Minerals Engineering - 2019 entry

This module will cover the basic unit processes in mineral processing and hydrometallurgy. We will then bring these processes together to consider the treatment methods for a range of important metalliferous and industrial mineral deposits.

The module requires the completion of Mining and Minerals Engineering (in Year One), or an equivalent subject for those directly entering Year Two of the programme.

The aim of this module is to give you an understanding of minerals engineering from the perspective of the mining engineer. Completing the module will allow you to undertake the Minerals Engineering part of the feasibility study.

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:

1 Understand the unit processes involved in minerals engineering;

2 Produce metallurgical balances, calculate efficiencies and work with cost information;

3 Comprehend how a processing route for a range of minerals and metals is put together using the basic unit processes;

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:

4 Analyse performance data to judge process efficiency;

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge:

5 Digest and review a range of information and to present a summary of findings in written form to a deadline.

Mineral Processing:

- Importance of mineralogy, liberation and concentration;

- Economic efficiency and the use of smelter contracts;

- Comminution: crushing, types of crushing equipment and crushing circuits;

- Grinding equipment (rod, ball, SAG and fine grinding mills);

- Comminution energy and Bond's equation;

- Screening and screen equipment;

- Classification principles and equipment (spiral classifiers, bucket wheel desanders, hydrocyclones);

- Automated sorting and application of specific sensors;

- Dense medium separation, theory, medium selection, equipment and efficiency determination;

- Gravity concentration equipment (jigs, spirals, shaking tables, cones, Knelson, Falcon) and applications;

- Magnetic and high-tension separation: design and application of low and high intensity magnetic separators; separation of beach sands;

- Froth flotation: general principles, flotation reagents and examples of their use, flotation devices and circuit design;

Hydrometallurgy:

- Leaching methods (in-situ, heap, agitation, BIOX);

- Solvent extraction, ion exchange, selective precipitation, use of activated carbon(CIP and CIL);

- Electrowinning and electro-refining, using copper and aluminium as examples;

Minerals Engineering Case Studies:

- Selected mineral/metal case studies tfrom aggregates, kaolin, gold, beach sands, iron ore, lead-zinc and diamonds;

Laboratory Sessions:

- Overview of lab-scale process equipment and linkage to full-scale processes;

- Grinding and flotation: evaluation of flotation tests on a sulphide feed.

As above, one piece of Coursework (30%), and/or one Examination (70%).

Basic Reading:

SME Mineral Processing Handbook (N.L. Weiss, editor), 1985. Vol. 1 and 2.

A range of recent journal publications will be provided to cover developments in Minerals Engineering.

ELE: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Reading list for this module: