1

MINE 458 Final Report

A Mine Plant Design

On Les Pelambres Ore

April 20 t h , 2015
Prepared by Hugh Jia (10011317) and William Yin (10020398)
Prepared for MINE 458 S. Kelebek

INDEX
ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................................... 5
SECTION ONE: PROJECT OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................ 6
1.1 General Introduction........................................................................................................................... 6
1.2 Objective of the Study......................................................................................................................... 6
1.3 Laboratory Testing .............................................................................................................................. 6
SECTION TWO: PRIMARY CRUSHING ........................................................................................................... 7
2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 7
2.2 Selection of Primary Crushers ............................................................................................................. 8
Secondary Crushing ................................................................................................................................ 10
2.3 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 10
2.4 Selection of a Secondary Cone Crusher ............................................................................................ 11
Tertiary Crushing .................................................................................................................................... 12
2.5 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 12
2.6 Selection of a Tertiary Cone Crusher ................................................................................................ 13
Screen Selection ..................................................................................................................................... 14
2.7 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 14
2.8 Selection of the Grizzly Screen.......................................................................................................... 14
2.9 Selection of Crushing Screens 1 & 2 ................................................................................................. 15
SECTION THREE: CONVENTIONAL GRINDING VS SAG MILL-BALL MILL GRINDING .................................. 16
3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 16
3.2 Conventional Grinding Case .............................................................................................................. 17
3.3 SAG Mill Ball Mill Grinding Case ..................................................................................................... 20
HYDROCYCLONES ................................................................................................................................... 21
3.4 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 21
3.5 Selection of Hydrocyclones ............................................................................................................... 21
Conditioning Tanks ................................................................................................................................. 23
3.6 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 23
3.7 Selection of Conditioning Tanks ........................................................................................................ 23
SECTION FOUR: FROTH FLOTATION ........................................................................................................... 24
4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 24
4.2 Flotation Mass Balance ..................................................................................................................... 24
Primary Roughers.................................................................................................................................... 25

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Secondary Roughers ............................................................................................................................... 26
Scavengers .............................................................................................................................................. 26
Aeration Tanks ........................................................................................................................................ 26
Cell 12...................................................................................................................................................... 27
Column Cell 1 .......................................................................................................................................... 27
Column Cell 2 .......................................................................................................................................... 28
SECTION FIVE: DEWATERING ..................................................................................................................... 29
5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 29
5.2 Selection of Thickeners ..................................................................................................................... 29
SECTION SIX: REGRINDING CIRCUIT ........................................................................................................... 31
6.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 31
6.2 Selection of the Regrinding Ball Mills ............................................................................................... 31
6.3 Selection of the Regrinding Circuit Hydrocyclone ............................................................................ 33
SECTION SEVEN: COST CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................................. 34
7.1 Summary of Equipment Costs........................................................................................................... 34
SECTION EIGHT: DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................................... 36
8.1 Capacity ............................................................................................................................................. 36
8.2 Plant Recovery .................................................................................................................................. 36
SECTION NINE: APPENDIX .......................................................................................................................... 36
9.1 For Primary Crushers......................................................................................................................... 36
9.2 For Crushing Screens 1 and 2 ............................................................................................................ 37
9.3 For Grinding-Rod Mill & Ball Mill ...................................................................................................... 38
9.4 For SAG Mill Ball Mill Grinding ....................................................................................................... 39
9.5 For Hydrocyclones............................................................................................................................. 40
9.6 For Flotation ...................................................................................................................................... 42
9.7 For Costing Equipment...................................................................................................................... 42
9.8 Bibliography....................................................................................................................................... 43

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Processing Circuit Flow Sheet ........................................................................................................ 7
Figure 2: Gyratory Crusher Diagram. ............................................................................................................ 8
Figure 3: Gyratory Crusher Discharge Size Distribution Plot ...................................................................... 10
Figure 4: Cone Crusher Diagram. ................................................................................................................ 11
Figure 5: Conventional Rod Mill - Ball Mill Circuit Diagram ........................................................................ 17
Figure 6: Hydrocyclone Diagram. ................................................................................................................ 21
Figure 7:Retention Time of Flotation Circuit .............................................................................................. 24
Figure 8: Thickener Diagram ....................................................................................................................... 29
Figure 9: Regrinding Circuit Diagram .......................................................................................................... 31
Figure 10: Gyratory Crusher Sizing.............................................................................................................. 36
Figure 11: Correction Factors for Screens................................................................................................... 37
Figure 12: SAG Mill Power Correlation Graphs ........................................................................................... 39
Figure 13: SAG Circuit Ball Mill Power Correlation Graphs ......................................................................... 40
Figure 14: Hydrocyclone Correction Factor Graphs.................................................................................... 40
Figure 15: Hydrocyclone Sizing Graphs ....................................................................................................... 41
Figure 16: Apex Diameter vs. Flowrate Graphs .......................................................................................... 41

ABSTRACT
Ore from Les Pelambres, Chile has been tested in the laboratory to collect data on its physical and
chemical characteristics for the purpose of designing a 75,000 MTPD processing plant. Based on pilot lab
tests, the Bond Index of the ore at various stages of the circuit has been determined. In addition, the
assays for the flotation circuit has also been determined. This report will summarize the process flow
sheet and show the methodology for sizing and costing all units involved in the operation. It has been
found the overall plant recovery for copper is 93.3%, and the entire circuit costs approximately
$332,177,656.

SECTION ONE: PROJECT OVERVIEW

1.1 General Introduction
The design of a mineral processing plant will provide formal basis for design of the process, equipment
and facilities. These criteria will specify the life of the mine, annual throughput, design capacities and
operating schedules for the equipment [1]. The design criteria for a mineral processing plant are
compiled from a variety of sources such as pilot plant results, codes and standards and qualified
assumptions.
The process design will be based on laboratory test work carried out on the particular ore from the site.
It is critical to obtain ore that is representative of the entire ore body, sometimes multiple ore samples
from different regions of the ore body must be considered. The laboratory tests will include chemical
and physical properties of the ore. Physical properties that are assessed include particle size distribution,
crushing and grinding tests, and classification of constituents. The chemical properties that are assessed
include flotation kinetics, amount of reagents, and settling time [2].

1.2 Objective of the Study

The purpose of this report is to design a mineral processing plant capable of processing 75,000 MTPD of
Les Pelambres ore from Chile. Design criteria such as sizing and costing of equipment will also be
analysed.

1.3 Laboratory Testing

Ore samples were received from Les Pelambres in a large bucket. The bucket was then fed into a rotary
sample divider to evenly distribute the ore into representative sample sizes. Each sub-sample was then
subjected to different grinding times and grinding configurations (e.g. Rod Mill/Ball Mill crushing and
grinding). The Bond Work index for the various stages of comminution are shown in the table below.
Table 1: The table below shows the Work Bond Index for various stages of comminution. These data are obtained from
laboratory testing similar to the one performed in MINE 458 Lab #2

Primary Crushing
Secondary Crushing
Crushing Tertiary Crushing
Rod Mill
Grinding Ball Mill

F80 (cm) P80 (cm) Wi (kWh/t)

100
15.3
11.3
16.9
5.38
11.6
4.22
1.6
11.8
1.11
0.2
13
0.2
0.024
10.8

The froth flotation tests were carried out to determine the optimum flotation time so the flotation cells
can be sized. The incremental froth products was collected at 0.75, 1, 2, 3.25, and 4 minute intervals. In
addition, various circuit configurations such as upgrading cleaners, and closed circuit regrinding was
tested to determine the optimal process for maximum recovery. The final flow sheet of the processing
plant is shown in the diagram below.

