
perfomed and house keeping is done to prevent tripping and falling due to
wet surfaces Each individual is responsible to maintain and adhere to the safety
standards of the company.
Always apply the four steps to safety
Always adhere to the DEADLY FIVE

THEORY
The functions of the mill is to liberate the PGM minerals. Good Liberation tells us the
number of PGM particles we can see on the surface of the rock particles or the
number of PGM particles free from the host rock, the grinding action is induced by
relative motion between the rock particle and that of the media such as balls.
The Bigger the Mill the higher the Rate of Breakage, However too big a mill may
result in dropping the breakage rate again the Breakage Rate is determined by the
hardness of the rock

13

14

 The Mills are the work horses of Mineral Process Plant

The Key Variable to ensure efficient milling/Liberation are:

Mill size
Mill Power
Ball/Media Load
Mill Speed
Ball/Media Sizing
Ball/Media Composition (e.g. chrome content)

K1 uses ball mills the primary mills and secondary are rubber lined

15

Functions of components of the mill

Liners provides protection to mill shell and are attached by means of body
bolts. Shell liners cover the inner length of the mill, inlet-end and dischargeend liners are also provided to cover the ends. Liner lifters help lift the
material in the mill for optimum grinding.
Main bearings (trunnion and pinion bearing) - The main bearings
support the mill on either end and provide the drive mechanism.
Mill shell - The mill shell is made from mild steel and is provided with
inspection ports through which entry can be gained for inspection purposes.
Holes are provided to secure mill liners with body bolts.
Mill load material inside the mill e.g. feed , grinding media and water.
Barring Gear - The barring gear facility is used to disengage the mill from
the main mill motor. The barring gear is engaged when the need arises to
rotate the mill very slowly, i.e. when relining or tightening leaking bolts.
Trunnion(inlet and outlet) - The mill trunnion provides access for material
and personnel in and out of the mill and access is gained by removing the
inlet hopper away from the trunnion.
Mill drive converts the electrical energy to drive the mill
16

OBJECTIVES
T o further reduce the size of the ore and liberate the minerals in order to easily
separate them from the gangue minerals using froth flotation.

OPERATIONS
The operating parameters of a mill are:

Feed rate
Feed Size
Mill Density
Water addition
Grinding media addition
Power consumption

Mill load

Overload causes:
Inefficient grinding
Power decrease with increase in mill load
Decrease in mill feed
Decrease in classifier dilution
Stoppage mill feed
Under load causes:
Low power resulting in low mill load
Damage to liners
Unnecessary increase of the mill feed
Inefficient grinding

The operators and supervisors responsibilities and duties are:

Achieve production targets

Ensure a safe and healthy working environment for your workers
Minimize downtime
Control operating costs
Identify and solve process problems
Prevent equipment breakdowns through inspections and planned
maintenance
Manage and lead an effective and motivated workforce
Optimize the process
Check and change screen panels if required
Check and change cyclone or spigots if required
17

FLOW
The primary mills in K1 plant are 2 and get feed from the DMS, the sinks +
dewatering fines from DMS are transported by the conveyor belt to the mill beam
and distributed to each feed 50% for primary mill 1 and mill 2, together with
underflow of the flash float 1 + flash float 2 in DMS from the settling cone flows to
the primary mill cyclones there the underflow flows to the mill and the overflow of
the primary cyclones flows straight to the mill discharge screens meeting with the
grinded materials discharged from the mills and are pumped to the primary rougher
feed sump for floatation process and the screen overflow are discharged to the
scats bins through pipes.

