Quantifying Mineral Liberation – A Conventional and New Automatic Sophisticated Techniques Approach

  • Rudolf TOMANEC Institute for Technology of Nuclear and Other Mineral Raw Materials, Franchet d`Esperey 86, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
  • Marina BLAGOJEV Institute for Technology of Nuclear and Other Mineral Raw Materials, Franchet d`Esperey 86, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29227/IM-2020-01-72
Keywords: mineral liberation, free surface area, texture characterization, prediction, ore microscopy

Abstract

The characterization of textural properties of minerals is closely related to the process of their respective liberation. Measurements of
mineral liberation, related to grinded ore, can be performed using optical ore microscope, by conventional, classical methods – point
counting, linear intercepts method or planimetric measurements method (2D). Modern automatic devices and sophisticated measurement techniques (QEMSCAN/MLA) imply recording free surfaces area of mineral grains on polished sections samples in order
to determine mineral degree of liberation. Value of mineral liberation obtained over free surfaces area can be of interest to flotation
concentration, although not for gravity separation or, for example, magnetic separation. The prediction accuracy for behavior of one
feed ore during the concentration process depends on the method of measuring/recording mineral liberation. Considering raw materials with complex textural characteristics it is crucial which method will be applied for determination of mineral liberation respecting
whether for concentration process is crucial physical or chemical method.

Published
2021-01-10
How to Cite
TOMANEC, R., & BLAGOJEV, M. (2021). Quantifying Mineral Liberation – A Conventional and New Automatic Sophisticated Techniques Approach. Test, 2(1), 211–216. https://doi.org/10.29227/IM-2020-01-72
Issue
Vol 2 No 1 (2020): Inżynieria Mineralna
Section
ARTICLES

This journal permits and encourages authors to post items submitted to the journal on personal websites or institutional repositories both prior to and after publication, while providing bibliographic details that credit, if applicable, its publication in this journal.