Figure 1: The flow sheet of the proposed circuit

The concentrates and tails of all unit operations shown in the flow sheet above has been assayed to
establish an initial idea of the plant configuration and size. The design criteria will be developed and
become more detailed as information is generated and made available for use.

SECTION TWO: PRIMARY CRUSHING

2.1 Introduction
The selection of the primary crusher is the key to the success of any operation that involves size
reduction. Primary crushers are used in the first stage on any size reduction process. These crushers take
blasted, run-of-mine ores up to 1500mm and produce a product ranging in size from 12 for conveyor
transport, or 8 for SAG mill feed [3]. The primary crushers can produce these sizes at a rate of 150 to
12,000 MTPH depending on the feed characteristics and crusher settings. The selection of the primary
crusher depends the ore being crushed and the plant capacity. The ore determines the type of the
crusher while the plant capacity determines the size of the crusher [3].The required capacity, feed and
product sizes must also be considered to narrow the selection and define the sizing for the crusher.

Figure 2: Typically, gyratory crushers are used as the primary crushers due to their high capacities and productivity.

Typically the primary crusher is a gyratory crusher due to its high capacity and low maintenance. The
advantages of a gyratory crusher when compared to other models is:

Designed for direct dump from trucks up to 300 tons

Highest availability of any crusher design
Lowest maintenance per ton processed of any design crusher
Can handle crushing ore hardness up to 600 mPa compressive strength.

In addition, it has been calculated the feed to the gyratory crusher is approximately 4300 TPH and
according to Lewis, Cobourn and Bhappu, above 725 TPH jaw crushers cannot compete with gyratory
crushers at normal settings (6-10) [4].

2.2 Selection of Primary Crushers

The primary crusher selection choice was between a gyratory crusher versus a jaw crusher. Because
the process deals with a feed of 70,000 TPD or approximately 4,300 TPH, gyratory crushers were the
obvious choice. A general rule of thumb suggests that jaw crushers cannot compete with gyratory
crushers at tonnages greater than 750 TPH [5]. The table below looks at the advantages and
disadvantages of gyratory versus jaw crushers.
Table 2: The advantages of gyratory crusher vs. jaw crusher

Gyratory Crusher
Continuous crushing
High productivity
High reduction ratio

Jaw Crusher
Less space required
Repeatable performance
Easy to maintain

The gyratory crusher is clearly a better choice for the primary crushing stage.

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The primary crusher is a gyratory crusher operating at the conditions shown below.
Table 3: The required operating conditions for the primary gyratory crusher

Primary Crusher
Gyratory Crusher
Availability
F80
OSS
P80
Wi (crushing)
Conveyor distance

18
100
12.7
15.2
11.3
5

h/day
cm
cm
cm
kWh/t
km

Next, the feed to the crusher is calculated and a Feed Opening x Mantle Diameter size is determined
based on Section 9.1 in the appendix.
Table 4: The operating conditions for the gyratory crusher

4291.666667 TPH
4730.747083 STPH
8500 Sq. in

Feed to Crusher
Mouth*Mantle D

A crusher with a high OSS is chosen. This changes the P80 size, however it is assumed P80 will not
significantly change because HP is not a big consideration for crushers. A Sandvik gyratory crusher model
CG850 is chosen and its characteristics are shown below.
Table 5: The specifications for Sandvik CG850 Gyratory Crusher

Model

Weight (st)

CG850

576.5

Feed Opening
(inch)
61x163

Capacity (STPH)
3406-7694

Max Motor
Power (HP)
1072

OSS (in)
5.9-9.3

Horizontal
Shaft RPM
420

The Sandvik CG850 has a Mouth x Mantle diameter of 9943 Sq.in and exceeds the requirement of 8500
Sq.in. Using the Bond equation, the total required power was found to be 1017HP.
Table 6: The power requirement for the primary gyratory crusher fall within the limits of the Sandvik CG850 crusher, therefore it
is a suitable choice for this operation.

F80
P80
HP/ST
Total HP

Using Bond Equation

1000000
152000
0.236964105
0.214970476
1016.970951

um
um
HP/t
HP/st
HP

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Therefore, one single Sandvik CG850 crusher with a mouth x mantle diameter of 9943 Sq.in is required
for the primary crushing stage of the circuit. The gyratory crusher discharge size distribution is shown in
the graph below.

Cumulative % Passing by weight

Gyratory Crusher Discharge Size Distribution

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0

Size (inches)
Figure 3: The gyratory crusher discharge size distribution plot

Secondary Crushing
2.3 Introduction
Secondary crusher is the intermediate step in a multi-stage crushing circuit. In this stage, the primary
crusher discharge with a P80 size of 6 is fed to secondary crushers that will be crushed down to a finer
size. Typically, cone crushers are selected for secondary crushing. Cone crushers today have increased
performance capabilities as compared to the first cone crushers developed in the mid-1920s by Edgar B.
Symons. Cone crushers today have more power capabilities; they are larger in size with higher
capacities, offer better product shape, and a higher percentage of final product yield [6].
When designing a cone crusher, three design limits of a cone crusher must be considered:

Volume Limit
Power Limit
Force Limit

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Figure 4: Cone crushers are typically used as secondary crushers during the crushing phase. The diagram above shows how
comminution occur inside the cone crusher.

The volume limit of a cone crusher is the maximum rate of feed to the cone crusher without overfilling
the cone crusher feed hopper. The power limit is reached with the average power draw (kW) of the cone
crusher exceeds the installed motor power on the cone crusher. Ore of higher impact work index or
strong resistance tend to reach the power limit more easily. The force limit is reached when the
combined forces exerted during crushing exceeds the force available on the machine to hold the desired
CSS.

2.4 Selection of a Secondary Cone Crusher

Table 7: The operating conditions for the cone crusher has been specified below.

Secondary Crusher Metso Cone Crusher

F80
16.9 cm
P80 5.38 cm
Wci 11.6 kWh/t
Ore
Medium Hard
Based on the mass balance, the feed to the cone crusher has been found to be 3444 STPH. A
granulometry table shown in Section 9.1 of the appendix has been used to calculate the OSS, and is
shown in the table below.
Table 8: The set OSS for the Metso Cone Crusher at 80% passing

Metso Cone Crusher at 80% Passing

Set R

4.014925 cm
1.58068 in

Three common size options for the cone crusher are shown below.

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Table 9: Typically cone crushers are sized within 120 - 210' diameter, however due to the high feed rates, these cone crushers
are not suitable for this operation.