TASKS PERFOMED
Competency in taking densities
first I used a sample cutter, to cut the samples on the mill discharge and put
inside the flask used for densities
left the flask hanging on the scale
recorded the density then dispose on the spillage area where it can be
pumped back to the process
clean the flask and the sample cutter
I operated the butterfly valves, in closing for water not to pass through and to open
for the water to pass through, when horsing on the section for good housekeeping.
I operated the switches on the mill devices in barring the mill before the mill can
start running, it completed a full circle of 360 during barring then I stopped then I
switched off and my collegue Matthews was helping in dis-engaging the teeth of
the motor so that the mill can start running
I un-choked the ball feeder by pushing inside the feeder using metal so that the
balls can flow into the mill, unchoked the mill by hosing water on the discharge and
I was helping on the scats bin to remove waste by shovelling
Did housekeeping on the section, to keep it clean and tidy

18

FLASH FLOAT SECTION

SAFETY
Full PPE is worn at all times and a job card is made for every task being perfomed at
the section, carefull movement because the area is always wet to avoid slips and
falls and trips and falls. Each individual is responsible to maintain and adhere to the safety
standards of the company.

Always apply the four steps to safety

Always adhere to the DEADLY FIVE

THEORY
Froth Flotation is a means of treating pulp of finely ground ores so that the valuable
or desired mineral is obtained in a concentrate, which will be suitable to further
processing. The process involves chemical treatment of the ore pulp to create
conditions favourable for attachment of the desired mineral particles to air bubbles
which floats to the top and recovered as froth.

19

20

Hydrophilic are water loving (water adsorbing) particles like gangue minerals (rocks
that dont have value) and they sink to the bottom of the cell and goes with the
tailings.
Hydrophobic are water hating (water repellent) particles like PGMs and other
sulphide particles and they float with bubbles in the flotation cell.
Flotation, or more specifically froth flotation, is a physico-chemical method of
concentrating ground ores. The process involves chemical treatment of an ore pulp
to create conditions favorable for the attachment of pre-determined mineral
particles to air bubbles. The air bubbles carry the selected minerals to the surface of
the pulp, there forming a stabilized froth which is skimmed off and from which the
pre-determined mineral particles are recovered. Other minerals remain submerged
in the pulp, here the pgm,s are attached on the bubbles so frother , xanthate and
depressant are used in the process xanthate as a collecter , frother to stabilize the
bubbles and depresant KU5 to depress the unwanted materials
In the floatation cell, air bubbles are introduced at the bottom of the cell , as the air
bubbles rise to the top of the cell , the particles collide with the bubbles
As the slurry travels further down the bank of cells more and more of the
valuable material is removed
At the last cell in the bank , there should be very little valuable material left in
the slurry
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FACTORS AFFECTING THE FROTH FLOATATION

PERFOMANCE

Reagent dosing (sibx, froth, KU5), either over dosing or under dosing
Air addition (too much of air of too low)
Particle size (poor grindes)
Feed rate (too high or too low)
Pulp density (too high or too low)
Froth depth (low or high)
Pulp level

Xanthates are a family of reagents used as a collector in the floatation process, a

collector used to make the valuable minerals particles hydrophobic so that they can
be collected in the floatation process. The slurry needs to be conditioned with
xanthates in an agitated tank before it is effective, this mixes the xanthate
thoroughly with the mineral particles and ensures that the molecules have adsorbed
on to the exposed mineral surfaces
Collectors
The collector is the heart of the flotation process.
In order for a mineral to attach itself to a bubble, its surface must be made
hydrophobic (that is, the surface must repel or hate water and must prefer the air to
the water). Collectors are used for this purpose. They attach themselves to the
mineral surface by chemical, electrical or physical attraction, and then makes the
mineral particle water repellent, however one needs sufficient surface area that can
be achieved by milling adequately. The collectors do not like to attach themselves to
the waste (gangue) minerals and thus, the gangue remain soaked in water and are
unable to attach themselves to the bubbles.
The Collector used at K1 is called Sodium Iso-Butyl XANTHATES (SIBX) and Xanthate
based chemicals are commonly used in platinum flotation circuits.
Collectors have been developed that are very selective in terms of the minerals that
they attach themselves to. They are usually added in small amounts to the flotation
pulp: if too much is added, selectivity is reduced and unwanted minerals may be
floated. Also, too many collectors can have the opposite to the desired effect and
can reduce floatability. It is common to add different collectors at different places in
the flotation circuit: very selective but weaker collectors can be used in the
beginning of the circuit to float the easy floating minerals, and then less selective,
but more powerful ones later on to float the less floatable minerals.
Frother
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The main purpose of the frothing agent is to create a froth capable of "carrying" or
holding the mineral-laden bubbles (bubbles loaded with minerals) until they can be
removed from the flotation cell. This objective is accomplished by imparting
temporary toughness to the covering film of the bubble. The life of the individual
bubble is thus prolonged until it can be further stabilized by adherence of mineral
particles and joined with other bubbles at the pulp surface to form a froth bed. Once
the "froth" is withdrawn from the flotation machine, however, it is desirable that it
break down rapidly, to prevent interference with subsequent processing operations
such as froth sump level measurement and pumping
Depressant
The role of depressants is to reduce the collection of unwanted gangue, typically
talc and other oxide minerals such as chrome. Typical examples of depressants
include either inorganic salts, such as sodium silicate, sodium sulphite or organic
salts, such as polysaccharides, dextrin and starch derivatives, guar gums,( KU5) and
alginates.
Depression is achieved by either enhancing the hydrophilic nature of the gangue
surface, by preventing the formation of hydrophobic species or by coating of
unwanted slimes on the mineral surface.
Depressants are used to increase the selectivity of flotation. These chemicals are
hydrophilic (water loving), and attach themselves to certain minerals and thus
render them unfloatable. KU 5 is the depressant that is used at K1 in order to keep
the unwanted minerals in the flotation cells from where they can be rejected
through the tailings stream, for example chrome

OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of the flotation section in the concentrator is to produce the
best possible metal recovery (what did we get out from the ore?) at the required
concentrate grade. This must be done at the lowest possible operating cost so that
the process is profitable.

FLOW
The primary mill discharge feeds the primary rougher feed sump, where the feed
will be pumped to the primary rougher cells from 1 to 7 and the first two cells are
the high grades and the rest are low grades the overflow of cell1 and 2 flows to the
primary cleaners and the overflow of the last cells flows to the secondary cleaners,
their underflow flows to the primary rougher tail where its pumped to the secondary
ball mill cyclones for regrinding. At primary cleaners the overflow is the final
concentrate and pumped to the final concentrate tank and the underflow flows to
the primary rougher feed sump to be re floated again. The secondary floatation cells
are fed by the secondary ball mill discharge and consist of two rows A and B , the
23

first two cells are the high grades and the overflow flows to the primary cleaners
and the rest to the secondary cleaners its underflow flows to the secondary rougher
tails to be pumped to the spiral feed. At the secondary cleaners the overflow is the
final concentrate and flows to the final concentrate tank and the underflow flows to
the secondary ball mill cyclones for further milling.
The final concentrate is pumped to the thickner to remove the water, a flocc is
added to settle the concentrate and the water overflows to the process water tank
to be used in the plant, and the settled concentrate is pumped to the holding tank
and its ready to be transported to Smelters via the truck tanker.

TASKS PERFOMED
I recorded the mass of the concentrate on the PID diagram in the control
room four times every each time the gate valve stops and we offloaded the
final concentrate in to the truck tank , I took the mass and closed the gate
valve if the concentrate gets high and after recording the first batch , I
opened the valve again on the PID for the concentrate to pass through
I measured the froth depth of each flash float cell on the primary rougher
cells, primary cleaners, secondary rougher cells and secondary cleaners
using the froth depther
I controlled the air valves on the float cells, either open or close whenever the
air was not enough or was too much
I controlled the butterfly valve of the flocculant which is used in the thickener
to conserve water , either to open or to close the valve to reduce the flow or
to increase it
Did house- keeping by hosing the spillages and started a spillage pump
I took densities of the thickener and that of the holding tank and reported to
the control room via a radio communicator
SIBX was mixed at the reagent mixing area , I measured the strength of the
solution of the reagent by taking a sample on the primary rougher feed sump
using a glass jar and I did analysis in the lab by taking a droplet of SIBX using
a syringe and put it on top of the refractro-meter where it reads the strength
of the reagent and took the readings , if the strength is below 13-14 the SIBX
was weak they will add more when mixing and if its too high than 13-14 it will
be diluted with water
Did reagent spot checking , used a flask of 500-600ml and a stop watch , took
a sample of SIBX on the pipe feeding with SIBX on the primary rougher feed
sump and the secondary ball mill discharge sump , for 60 seconds in a flask
and measured how many liters SIBX is used for every minute and further
calculated to make it in hours its found that it should range between 4-5
liters for each hour

