SGS SERVICES – T3 SGS 161 10-2013

GRAVITY SEPARATION

WHY USE GRAVITY REASONS TO ASSESS SEPARATION? GRAVITY SEPARATION

Gravity separation is the most well-proven •• To reject barren waste as an initial and accepted technique of concentrating pre-concentration step minerals and has been used as a •• To recover malleable and/or friable primary form of concentration coarse heavy minerals from grinding for centuries. Due to its high efficiency circuit circulating loads. Such and low cost, gravity separation is minerals are otherwise hard to always the first consideration in any recover after regrinding flowsheet development program and •• To pre-concentrate heavy minerals always features in any flowsheet where to minimize downstream processing there is sufficient differences between costs the specific gravity of the valuable and •• To concentrate heavy minerals minerals. •• To clean low weight yield bulk In the case of gold and PGE, gravity concentrates separation can quickly generate a •• To scavenging plant precious metal concentrate that can •• To generate a precious metal be sold direct to refineries, resulting in concentrate that can go direct to a better payment terms, faster payback and refinery rather than a smelter immediate cash-flows. The small footprint of these gravity plants means less capital EXPERTISE AND outlay and better security for these small, INNOVATION volume high-value concentrates. SGS has significant expertise using While gravity separation is a well-proven Release analysis is used as the preferred these techniques to treat a wide range technique to , careful data collation and presentation tool of commodities including gold, tin, attention to operating conditions and feed wherever appropriate to assess the tantalum, lead/zinc, platinum and mineral preparation can pay significant dividends. mineral release from gangue at particle sands. In certain circumstances, dense Recognizing the fact that efficient gravity sizes below 1mm. media separation followed by complex separation is a function of particle size gravity circuits in conjunction with multi and specific density differences, SGS has gravity separation and/or other separation developed several successful techniques techniques, is required to provide to identify feed size preparation criteria effective low cost solutions to allow the to maximize downstream gravity optimal economic recovery of complex separation efficiency. This has proven to . enhance concentrate grades by 5-10%. With our array of equipment and For instance, the introduction of multi experience, we can readily provide gravity separation techniques in a tin bankable cost effective processing recovery plant as a replacement for the flowsheets and advise on operational best last flotation cleaner increased recoveries practices during plant start up based on 10% and, in another instance, use of our extensive production experience. specialist techniques and procedures increased tin recoveries by 8%. SGS MINERALS SERVICES – T3 SGS 161 2

AREAS OF APPLICABILITY MINERAL SANDS EQUIPMENT •• Separation of , and •• Knelson and Falcon Superbowl monazite from beach sand PRECIOUS METALS (AU AND PGE) centrifugal bowl concentrators in •• Creation of a direct vs. to- many sizes (3”, 7.5” and 9”) RECYCLING smelter concentrate •• Gekko and Acacia protocols •• Gravity recovery from grinding •• Separation of metallic zinc and lead •• Holman, Denver, Deister, Wilfley, circuits from recycled batteries Mozley, Gemini tables ranging in size •• Separation from base metals and •• Separation of steel from waste from full size to “1/8” gangue •• re-processing •• Humphreys, Vickers, Reichert, •• Separation from gangue •• Precious metal recovery from Carpco, and Mineral Technologies, •• Recovery from tailings shredded circuit boards single and double spiral ranging from •• Copper recovery from shredded full size to “pee-wee” copper cable •• Reichert & various trays and BASE METALS (ZN, PB, CU) •• Precious metal recovery from dusts sluices •• Separation of base metals from •• Denver, Hazin-Quinn, Kelsey,In-Line gangue, especially carbonate rocks GARNET Pressure jigs ranging in size from 12” and marble to 1” •• Separation of garnet from biotite, •• Bateman 1 tonne/hr and 15 tonne/hr magnetite and quartz LITHOPHILE METALS dense media separation plants •• Very appropriate for , RARE EARTHS tantalite/columbite and tungsten minerals. •• Separation of eudialyte and monzonite from gangue DIAMONDS INDUSTRIAL MINERALS •• Dense media separation is the preferred processing route for •• Separation of graphite from mica diamond bulk samples •• Separation of muscovite from gangue •• Separation of kaolinite from muscovite •• Silica sand cleaning

CAPABILITIES

SGS can provide bench-scale flowsheet CONTACT INFORMATION development, pilot scale testing and Email us at [email protected] plant audit and optimization services, www.sgs.com/mining depending on the needs of your project or facility. Depending on the scope of a project, all of our metallurgical facilities offer bench-scale and restricted pilot- scale testing while our facilities for integrated pilot plants are located mainly in our Canadian and Australian facilities. © SGS Mongolia – 2013 – All rights reserved - SGS is a registered trademark of SGS Group Management SA