However due to the high capacity requirements of the plant, Metso high capacity cone crushers are
used instead.
Selection Based on Capacity
Table 10: The table below shows sizing the cone crusher based on capacity

Selection Based on Capacity

Diameter (cm) HP (at R = 4cm) T (TPH) Number of Crushers Number of Crushers
242
800
1285
2.431388
3
290
1000
1750
1.785333
2
Selection Based on Energy
Table 11: The energy requirement for crushing the ore from F80 to P80

Wi Ore
Motor Size Required

0.217939044 kWh/t
680.9142185 kW

Table 12: The table below shows sizing the cone crusher based on energy requirements

Diameter (cm) HP (at R = 4cm) kW

Number of Crushers Number of Crushers
242
800
596.8
1.140942055
2
290
1000
746
0.912753644
1
Typically, the largest cone crusher is chosen to minimize the number of units. Based on the capacity and
energy requirements, it can be seen that capacity is the most significant consideration when selecting
the cone crusher. From the capacity and energy analysis, two Metso Cone Crusher 290 cm diameter with
an OSS of 4 cm are used for the operation.

Tertiary Crushing
2.5 Introduction
Tertiary crushing is the final crushing stage. Feed sizes to a tertiary cone crusher are typically between
150 mm and 25 mm. It is important to have the correct cavity configuration to suit the feed so that
maximum crushing performance and liner utilization is achieved. A typical tertiary cone crusher has a

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reduction ratio in the range of 4 to 6:1 [6]. Generally, the feed to a tertiary cone crusher is pre-screened
to remove the finished product sizes and to provide void space for the crushed particles. The use of
these screens will be discussed later in Section Two.

2.6 Selection of a Tertiary Cone Crusher

Table 13: The operating conditions for the tertiary cone crusher is shown in the table below

Tertiary Crusher Metso Short Head Cone Crusher

F80
4.22 Cm
P80 1.6
Cm
Wci 11.8 kWh/t
Ore
Medium Hard
A mass balance analysis on the crushing circuit has been performed and it has been found the feed to
the tertiary short head cone crushers is 7038 TPH (7759 STPH). Next, a granulometry table at 80%
passing has been used to calculate the OSS settings for the tertiary crushers.
Table 14: The OSS for the Metso Short Head Cone Crusher has been calculated using granulometry tables

Metso Short Head Cone Crusher at 80% Passing

Set R

1.194029851 cm
0.470090746 in

It is assumed that a larger OSS will not significantly change the crushing operation because HP is not a
big consideration for crushing. Two Metso Short Head Cone Crushers with diameters of 204 cm and 242
cm are considered for the tertiary crushing operation.
Selection Based on Capacity
Table 15: The table below shows sizing the short head cone crusher based on capacity

Selection Based on Capacity

Diameter (cm) HP (at R = 2cm) T (TPH) Number of Crushers Number of Crushers
204
500
430
16.36821705
17
242
800
600
11.73055556
12
Selection Based on Energy
Table 16: The energy requirement for crushing the ore from F80 to P80

Wi Ore
Motor Size Required

0.358456897 kWh/t
2522.939128 kW

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Table 17: The table below shows sizing the short head cone crusher based on energy

Selection Based on Energy

Diameter (cm) HP (at R = 2cm) kW
Number of Crushers
6.763911872
204
500
373
4.22744492
242
800 596.8

Number of Crushers
7
4

It is evident the capacity is the biggest consideration when choosing the tertiary cone crushers. For the
tertiary crushing process, 17 Metso Short Head Cone Crusher 204 cm diameter with an OSS of 2 cm are
used for the operation.

Screen Selection
2.7 Introduction
Screening is the process of classifying particles according to size. While factors such as particle shape
and S.G may have an effect, the separation is largely dependent on particle size [7]. Screens may be
stationary (e.g. Grizzly) or moving type (e.g. vibrating) [2]. Typically, the feed flow on the screen is
provided by inclining the screen at a 45o angle. Ideally, the feed should be distributed over the screening
surface in a bed of uniform thickness. The dimensions of the screen is dependent on the feed rate, unit
capacity, loose bulk density, and feed moisture content.
The screens used in the crushing circuit mainly involves a Grizzly screen and two Osborne Vibrating
screens.

2.8 Selection of the Grizzly Screen

The Grizzly is a stationary screen positioned before the primary gyratory crusher. The Grizzly screen is a
grid of parallel metal bars set in an inclined stationary frame at a slope of 45o. The Grizzly screen is
chosen for its ability to handle large size feed and capacity [8].
Assuming steady state flow, the tonnage through the grizzly is equal to 4730 STPH and a 125 st per Sq.Ft
per 24 h per inch of aperture is chosen based on SME screen selection [9]. Next, based on the aperture
settings, the Grizzly has been sized to 42x120.
Table 18: Grizzly screen has been sized based on the mass balance and incoming feed characteristics

125 st per Sq Ft per 24 h per inch of aperture

28.3844825 in
Aperture
29 in
Grizzly Capacity
151.0416667 st/Sq.Ft/h
Grizzly Area
31.32080828 Sq.Ft
Grizzly Size: 42 width x 120 Length

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2.9 Selection of Crushing Screens 1 & 2

Crushing Screens 1 and 2 are Osborne Vibrating screens. The feed to the screen has the following
characteristics.
Table 19: The correction factors 1-6 for the vibrating screens are shown below

Q1 (Bulk Density)
1.1 Lbs/Ft

Q2-5
1

Q6 (Moisture Content)
0.85

The area required by the screen is defined by S in Sq.Ft:

=

1 2 3 4 5 6

Where:

T = Tonnage
C = Screen capacity in Tons/Sq.Ft./hr
M=Variation correction factor
K= Variation correction factor
Q1-Q6 = Ore correction factors

Variables such as C, M, and K are determined from graphs shown in Section 9.2 of the appendix.
For Screen 1
The calculations for Screen 1 are shown in the table below.
Table 20: The variables associated with sizing the vibrating screen are shown in the table below

Screen (1)
Screen Aperture
2 in
Tonnage
4730.747083 st/h
C
7 st/Sq.Ft/h
% oversize
68%
M
1.48
% passing 1 in
16%
K
0.5
A
976.7611098 Sq.Ft
Select 12 Ft x 30 Ft Osborn Screen
Width
12
Ft
Length
30
Ft
Area per screen
360 Sq.Ft
2.713225305 screens
Number of
Screens
3 screens

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Three 12 Ft x 30 Ft Osborn Screens are required for the incoming feed from the Primary Gyratory
Crusher.
For Screen 2
The calculations for Screen 2 are shown in the table below.
Table 21: Variables used for calculating the area of the screen is shown below.

Screen (2)
Q1
1.1 Lbs/Ft
Q2-5
1
Q6
0.85
Screen Aperture
0.625 In
Tonnage
23691.58139 st/h
C
4.2 st/Sq.Ft/h
% oversize
37%
M
1.08
% passing 1 in
32%
K
0.85
A
6571.89276 Sq.Ft
Select 12 Ft x 30 Ft Osborn Screen
Width
12
Ft
Length
30
Ft
Area per screen
360 Sq.Ft
18.25525767 screens
Number of Screens
19 screens
The P80 size from Screen 2 was found to be 1.11 cm.

