Flotation and Beneficiation: Concentrating Value

From Rock to Resource

Raw ore mined from the earth typically contains only a small percentage of valuable metal. Beneficiation is the process of upgrading this ore into a high-purity concentrate suitable for smelting or refining.

The Beneficiation Process

1. Comminution (Crushing & Grinding)

• Crushing: Reducing boulders to gravel size using jaw and cone crushers.
• Grinding: Ball mills pulverize the rock into a fine powder (75-150 microns) to liberate mineral particles from waste rock (gangue).

2. Froth Flotation

This complex physicochemical process separates minerals based on hydrophobicity.

• Conditioning: Reagents (collectors) are added to make specific target minerals (like Galena or Chalcopyrite) water-repellent.
• Frothing: Air bubbles are introduced into the slurry. The hydrophobic minerals attach to the bubbles and float to the surface.
• Collection: The mineral-rich froth is skimmed off, creating the concentrate.

3. Dewatering

The slurry concentrate is filtered and dried to reduce moisture content to <9%, ensuring safe transport and accurate weight measurement.

Value Addition

Through these processes, The3Rocks transforms:

• Lead ore (3-5% Pb) → Lead Concentrate (65-75% Pb)
• Copper ore (1-2% Cu) → Copper Concentrate (25-30% Cu)
• Zinc ore (5-10% Zn) → Zinc Concentrate (45-55% Zn)

Precision processing ensures our clients pay for minerals, not rock.