24

OPERATION

Feed rate to the floatation cell has to be right for the valuable material to
spend enough time in the cell to be recovered , if the feed rate is too high the
slurry passes through the cells quickly and some of the valuable materials
may be lost
Air conditions is usually automatically controlled by entering set points on
the SCADA , increase of air addition to the cell increases the rate of froth
removal from the cell
Decreasing the air slows down the the floatation rate and increase the
residence time of the particles inside the air
If the levels of the cells are too low the froth forming on the surface of the
slurry will not flow over into the froth launder resulting in low product
recovery
If the level is too high then the unwanted materials will flow on to the product
launder and the product will be contaminated

The operators and supervisors responsibilities and duties are to:

Ensure correct density is fed to both primary and secondary rougher feed as
determined by metallurgist from time to time depending on the ore.
Ensure milling achieves the correct grind on the ore as determined by
metallurgists.
Ensure correct amount of reagents is added at the correct dosing points as
determined by metallurgists.
Ensure all flotation cells both in the roughers and cleaners are frothing at all
times, not sliming.
Ensure all cells are continually overflowing with froth all the time.
Ensure all the cells have sufficient froth bed (froth level) as determined by
metallurgist from time to time.
Ensure the required mass pull as determined by metallurgist is achieved at all
times and each cell in the bank is contributing adequately (avoid sliming any
cell or allowing a cell not to overflow with froth)
Ensure the ball float and plate level indicator in each cell is moving freely not
stuck down by dry froth slime.
Prevent cells and sumps (both concentrate sumps and tailings sumps) from
overflowing.
Ensure all the cells are well serviced with plant air and control instruments
around each cell are in good working order. Deviations and breakdowns must
be promptly reported to the shift supervisor who will generate a work order
for repairs or maintenance artisan call out.
It is very important that constant flows are maintained on the flotation feed in
order to ensure that surges to the flotation plant are minimised. Stoppage,
incorrect operation, or delay at the milling section will influence the whole
flotation process with serious production losses. Stoppages also introduces
the process upsets which makes it difficult to control the plant.
25

o
o
o
o
o

Ensure all work is done under K1 work permit system.

Identify and solve process problems
Prevent equipment breakdowns through inspections and planned
maintenance
Contribute to an effective and motivated workforce
Identify process optimization opportunities and discuss them with
metallurgists and supervisors.
Ensure all safety equipment such as fire equipment in your area is
in good working order.

26

MILLING (SECONDARY BALL MILL )

SAFETY
Full PPE is worn and a job card is done each and every time the task is to be
perfomed. Each individual is responsible to maintain and adhere to the safety
standards of the company.
Always apply the four steps to safety
Always adhere to the DEADLY FIVE

THEORY
Milling, sometimes also known as fine grinding, pulverising or comminution, is the
process of reducing materials to a powder of fine or very fine size. It is distinct from
crushing or granulation, which involves size reduction to a rock, pebble or grain
size. Milling is used to produce a variety of materials which either have end uses
themselves or are raw materials or additives used in the manufacture of other
products.
To get the most out of the Milling circuit it is important to:

Liberate by breaking the ore sufficiently using correct ball load

Classify the milled ore to the correct particle size
Separate the correct size to flotation circuit
Return the oversize cyclone underflow to re-break in the Mill.
Control Mill product by density
Feed the correct density to flotation circuit

Cyclones at the mills

Feed Inlet - Feed slurry enters the cyclone under pressure.
Vortex Finder - The vortex finder collects the fine particles near the top of the
cyclone. The material that leaves through the vortex finder is called the overflow.
Most of the water in the feed stream also leaves via the overflow.
Cylindrical Section - The classification or sorting takes place in the cylindrical
section.
Conical Section - The conical section guides the coarse material or larger particles
to the bottom of the cyclone.
The Spigot /Apex - The spigot discharges the coarse/heavy material. The material
leaving via the spigot is called the underflow.
27

 The slurry enters the cyclone under pressure tangentially.