SECTION THREE: CONVENTIONAL GRINDING VS SAG MILL-BALL MILL GRINDING

3.1 Introduction
Grinding is the breaking of materials from a large size to a smaller size. In mineral processing, grinding is
the processing stage with the maximum usage of energy and wear resistant materials. In conventional
grinding, a rod mill ball mill combination circuit followed by a hydrocyclone is used as shown in the
diagram below.

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Figure 5: A conventional Rod Mill - Ball Mill circuit

In this configuration, the rod mill is the first stage size reduction unit. A rod mill is a tumbling mill in
which rods are the grinding media. Rod mills are used for grinding coarse product size in the range of
80% passing 2.0 mm to 0.5 mm. Rod mills are usually used in wet grinding applications, hence the water
addition before the unit. Dry grinding in rod mills is generally not recommended due to poor flow of
material leading to rod breakage and tangling. To prevent rod charge tangling, the recommended
relationship of rod length to mill diameter inside liners is 1.5 [10].
Ball mills are the next stage after rod mill grinding. Ball mills are tumbling grinding mills in which metallic
balls are used as the grinding media. Most frequently the balls are made of cast steel, forged steel, or
cast iron. Ball mills are typically used to grind products finer than 80% passing 0.5 mm. Since ball mills
dont have the same restrictions imposed on rod mills by the rods, ball mills can have more variations in
L: D ratios.
SAG is an acronym for Semi-Autogenous Grinding, which means that it utilizes steel balls in addition to
large rocks for grinding. The SAG mills use a minimal ball charge of 6 to 15% [11]. SAG mills are similar to
ball mills however it has a larger diameter and a shorter length. SAG Mills are typically used in
conjunction with a ball mill in a grinding circuit.
In this report, two grinding cases will be examined: a conventional grinding circuit, and a SAG mill ball
mill grinding circuit to assess which case is the most optimal grinding circuit in terms of cost. The
objective of the grinding circuit is to size reduce the F80 to P80 from 1.11 cm to 0.024 cm.

3.2 Conventional Grinding Case

Table 22: The incoming feed specifications are shown in the table below.

Dry Feed
Moisture

75000
3%
77250

Fresh Feed

t/d

4730.747083

t/d
st/h

18
4291.666667
Availability
Wet Feed
Dry Feed

t/h

0.95
4517.54386
4385.964912

t/h
t/h

It was found that 8 lines provides the most optimal configuration for grinding through trial and error.
The rod mill and ball mill grinding specifications are shown in the table below.
Table 23: The rod mill followed by ball mill specifications are shown in the tables below

Ball Mill

Rod Mill
Availability

Availability

0.95

Dry Feed

Dry Feed

548.2456 TPH

Wi

13 kWh/t

Wi

0.95
548.2456 TPH
13 kWh/t

F80

11100 um

F80

11100 um

P80

2000 um

P80

2000 um

2.242604526 Hph/t

2.242604526 Hph/t

First, Fo is calculated by the equation

= 16000

13

And Rro is calculated by

= 8 + 5 /
Where L/D is 1.5
Table 24: The calculations for Fo, Rro and reduction are shown below. Using these variable, an initial guess is presented

Fo (um)
Rro
Reduction Ratio
Power Requirement (HP)
Initial Case

Rod Mill
16000
15.5
5.55
1229.5
At 40% Loading and HP 1695

Ball Mill
17554.15
15.5
8.333
3348.6
At 45% Loading and HP 3542

Based on the initial cases, the rod mill and ball mill dimensions are estimated. The rod mill and ball mill
horsepower charts as seen in Section 9.3 of the appendix are used for these calculations.

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Table 25: The final rod mill - ball mill dimensions for the conventional grinding circuit

Length (Ft)
Diameter (Ft)

Rod Mill
14
20

Ball Mill
17.5
17

Based on the previous calculations, the efficiency factors for both the Rod Mill and Ball Mills are
calculated and shown below.
Table 26: The efficiency factors used for calculating adjusted power required for both the rod mill and ball mill

EF1
EF2
EF3
EF4
EF5
EF6
EF7
EF8

Rod Mill
N/A
N/A
0.894112961
N/A
N/A
1.66
N/A
N/A

Ball Mill
N/A
N/A
0.85508717
N/A
N/A
1.3424
N/A
N/A

Where
8
3 = ( )0.2

6 = 1 +

( )2
150

Table 27: The adjusted power requirement for the rod mill and ball mill are shown below

Power (HP/line)

Rod Mill
1824.873224

Ball Mill
3843.74433

Next, adjustments are made to satisfy the power requirements and L/D ratios of the rod mill and ball
mill
Table 28: Summary of the rod mill - ball mill grinding circuit

HP
L (Ft)
D (Ft)
L/D Ratio

Rod Mill
1840
22
14.5
1.517

Ball Mill
3961
24
16
1.5

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Therefore, 8 lines of rod mill ball mill configurations are required for the grinding stage of the circuit.
The rod mills are sized to be 1840 HP with a length to diameter of 22 Ft by 14.5 Ft, and the ball mills are
sized to be 3961 with a length to diameter of 24 Ft by 16 Ft.

3.3 SAG Mill Ball Mill Grinding Case

The SAG mill ball mill grinding specifications are shown in the table below.
Table 29: The tables below summarize the SAG mill - ball mill grinding circuit requirements

SAG Mill
Availability
Dry Feed
Wi

Ball Mill
0.95

4385.96491 t/h
N/A kWh/t

Availability
Dry Feed

0.95
4385.965 t/h

Wi

10.8

F80

11100 um

F80

2000 um

P80

2000 um

P80

240 um

E_Sag

7.574 HPh/t

Availability
P/G Efficiency
Factor of Safety

90%
98.5%
1.1

Availability
P/G Efficiency
Factor of Safety

6.1078 HPh/t
90%
98.5%
1.1

The ball mill efficiency factors are then calculated in the same method as the conventional method
above.
Table 30: The efficiency factors used for calculating the adjusted required power is shown below

Efficiency Factor
EF1
EF2
EF3
EF4
EF5
EF6
EF7
EF8
EGL
L/D

Ball Mill
N/A
N/A
0.778370542
N/A
N/A
1.342407407
N/A
N/A
55.44121734
1.980043476

Next, the power requirements for rod mill and ball mill are calculated. The adjusted power requirement
is determined from multiplying the power requirement by the factor of safety and efficiency factors.
Table 31: Summary table of the power requirements for the SAG mill - ball mill circuit

Power Requirement (kW)

SAG Mill
Ball Mill
27953.414 22542.9

21
Adjusted Power Requirement (mW)

30.7487

25.91035

For sizing the SAG mill and ball mill, table in Section 9.4 of the appendix was used to correlate the power
requirement to D2.5 x EGL.
Table 32: EGL vs. Power requirement graphs are used to calculate the D2.5 x EGL values for the SAG mill - ball mill circuit. The
table below summarizes the mill specifications for the circuit.

