Speaker
Description
Palladium (Pd) metal in the UG-2 orebody of the Eastern Bushveld Igneous Complex presents recovery challenges. Ore deposit used for the study contains significant concentration of this metal, which renders its recovery critical for the overall PGE recovery. Conventional recovery techniques employed have proven to have limitations in terms of optimising Pd-bearing minerals recovery. Although reagents suites being used proved to attain good recoveries compared to the industrial counterparts, further improvements have the potential to improve profit margins. Commodity price volatility presents opportunities to maximize revenue generation in times of higher prices, placing the organisation in a better financial position to finance both “stay-in-business” and expansion projects. A study was conducted to find Pd-bearing minerals recovery improvement opportunities in the backdrop of current limitations. The study involved the understanding of minerals contained in samples taken from the orebody and sample from one of the plant process streams, their modal occurrence and liberation after being subjected to grinding process. Various reagents were screened to establish potential better combinations. Ore pre-treatment technique in the form of ore pre-heating using microwave before milling process was explored, only as a preliminary test. A CMC depressant with lower degree of substitution showed potential to improve overall PGM (4E) recovery by more than 2%. For a larger scale operation, recovery improvement of any magnitude has positive impact on revenue generation. Although statistically not a significant difference between the two means, this depressant proved to produce consistent results. Low variance amongst individual recovery values compared to the standard depressant suggests the potential to consistently produce improved recoveries. Pre-treating the ore before milling stage showed potential to improve both Pd-bearing minerals and the overall 6E recovery. Microwave radiation proved to positively alter the physical properties of the ore, improving its grindability. Palladium splits in the concentrate have also been improved significantly through this process. Results obtained from the study have shown great potential to improve Pd-bearing minerals recovery without compromising recovery of other platinum group metals. Further in-depth studies on the pre-treatment techniques was recommended and, if successfully confirmed, the industry stands to benefit from its implementation to larger-scale operations.
| Apply for student award at which level: | MSc |
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| Consent on use of personal information: Abstract Submission | Yes, I ACCEPT |