This causes a spinning movement of the slurry, which, in turn, causes the
separation of the coarse from the fine particles.
The fine particles exit at the top of the cyclone along with most of the water
from the feed mixture. This is called the overflow.
The coarse particles gather and exit at the bottom of the cyclone through the
spigot. This is called the underflow.
It must be noted that the size separation of a cyclone is not perfect. The
density of a particle also contributes to its reaction in a cyclone. Even with all
particles at the same density, misplacing of particles still occurs

OPERATION

The operating parameters of a mill are:

Feed rate
Feed Size
Mill Density
Water addition
Grinding media addition
Power consumption
28

 The size of the final product is

Controlled by mill load( feed rate, mill density and power draw)
Cyclone pressure (Mill discharge level, cyclone feed density)

The operators and supervisors responsibilities and duties are:

Achieve production targets

Ensure a safe and healthy working environment for your workers
Minimize downtime
Control operating costs
Identify and solve process problems
Prevent equipment breakdowns through inspections and planned
maintenance
Manage and lead an effective and motivated workforce
Optimize the process
Check and change screen panels if required
Check and change cyclone or spigots if required
Ensure correct reagents dosing at all times at the secondary ball mill
discharge sump

TASKS PERFOMED
Did reagent spot checking , used a flask of 500-600ml and a stop watch , took
a sample of SIBX on the pipe feeding with SIBX on the primary rougher feed
sump and the secondary ball mill discharge sump , for 60 seconds in a flask
and measured how many liters SIBX is used for every minute and further
calculated to make it in hours its found that it should range between 4-5
liters for each hour
Competency in taking densities
first I used a sample cutter, to cut the samples on the mill discharge and put
inside the flask used for densities
left the flask hanging on the scale
recorded the density then dispose on the spillage area where it can be
pumped back to the process
clean the flask and the sample cutter

FLOW
The secondary mill receives its feed from the primary rougher tail sump by either
one of the two pumps via secondary ball mill cyclones (760 and 380) . The cyclone
operates at a pressure above ~50kpa. The 760 cyclone overflow is directed to the
descrete sump . The slurry inside the descrete sump is pumped to the by either of
the two pumps using the same delivery line. The overflow of the of 760 and 380
cyclones are directed to the secondary mill discharge sump . The 760 cyclone and
380 cyclone under flow combines on the secondary mill feed chute then directed
into the secondary mill . The secondary mill grinds the ore further to 85% passing
29

~75m at dense slurry (S.G ~ 2.2 2.4). The slurry exits the mill and passes over a
vibrating mill discharge screen into the mill discharge sump , where the reagents
are added. The discharge chute, is installed at the end of the mill discharge screen
which collects coarse steel balls scats from the mill and passes them over to the
scats bunker on the ground where they gets removed by a mobile equipment such
as front end loader or bobcat.

The UG2 secondary mill discharge screen is equipped with spray water which
washes off the materials on the screen. The screen underflow passes to the mill
discharge sump . The slurry in the sump is pumped by a pump to the secondary
rougher feed.
The secondary milling circuit is equipped with two spillage pumps to collect all the
spills from the secondary mill bund back to the secondary mill discharge sump

30

LABORATORY
SAFETY
Each individual is responsible to maintain and adhere to the safety standards
of the company.
Always apply the four steps to safety
Always adhere to the DEADLY FIVE