D2.5 x EGL
D (Ft)
EGL/Length (Ft)
L/ D Ratio

SAG Mill
260000
40
26
0.65

Ball Mill
230000
28
55.44
1.98

Therefore, one line of a SAG Mill with the size L-D of 26 Ft x 40 Ft, and a ball mill with the size L-D of
55.44 Ft x 28 Ft is required for the SAG mill ball mill option. The SAG mill ball mill grinding circuit is
superior to the conventional grinding circuit because it is the cheaper option. This is because the SAG
mill-ball mill circuit only requires two large units whereas the conventional circuit requires eight ball
mills and rod mills.

HYDROCYCLONES
3.4 Introduction
Hydrocyclones are used in various duties in mineral processing to classify particles in a liquid suspension
based on their ratio of centripetal force to fluid resistance. A hydrocyclone has two exits on the axis: the
underflow and overflow. The underflow is generally the denser or
coarser fraction, while the overflow is the lighter or finer fraction.
Hydrocyclones are mostly made of steel, ceramic, or sometimes
plastic. The design criteria for sizing a hydrocyclone involves solids
concentration and size distribution plus particle and liquid specific
gravities along with the solids tonnage and slurry flow rate [12].

Figure 6: The figure above shows the interior design of a hydrocyclone and how it classifies particles.

3.5 Selection of Hydrocyclones

First, the mass balance between the hydrocyclone feed, overflow, and underflow have been calculated
and shown in the table below.

22
Table 33: The mass balance for the hydrocyclones feed, overflow and underflow

Hydrocyclone
CF
Tonnes
(solids)
%
solids
Tonnes
(wet)
Water
Slurry
S.G
Vol
Flow

COF

Tonnes
(solids)
%
60.47%
solids
t/h
Tonnes
27560.45519 wet
(wet)
10893.78853 t/h
Water
Slurry
1.619180271
S.G
17021.23951 m3/h
Vol
4728.122085 L/s
Flow
16666.66667 t/h

Tonnes
(solids)
%
40%
solids
t/h
Tonnes
10964.9123 wet
(wet)
6578.94737 t/h
Water
Slurry
1.33858268
S.G
8191.43447 m3/h
Vol
2275.39846 L/s
Flow
4385.96491 t/h

CUF
12280.70175 t/h
74%
16595.54291 t/h wet
4314.841157 t/h
1.879491432
8829.805037 m3/h
2452.723621 L/s

Next, the D50C will be analyzed based on the equation below.

50 = 50 1 2 3
The following assumptions are made
Table 34: Calculations to find D50C Application

D50C Application
P80
240
um
80% Passing
1.25 um
D50C Application 300
um
In addition, the pressure drop is assumed to be 80 kPa, hence the three correction factor are
determined as shown below.
Table 35: The correction factors to calculate D50C Base

Correction Factors
C1 5.0831
C2 1.1
C3 0.97944
The D50c Base was determined to be 54.78 um
Based on the D50c Base and feed volume flow, hydrocyclone sizing charts as seen in Section 9.5 was
used to size the hydrocyclone.
Table 36: Hydrocyclone sizing calculations are shown below along with the 30% adjustment for safety.

Hydrocyclone Specifications
Diameter (cm)
90
Flow Rate per Hydrocyclone (L/s)
200

23
Total Feed Flow (L/s)
4728.122
# Hydrocyclones Required
24
Assume 30% Extra as Spare
Adjusted # Hydrocyclone Required 32
Therefore, 32 hydrocyclones with 35.4 diameters are required for the SAG mill ball mill circuit. The
apex size for the hydrocyclone was calculated as shown below. Graphs from Section 9.5 from the
appendix was used.
Table 37: The apex sizing depends on the CUF volumetric flowrate

Apex Size
Total Underflow Volume (L/s)
Hydrocyclone Underflow Volume per Unit (L/s)
Apex Diameter (cm)

2452.72
102.2
21

Conditioning Tanks
3.6 Introduction
Conditioning tanks are used during the flotation stage of the circuit. Various flotation reagents are
added to a mixture of ore and water inside the conditioning tank. The selection of the flotation tank
must take into account the retention time, volume, and gas hold up. In addition, typically a factor of
safety 1.25 is used during the design.

3.7 Selection of Conditioning Tanks

The following assumptions are made for the sizing of the conditioning tanks.
Table 38: Typical conditioning tanks operate at a gas holdup of 15% and a F.S of 1.25 is common in the industry

Assumptions
Retention Time (Hours)
Gas Holdup (%)
Factor of Safety

0.25
15
1.25

The incoming fed from the flotation calculations is shown below.

Table 39: The volume calculations for the conditioning tanks

Volume Calculations
Volume Retained (Ft3)
72309.887
3
Minimum Capacity (Ft ) w/ 15% Gas 83156.4
Adjusted Capacity w/ F.S
103945.46
20,000 Gallon Tank is chosen
Tank Volume (Ft3)
149609.89
# of Tanks required
0.69

24
A 20,000 gallon tank is chosen because conditioning tanks are relatively cheap compared to other
equipment, and the extra space can be used in case capacity increases in the future.
Table 40: The final sizing specifications for the conditioning tanks

Conditioning Tank Specifications

Diameter (Ft) 69
Height (Ft)
40
Therefore, a single 69 Ft diameter by 40 Ft height conditioning tank is required for the process.

SECTION FOUR: FROTH FLOTATION

4.1 Introduction
Froth flotation is the most widely used method for ore beneficiation. The flotation process involves
separating valuable minerals from worthless gangue by inducing them to gather in and on the surface of
a froth layer. Sulfide and non-sulfide minerals as well as native metals can be recovered by froth
flotation. This process is based on the certain reagents to modify the surface properties of the mineral
[13]. During flotation, reagents such as frothers, collectors, depressants, and pH controllers are added to
control the flotation of the concentrate.

4.2 Flotation Mass Balance

The figure below indicates the major assumptions made and the flow sheet for the froth flotation plant.
The retention times are also labeled.

Figure 7: The diagram above shows the retention times for the flotation process along with general design guidelines

25
Prior to any sizing, the mass balance for the entire froth flotation plant was determined. Once the
volumetric flow for each stream was determined all the cells could be sized. The table below
summarizes the volumetric flow rates for each stream. The full mass balance can be found in Section
9.6 of the appendix.
Table 41: The assays for the flotation streams are shown in the table below.

Stream
Plant Feed
PriRo Con
PriRo Tails
SecRo Con
SecRo Tails
Scv Con
Scv Tails
Bulk Con
ThickDisch
BM Disch
Cyclone Feed
Cyclone UF
Cyclone OF
Column 1 Con
Column 1 Tails
Column 2 Con
Column 2 Tails
Column 2 Scv Con
Column 2 Scv Tails
Column Cmb Con
final Tails

Vol. Flow Rate (m3/h)

8531.376
535.9743
7988.222
566.106
7442.068
968.194
6456.92
2065.741
858.5213
3034.698
6265.809
3034.698
3080.697
132.0074
2952.757
181.03
2773.442
1054.747
1717.405
312.1076
8185.253

Primary Roughers
The retention time for the primary roughers is 4 minutes. It was assumed that 20% volume would be
allowed for gas hold-up and that the larger rougher cell volume available is 3531 Ft3.
Table 42: Procedure for sizing the primary roughers

Primary Roughers
Retention Time
4 min
0.0667 Hr
3
Volume Retained (Ft )
20082.85958
Rougher Cell Volume (Ft3) 3531
Allow 20% Gas
2824.8
# of Cell
7.10948017
8

26

Therefore 8 rougher cells with a volume of 3531 Ft3 will be required for the primary rougher stage.

Secondary Roughers
The retention time for the secondary roughers is 8 minutes. It was assumed that 20% volume would be
allowed for gas hold-up and that the larger rougher cell volume available is 3,531ft3.
Table 43: Procedure for sizing the secondary roughers

Secondary Roughers
Retention Time
8 min
0.133333333 Hr
3
Volume Retained (Ft )
37608.55039
Rougher Cell Volume (Ft3) 3531
Allow 20% Gas
2824.8
# of Cell
13.31370376
14
Therefore 14 rougher cells with a volume of 3,531 Ft3 will be required for the secondary rougher stage.

Scavengers
The retention time for the scavengers is 15 minutes. It was assumed that 20% volume would be allowed
for gas hold-up and that the larger rougher cell volume available is 3,531 Ft3.
Table 44: Procedure for sizing the scavengers

Scavengers
Retention Time
Volume Retained (Ft3)
Rougher Cell Volume (Ft3)
Allow 20% Gas
# of Cell

15 min
0.25 Hr
65694.85616
3531
2824.8
23.25646282
24

Therefore 24 scavenger cells with a volume of 3,531 Ft3 will be required for the scavenging stage.

Aeration Tanks
The retention time for the aeration tanks are 15 minutes. It was assumed there would 15% volume
allowed for gas and a factor of safety of 1.25. Additional tanks were included because they are very
cheap so it would be safe to have more.

27
Table 45: Procedure for sizing the aeration tanks

Aeration Tanks
Retention Time
15
0.25
3
Volume Retained (Ft )
193209.3501
Allow 15% Gas (Ft3)
222190.7526
3
Minimum Capacity (Ft ) 222190.7526
Factor of Safety
1.25
3
Capacity (Ft )
277738.4408
Tank Capacity (Ft3)
50000
374024.7305
# of Tanks
0.74256705
1
Diameter (Ft)
109.1403483
Height (Ft)
40
Only 1 large aeration tank of 110 x 40 would be required.

Cell 12
The retention time for this flotation cell is 25 minutes and it was assumed there would be 20% allowed
for gas hold-up.
Table 46: Procedure for sizing Cell #12

Cell 12
Retention Time
Volume Retained (Ft3)
Rougher Cell Volume (Ft3)
Allow 20% Gas
# of Cell

25 min
0.416666667 Hr
40804.26708
3531
2824.8
14.445011
15

The process would require 15 more 3,531ft3 cells.

Column Cell 1
The retention time for the first column cell is 20 minutes. It was assumed that there would be 15% gas
hold-up, 12.5% froth zone and 9% inactive zone. The column height was assumed to be a maximum of
13 m.
Table 47: Procedure for sizing Column Cell #1

Retention Time
Feed Vol. Flow

Column Cell 1
20 min
0.333333333 Hr
3080.697035 m3/Hr

28

Overflow Vol. Flow

Collection Zone Vol.
Gas Hold Up (%)
Slurry Vol. + Gas Vol. (m3)
Froth Zone (%)
Inactive Zone (%)
Total Column Vol. (m3)
Column Height (m)
# of Columns
Vol. Per Column (m3)
Diameter

51.34495058 m3/min
2952.757483 m3/Hr
49.21262471 m3/min
984.2524942
15
1131.890368
12.50
9
1343.504655
13
10
134.3504655
3.628382663 m
11.90109514 Ft

Therefore 10 columns of 12 x 13 would be required.

Column Cell 2
The retention time for the second column cell is 18 minutes. It was assumed that there would be 15%
gas hold-up, 12.5% froth zone and 9% inactive zone. The column height was assumed to be a maximum
of 13m.
Table 48: Procedure for sizing Column cell #2

Column Cell 2
18 min
0.3 Hr
Feed Vol. Flow
2952.757483 m3/Hr
49.21262471 m3/min
Overflow Vol. Flow
2773.442113 m3/Hr
46.22403521 m3/min
Collection Zone Vol.
832.0326338
Gas Hold Up (%)
15
Slurry Vol. + Gas Vol. (m3) 956.8375289
Froth Zone (%)
12.50
Inactive Zone (%)
9
3
Total Column Vol. (m )
1135.724545
Column Height (m)
13
# of Columns
9
Vol. Per Column (m3)
126.1916161
Diameter
3.516484817m
11.5340702 ft
Retention Time

Therefore 9 columns of 12 x 13 would be required.

29

SECTION FIVE: DEWATERING

5.1 Introduction
The concentrates and tailings produced by the flotation circuit must be dewatered in order to convert
the pulps to a transportable state. Typically, the water can be recycled into the existing water circuits of
the processing plant, thus greatly reducing the demand for expensive fresh water. The main method of
dewatering in this processing plant is through the use of thickeners. In the thickening process, the solids
in a suspension settle under the influence of gravity in a tank and form a thick pulp. This pulp, and the
clear liquid at the top of the tank can be removed continuously. Thickening offers the advantage of low
operation costs, however it has the disadvantage of leaving a higher moisture content in the pulp [14].
When sizing a thickener, design criteria such as incoming feed, settling area, and factor of safety must be
considered.

Figure 8: A typical thickener design in a mineral processing plant.

5.2 Selection of Thickeners

In the processing flow sheet, thickeners are used in three different locations with varying specifications.
Sizing Thickener after Bulk Concentrator

Table 49: Calculations to size the thickener after bulk concentrator. An assumption was made the settling area is 5 Sq.Ft/TPD

Thickener After Bulk Conc.

Feed
Settling Area

20400 TPD
5 Sq.Ft/TPD

30
Settling Area
102000
Factor of
Safety
1.25
Adjusted Area
127500
Thickener D
260
Area/thickener 53092.92
2.40145
Units
3

Sq.Ft

Sq.Ft
Ft
Sq.Ft
Thickeners
Thickeners

Three thickeners with 260 Ft diameter are required after the bulk concentrator.
Sizing Final Concentrate Thickener
Table 50: The calculations for the final concentrate thickener. The settling area was assumed to be 4 Sq.Ft/TPD

Final Concentrate Thickener

Feed
Settling Area
Settling Area
Factor of
Safety
Adjusted Area
Thickener D
Area/thickener
Units

2700 TPD
4 Sq.Ft/TPD
10800 Sq.Ft
1.25
13500
140
15386
0.877421
1

Sq.Ft
Ft
Sq.Ft
Thickeners
Thickener

One thickener with 140 Ft diameter is required for the final concentrate.
Sizing Final Tailings Thickener
Table 51: Calculations for the final tailings thickener. The settling area was assumed to be 6 Sq.Ft/TPD

Final Tailings Thickener

Feed
72300
Settling Area
6
Settling Area
433800
Factor of
Safety
1.25
Adjusted Area
542250
Thickener D
260
Area/thickener 53092.92
10.21323
Units
11

TPD
Sq.Ft/TPD
Sq.Ft

Sq.Ft
Ft
Sq.Ft
thickeners
thickener

31
Eleven thickeners with 260 Ft diameter are required for the final tailings.

SECTION SIX: REGRINDING CIRCUIT

6.1 Introduction
The regrinding circuit involves a ball mill and a hydrocyclone. The circuit is as shown in Figure 9 below.