THEORY
SAMPLING
Sample: A sample is a small portion removed from a large quantity of
material in such a way that the portion has the same characteristics and
properties as the original material.
Filtering (de-watering)
Liquid as well as slurry samples to be filtered are received. Analyses are required
for some samples on the liquid portion only, for others on the solid portion only and
for some on both portions. All apparatus must be clean and if analysis on the
filtered portion is needed, then all apparatus must be dry as well. Samples are
filtered either under pressure or vacuum. A potential source of error is loss of solids
under the edges of the filter paper. This may be avoided by taking adequate
precautions in the design and operation of the filter. Filtrates should be tested
regularly for the presence of significant quantities of solids.
Safety & Housekeeping
In all cases the safety of the sampler (person) is of the utmost importance. Belts
should be stopped when sampling manually. Fast and heavy streams should be
sampled with care. When taking samples, ensure that the sample site is well lit,
and the sampler is not off-balance when taking the sample. Safety equipment must
be worn where appropriate and proper sampling equipment used, especially when
dealing with chemicals or toxic streams. In dusty environments, ensure that proper
respiratory gear is available, and used.
Ensure that the sampling equipment is always in a good and clean condition. The
area where sampling takes place must be demarcated. When working with
automatic samplers stay clear of all moving parts. Should any adjustments to the
equipment be necessary, ensure that the equipment is locked out, and that the
working area is safe. Avoid wearing loose clothing especially when near moving
parts.
31

OBJECTIVES
Sampling is done in order to obtain analyses, which will be used:
To control the metallurgical extraction process.
To obtain the data required for metallurgical accounting.
To obtain data used for planning future development.

TASKS PERFOMED
Collected the samples for both 24 hour sample and 8 hour samples on the plant to
be used in the Lab for analysis and preparations, collected from the DMS section
sinks, floats stones and fines on their screens, also collected the overflow of flash
float cell 3 and also the DMS feed from the 8000 silos. Cutted the samples on the
primary ball mill discharge 1 and 2 using a sample cutter and pour inside a bucket
at the float I collected the overflow of primary cleaners both the low grade and high
grade and also the secondary cleaners, primary rougher tail and secondary rougher
tail using the bucket and took them to the lab for analysis and preparations
I dewatered the grindes and the samples from the float by using the filtrate
machine, which I could operate since I wrote the lab tests , when they done filtering
I put them on the metal pans and put them in the ovens to dry them together with
the other samples
TREATING THE GRINDES
After the grindes have dried I placed them on the mechanical splitter to be divided
in to equal percentage , operated the machine and took the two splitter pans that
were opposite to each other and treated one of them, I washed off the grindes using
the sieve pan having aperture size of +75 , washing the fines that could pass
through the pore then did with that of +150 and placed them in the oven again to
dry, after they have dried I placed them on the mechanical shaker with the sieve
pans of +75 and +150 aparture size for accurate distribution according to correct
size for 10 minutes then weigh their masses separately on to the mass balance and
did the calculation for particle size analysis and calculated the mass of fines and its
percentage that was lost during washing of grindes to check if the mill is efficiently
grinding

32

33

DISCUSSIONS
FLOAT DISCCUSIONS OF RESULTS AND PARAMATERS
Flotation bank levels not controlling properly
Possible cause

Sanding up of banks
Level probes not functioning correctly
Control valves and/or actuators not functioning
Dart valve assembly worn out

Corrective action

Measure and correct densities

Check and maintain instruments
Call for dart valves inspection
Report your observations to the supervisor

Over-dosing of reagents.
Overdosing of reagents will result in a low quality product.
Too much Frothers will create excess sticky bubbles that entrain gangue
minerals.
Too much air lead to low recoveries
Too much collector can have adverse effects on recoveries. It can result in
particles over collection of gangue and it breaks bubbles.
Too much depressant over depresses valuable metals and lead to low
recoveries
Under-dosing of reagents.
Under dosing of chemicals will result in a both poor recoveries and poor
quality product.
Low Frothers will create fewer and unstable bubbles that will need a high air
flow which can result in the loss of some product.
Low Collectors (SIBX) may not be sufficient to coat all the material that is
needed to be coated for recovery.
Low depressant results in poor concentrate grade and high chrome content in
the product.
Air control
The air must be regulated at a constant flow which must not be too low or too
high. Too low flow will not create the necessary bubbles that are needed for
34