Figure 9: The regrinding circuit consists of a ball mill - hydrocyclone configuration

6.2 Selection of the Regrinding Ball Mills

Within the froth flotation circuit there is also a re-grind circuit to remove oversize. There are 4 lines of
ball mills to satisfy the required tonnage. The incoming feed for the regrinding circuit are as follows
Table 52: The incoming feed characteristics from the flotation

Incoming Regrinding Feed Specifications

# Line
4
Mass Recovery (%) 15
Feed (t/h)
932.0175
Wbm (kWh/t)
10.2
F80 (um)
225
P80 (um)
70
Wi is 7.22 HPh/t
It was found that 4 lines provides the most optimal configuration for the regrinding grinding circuit
through trial and error. Next, the Fo and Rro are calculated and an initial ball mill estimate is established.
Table 53: The ball mill's Fo, Rro, and reduction ratio are calculated to be used for the efficiency factor calculations later. An
initial guess is established.

Fo (um)
Rro
Reduction Ratio
Power Requirement (HP)
Initial Case

Rod Mill
18063.07
8.75
3.21
6735.7
At 45% Loading and HP 3542

Based on the initial case, the ball mill dimensions are estimated. The ball mill horsepower charts as seen
in Section 9.3 of the appendix are used for these calculations.

32
Table 54: The dimensions of the initial case regrind circuit ball mill

Length (Ft)
Diameter (Ft)

Ball Mill
17
17.5

Based on the previous calculations, the efficiency factors for both the Rod Mill and Ball Mills are
calculated and shown below.
Table 55: Efficiency factors for the regrind ball mill

Ball Mill
EF1 N/A
EF2 N/A
EF3 0.855087165
EF4 N/A
EF5 1.001871491
EF6 1.204294218
EF7 0.436932707
EF8 N/A
The efficiency factor are calculated in the same method as shown in Section 2, however EF5 and EF7 are
also present in this case.
5 =

7 =

80 + 10.3
1.145 80

2(. 1.35) + 0.26

2 (. + 1.35)

The adjusted power requirement for the regrinding ball mill is shown below.
Table 56: The power requirement for each ball mill

Power (HP/line)

Ball Mill
3036.3343

Next, adjustments are made to satisfy the power requirements and L/D ratios of the rod mill and ball
mill
Table 57: The final dimensions for the regrinding circuit ball mill.

HP
L (Ft)
D (Ft)
L/D Ratio

Ball Mill
3206 at 40% Loading
20
14
1.42

33

Therefore, 4 lines of ball mills are required for the regrinding stage of the circuit. The ball mills are sized
to be 3206 HP with 40% loading and a length to diameter of 20 Ft by 14 Ft.

6.3 Selection of the Regrinding Circuit Hydrocyclone

The hydrocyclones were sized by analyzing the volumetric flow of the cyclone feed and underflow. The
feed and underflow has the following characteristics.
Table 58: The mass balance between hydrocyclone feed, and underflow

Hydrocyclone
Feed
Tonnes
(solids)
% solids
Tonnes
(wet)
Water
Slurry S.G
Vol Flow

CUF

5691.6667 t/h
56.30%
t/h
10109.532 wet
4417.8656 t/h
1.5528305
1808.442 L/s

Tonnes
(solids)
% solids
Tonnes
(wet)
Water
Slurry S.G
Vol Flow

4179.167 t/h
71.30%
t/h
5861.384 wet
1682.217 t/h
1.821055
894.0765 L/s

Next, the D50C will be analyzed based on the equation below.

50 = 50 1 2 3
The following assumptions are made
Table 59: Calculations for finding D50C application.

D50C Application
P80
70
um
80% Passing
1.25 um
D50C Application 80
um
In addition, the pressure drop is assumed to be 70 kPa, hence the three correction factor are
determined as shown below.
Table 60: Correction factors for determining D50C Base

Correction Factors
C1 3.794320121
C2 1.1
C3 0.979439802
The D50c Base was determined to be 21.404 um

34
Based on the D50c Base and feed volume flow, hydrocyclone sizing charts as seen in Section 9.5 of the
appendix was used to size the hydrocyclone.
Table 61: Calculations for sizing and determining number of units of hydrocyclone

Hydrocyclone Specifications
Diameter (cm)
25
Flow Rate per Hydrocyclone (L/s)
15
Total Feed Flow (L/s)
1808.44
# Hydrocyclones Required
121
Assume 30% Extra as Spare
Adjusted # Hydrocyclone Required 158
Therefore, 158 hydrocyclones with 9.85 diameters are required for the ball mill regrinding circuit. The
apex size for the hydrocyclone was calculated as shown below. Graphs from Section 9.5 of the appendix
was used.
Table 62: Hydrocyclone apex sizing based on underflow volume

Apex Size
Total Underflow Volume (L/s)
Hydrocyclone Underflow Volume per Unit (L/s)
Apex Diameter (cm)

894.07653
7.29
7

SECTION SEVEN: COST CONSIDERATIONS

7.1 Summary of Equipment Costs
The cost of the main items of equipment in the process will be estimated in this section. The process
can be considered in three basic circuits and they are given as follows:

Stage

Crushing

B1

Conventional Grinding

B2

Semi Autogenous Grinding

Equipment Summary
Equipment
Conveyor
Grizzly
Gyratory Crusher
Primary Vibrating Screen
Cone Crusher
Secondary Vibrating Screen
Short Head Cone Crusher
Rod Mill
Ball Mill
Hydrocyclone
Conditioner
SAG Mill
Ball Mill

Size
4' x 16,000'
3.5' x 10'
42'' x 70''
12' x 30'
10'
12' x 30'
8'
14.5' x 22'
16' x 24'
35''
70' x 40'
40' x 26'
28' x 56'

Number Cost
1
$1,058,138.19
1
$37,557.98
1
$4,464,838.93
1
$427,706.43
2
$2,619,540.07
1
$2,708,807.41
17
$16,205,143.10
8
$15,633,222.29
8
$34,334,374.46
32
$1,346,774.04
1
$16,326.09
1
$20,473,408.02
1
$8,764,546.39

35

Froth Flotation

Hydrocyclone
Conditioner
Primary Rougher
Secondary Rougher
Scavenger
Cleaner
Column 1
Column 2
Bulk Conc. Thickener
Re-grind Mills
Hydrocyclone
Concentrate Thickener
Tailings Thickener
Total Cost

32''
70' X 40'
3531 Ft3
3531 Ft3
3531 Ft3
3531 Ft3
6040 Ft3
5670 Ft3
260'
14' x 20'
10''
140'
260'

32
1
8
14
24
15
10
9
3
4
158
1
11

$1,346,774.04
$16,326.09
$1,566,452.62
$2,741,292.09
$4,699,357.87
$2,937,098.67
$1,673,404.73
$1,452,329.61
$4,163,745.71
$7,422,682.58
$769,109.95
$513,249.49
$15,267,067.60
$101,362,677.00

Table 63: A table outlining all the major pieces of equipment and their respective cost.