the process and a high flow will not create the correct size of bubbles. The
incorrect air flow can result in poor concentrate grades and recoveries.
Level control.
The levels of cells must at all times be kept at the required mark (300-350). If
the cell level is too low (150 -200) the froth forming on the surface of the
slurry will not flow over into the froth launder, resulting in low production
recovery.
If the cell level is too low the froth forming on the surface of slurry can not be
recovered as a concentrate resulting In poor yield of product.
If the level is too high (450 -500) unwanted material will spontaneously slime
into the product launder and the product will be contaminated.
Size distribution of feed material to the float cells
Normally the flotation process can handle material smaller than 1.0 mm. For
the process to function optimally the size distribution of the feed must be in a
narrow range.
Large particles are difficult to float and may cause sanding up of the flotation
cell.
Very small particles have a large relative surface area and require high
reagent dosages. At such high dosages, low quality particles will float,
resulting in a low grade product.
The particle size of the mineral to be floated, is important in determining
flotation cell volume, reagent, air and impeller speed requirements.
Feed rate to the float cells
Cells are built to handle a certain tonnage per hour.
Too high a feed rate will lower the retention time of the particles which may
lead to the loss of valuable metals.
Too low a feed rate will increase the retention time of the particles which may
lead to the collecting of non-valuable gangue.
Froth depths.
On flotation plants froth depth is controlled either by removing slats
positioned along the froth overflow lip or by changing the pulp depth in the
flotation cell. Changing the pulp depth also changes the froth residence time.
The faster we can transfer the froth into the launder from the flotation cell,
better we can maximise flotation recovery rate. As a rule, increased
selectivity by increasing froth depth will result in lower rates of flotation

35

36

CONCLUSIONS AND CORRECTIVE

ACTIONS
Corrective action on floatation bank levels not controlling properly

Measure and correct densities

Check and maintain instruments
Report your observations to the supervisor
Call for dart valves inspection

Corrective action: ON OVERDOSING OF REAGENTS

Check the dosing rate regularly during production.
Regulate reagents dosage at the required rate.
Check the flow rate with calibrated equipment.
Corrective action: on under-dosing of freagents
Check the dosing rate regularly during production.
Regulate the dosing of reagents at the required rate.
Check the flow rate with calibrated equipment.
Corrective action: on air controlling
Report defects and have them repaired.
Check the air flow regularly during production.
Corrective action: on the level of control of the cells and cleaners

Ensure ball float strike plate is not stuck and is moving freely
Ensure the dart valve and actuators are working.
Ensure instrument air is available
Report your observations to the supervisor.

Corrective action: on the size distribution of feed material to the float cells
Check particle size distribution
Inform milling operators of any deviation.
Report your observations to the supervisor.
Corrective action of the feed rate to the cells
Ensure feed rate is regulated correctly
Report pump defects and have them repaired.
Check all flotation components regularly during production.

37

Corrective action on the froth depth:

Check the froth overflow lip for overflowing of pulp and adjust the pulp level if
required
Check the pulp level regularly and adjust if required.
Be watchful of cell sliming and correct the situation immediately

38

REFERRENCES
1. Mineral Processing Technology B A Wills
2. Yancy, H.F., Furse, O.L. and Blackburn, R.A., Estimation of the Grindability of Coal.
Transaction of the
3. American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers (Coal Division), 1934, Vol. 108,
pp. 267-294.
4. Matthews Seoka ( MILLING SECTION)
5. Jomo Mmelegedi and Vincent Gazi ( DMS SECTION)
6. Isaac Maimane ( CRUSHING SECTION)
7. Masego ( FLOAT SECTION)
8. Isaac and Ebenizer ( TAILINGS)

39

Performance appraisal (scale 1-10)

Comments: Shift supervisor

Quality of work
Quantity of work
Responsibility/Reliability
Theoretical knowledge
Practical skills acquired
Motivation
Communication skills
Human relations & work ethics
Initiative / Problem-solving
Report writing
Was the student absent from work during this period?

YES

NO

If Yes, number of days and dates absent:

If Yes, state reasons given:
If Yes, was a doctors certificate submitted (if/when required)? YES
Comments: COBUS GREEN (SHIFT SUP)

Signatures
Student

Date:

40

NO

SHIFT SUP:

Date:

Surname

OFFICIAL COMPANY STAMP/BUSSINESS CARD

Rank:
Telephone:
WIL Coordinator:

Date:

Head of Department:

Date:

41