The circuit contains Crushing, Semi-autogenous grinding and froth flotation. The equipment costs
approximately $101.3 M in total. These are the main pieces of equipment in the mill, however there are
others that are not being considered. Examples include, pumps, filters, etc. The process to determine
the cost of each individual unit of equipment can be found in Section 9.7 of the appendix.
The total cost of each circuit is shown below:
Cost Comparisons
Crushing
Conventional Grinding Semi-Autogenous Grinding
$27,521,732.11 $51,330,696.87
$30,601,054.54

Flotation
$43,482,194.47

Table 64: A table comparing the costs of the various stages of the circuit.

Capital Cost Components

Purchased Equipment
$101,362,677.00
Installed Equipment Costs
1.43
$144,948,628.11
Process Piping
0.1
$10,136,267.70
Instrumentation
0.03
$3,040,880.31
Buildings and Site
0.35
$35,476,936.95
Auxiliaries
0.1
$10,136,267.70
Outside Lines
0.08
$8,109,014.16
Total Physical Plant Costs
$211,847,994.93
Eng and Contrustion
0.25
$52,961,998.73
Contingencies
0.1
$21,184,799.49
Size Factor
0.05
$10,592,399.75
Fixed Capital Cost
$296,587,192.90
Working Capital
0.12
$35,590,463.15
The total cost of the plant and working capital is approximately $332,177,656

36

SECTION EIGHT: DISCUSSION

8.1 Capacity
The equipment was sized for a 75,000 TPD operation, and it was assumed that this was the tonnage at
maximum capacity. However, if there are plans to potentially scale the operations up over time, larger
equipment would be selected for the crushing circuit. For the grinding circuit, it is more flexible because
additional lines can be installed, given that there is physical space available.

8.2 Plant Recovery

The copper recovery of the flotation circuit is 93.3%.

SECTION NINE: APPENDIX

9.1 For Primary Crushers

Figure 10: In order to size a gyratory crusher, the capacity is used to determine the feed opening x mantle diameter
Table 65: Sandvik gyratory crusher models

37

9.2 For Crushing Screens 1 and 2

Figure 11: Correction factors for crushing screens

38

9.3 For Grinding-Rod Mill & Ball Mill

Table 66: Rod Mill sizing charts

Table 67: Ball mill sizing charts

39
Table 68: Diameter efficiency correction factors

9.4 For SAG Mill Ball Mill Grinding

Figure 12: Based on the SAG Mill power requirement, the D2.5 x EGL can be determined. This term is used to size the SAG mill

40

Figure 13: The SAG circuit ball mill power requirement vs. D2.5 x EGL. This graph is used to size the ball mill

9.5 For Hydrocyclones

Figure 14: The following graphs are used to calculate the correction factors used to calculate D50C Base for sizing the
hydrocyclones

41

Figure 15: Graphs used to determine the hydrocyclone diameter

Figure 16: The apex diameter vs flow rate graph

42

9.6 For Flotation

Table 69: Stream assays for the proposed circuit.

9.7 For Costing Equipment

=
Table 70: The equipment costing factors a, and b.

Costing Equipment
Equipment
a
Gyratory
71.25
Grizzly
2543
Cone Crusher
25070
Belt Conveyor
1875
Screen
1041
Rod Mill Mill
12440
Rod Mill - Motor
1130
Ball Mill - Mill
14150
Ball Mill Motor
1130

b
1.2
0.56
1.756
0.5225
0.5877
1.658
0.76
1.578
0.76

43
SAG Mill
Hydrocyclone
Conditioning Tank
Thickener
Rougher
Scavenger
Aeration Tank
Column Cell

8202
103.5
12.95
182.6
264.2
264.2
12.95
1074

2.134
1.684
0.7209
1.607
0.8089
0.8089
0.7209
0.5799

9.8 Bibliography
[1] Mular, A. L. Halbe, D. N. Barratt and D. J, "Design Criteria: The Formal Basis of Design," in Mineral
Processing Plant Design, Practice, and Control Proceedings, SME, 2011, p. 2.
[2] S. Kelebek, "A Project Report as an Example," January 2015. [Online]. Available:
https://moodle.queensu.ca. [Accessed 17 April 2015].
[3] Mular, A. L. Halbe, D. N. Barratt and D. J, "Selection and Sizing of Primary Crushers," in Mineral
Processing Plant Design, Practice, and Control Proceedings, SME, 2011, p. 2.
[4] L. C. and B. , "HRMH - Crushers and Rockbreakers," Center for Excellence in Mining Innovation,
[Online]. Available: https://www.minewiki.org/index.php/HRMH_-_Crushers_and_Rockbreakers.
[Accessed 17 April 2015].

44
[5] Press Release Dstribution, "The comparison between Gyratory Crusher with Jaw Crusher," PRLOG,
1 Feburary 2012. [Online]. Available: http://www.prlog.org/11787942-the-comparison-betweengyratory-crusher-with-jaw-crusher.html. [Accessed 19 April 2015].
[6] G. Beerkircher, K. O'Bryan and K. Lim, "Selection and Sizing of Secondary and Tertiary Cone
Crushers," in Mineral Processing Plant Design, Practice, and Control Proceedings, SME, 2011.
[7] S. B. Valine and J. E. Wennen, "Fine Screening in Mineral Processing Oeprations," in Mineral
Processing Plant Design, Practice, and Control Proceedings, SME, 2011, p. 1.
[8] M. A. Bothwell and A. L. Mular, "Coarse Screening," in Mineral Processing Plant Design, Practice,
and Control Proceedings, SME, 2011, p. 6.
[9] J. P. Nichols, "Selection and Sizing of Screens," in SME Mineral Processing Handbook, SME, 1985.
[10] C. A. Rowland Jr. , "Selection of Rod Mills, Ball Mills and Regrind Mills," in Mineral Processing Plant
Design, Practice, and Control Proceedings, SME, 2011, p. 2.
[11] InfoMine, "SAG Mills," TechnoMine, 5 November 2007. [Online]. Available:
http://technology.infomine.com/articles/1/2033/mill.grinding.processing/sag.mills.aspx.
[Accessed 18 April 2015].
[12] T. J. Olson and P. A. Turner, "Hydrocyclone Selection for Plant Design," in Mineral Processing Plant
Design, Practice, and Control Proceedings, SME, 2011, p. 1.
[13] Chevron Phillips, "Introduction to Mineral Processin," Chevron Phillips Chemical Company,
[Online]. Available: http://www.cpchem.com/bl/specchem/enus/Pages/IntroductiontoMineralProcessing.aspx. [Accessed 19 April 2015].
[14] C. H. Lorig, "Mineral Processing & Metallurgy," Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 November 2006.
[Online]. Available: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/383742/mineralprocessing/81314/Flotation-separation. [Accessed 19 April 2015].