CSIR-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology

Bhubaneswar

Dr. Ashok K. Sahu

CSIR-Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology (IMMT), Bhubaneswar

Government

Industry

IMMT

To develop world class innovative technological solutions for the sustainable utilization of mineral resources that accrues maximum industrial benefits for the nation.

As the demand of minerals and metals is increasing sharply and deposit of high grade is depleting very fast, there will be acute need to develop the process for beneficiation of the low grade ores to desired values of minerals.

HRD

Process Technologies

Iron Ore Process Flowsheet

The process flowsheet was developed to utilise high clay and goethitic

associated Indian iron ore. Based on this process flowsheet, number

of beneficiation plants were set up.

Graphite Beneficiation

Advanced process flowsheet was developed to maximise the flaky

graphite and high carbon value from the graphite ore. Simultaneously,

high purity (upto 100% Carbon value) and colloidal graphite

processes were developed.)

Coal Beneficiation

A suitable process flowsheet was developed to achieve 10% ash coal

from 30% feed coal for metallurgical industries.

Process Technologies

Chromite Ore Beneficiation

The existing process flowsheet was modified to beneficiate the lean

grade ore to maximise the chrome value by addition of gravity,

magnetic separator and flotation.

Phosphate Ore Beneficiation

Advanced process flowsheet was developed to produce high grade

concentrate for edible phosphoric and fertilizer phosphoric acids.

Bauxite Ore Beneficiation

A suitable process flowsheet was developed to reduce the reactive

silica from low grade bauxite ore for utilisation as feed material in

alumina refinery industry.

Iron Ore Beneficiation Plant, Essar Steel Ltd., Kirandul

(Chattishgarh)

Iron ore beneficiation plant, KIOCL, Mangalore, Karnataka.

Iron Ore Beneficiation Plant, Jindal Saw Ltd, Bhilwara,

Rajasthan

Iron Ore Beneficiation Plant, BMM Ispat, Hospet, Karnataka

Graphite Ore Beneficiation Plant, TAMIN, Sivaganga,

Tamilnadu

Studies to improve the performance of Chromite Ore

Beneficiation plant of Orissa Mining Corporation,

Kaliapani, Odisha

Process Optimisation of Existing

Beneficiation Plants

Iron ore

fines

Vibrating

screen

Screw

classifier

Pump

box

Pump

box

Pump

box

Pump

box

Pump

box

Pump

box

Pump

box

Primary

ball mill

Secondary

ball mill

Regrindiing

ball mill

Rougher

spiral Cleaner

spiral

Pri

mary

hyd

rocyclo

ne

Desliming

cyclone

Derrick screen

Rougher

magnetic

separator

Cleaner

magnetic

separator

Vibrating

screen

Tailings

thickener

Intermediate

thickener

Concentrate

thickener

Intermediate

thickener

Conditioner Pump

Column

flotation Tailings

Conc. for

BF Pellet

Conc. for

DRI Pellet

A Typical

Process

Flowsheet Iron

Ore

Water

Process of High Purity Graphite

Storage

bin

Ball mill

Slurry pump

Storage

tank

Storage

tank

Reactors

Centrifuge

Centrifuge

Evaporator Conditioner

Column

flotation

Centrifuge Dryer

Storage bin

Storage

tank High purity

graphite

Low grade

product

Washing Water

Water to recycle

BIN

BIN

P1

P2

Reagent

Crusher

Storage bin Rod mill

Conditioner

Rougher cell Scavenger cell

Ball mill

Ball mill

Ball mill

Column

flotation

Column

flotation

Column

flotation

Screen

Hydrocyclone

Hydrocyclone

Hydrocyclone

Tailings

Thickener

Conc.

Thickener

Rotary drum filter Process flowsheet for

Graphite ore beneficiation

P3 Ball mill

Column

flotation Column

flotation

Ball mill

Rejects

Production of Graphene Oxide

High Pure

Graphite

Planetary Ball Mill

Production of graphene oxide in dry process

without using any chemical additives or

producing any waste.

Mass scale production through dual drive

planetary milling

Equipment Development

Air Dense Medium Fluidised Bed Separator

Improved Column Flotation System

Pneumo-Flotation Cell

Vertical Swing Planetary Ball Mill

Improved Mineral Jig

Screw Scrubber

Column Thickener

Air Dense Medium Fluidised Bed Separator

The air dense medium

separation uses a dense

fluidized medium of air and

fine magnetite particles for

beneficiation of ores/minerals.

By means of a two phases

gas-solid pseudo-fluid

separating medium, the light

and heavy particles stratify in

the fluidized bed according to

their individual density.

Moisture Removal

Air Exhust

Air

fromCompressor

Compressed Air Holder

RotametersAir RegulatingValves

Air DistributorHeavy

Material DischargeChute

LightMaterialDischarge

Chute

Air Dryer

Rotameter

Motor drive

Feed Hopper

Rotary Air Lock Valve

Bag

Filter

Fluidised Bed

Plenum Chamber

BagFilter

Air Exhust

Material with Magnetite powder

Pilot scale rectangular shape of fluidized

bed system

Capacity of 500 kg/per hour

Magnetite powder as media

Indian high ash coal of size of -25+6 mm

used

Reduction of the ash content from 40 to

32-33% with 65-70% yield

Improved Flotation Column System

Improved designs :

Online maintenance of air sparger

Wash water distribution

Eddy breakers

Column flotation is one of the best

unit operation to extract the

metallurgical values from low grade

fines of ores/minerals.

Basic design as well as detailed

design of commercial column

flotation system was given.

Detailed design of flotation

column has been given for

phosphate , iron ore tailings,

graphite, coal, antimony ore

beneficiation

Improved Flotation Column System

Technology Transferred to

Industries

Pneumo Flotation Cell

Pneumo cell is

designed on

column flotation

concept.

Three part short

column connected

in series.

Three products can

be got from the

same input material

in one stage.

Planetary Ball Mill for Ultra Fine Grinding

G/2

1

2

Fg

Fc

Fo

Foo

O o

o

Solid state reaction

Preparation of colloidal powder material

Mechanical alloying

Screw Scrubber

Screw scrubber is designed to scrub particles below 10 mm particles

Separate clays from ores before it is fed to other machines in down line.

For some ore it does attrition

Commercial Design up to 150 TPH has been transferred to industry.

Improved Mineral JIG

It can segregate particles when feed materials contain high near gravity materials more efficiently.

It can segregate particles with flaky nature efficiently.

It can handle fragile ores effectively.

It provides different amplitudes along the length of the jig.

Technology Transferred to Industry

Column Thickener

Design of laboratory column thickener

for settling study

Enhance the settling rate using

flocculent as well as application of

magnetic carrier technology

Design the pilot scale column

thickener with auto control system

Study and optimize the performance

of column thickener

Demonstration of column thickener in

commercial scale with participation of

industries.

Magnetic

field

Feed Water

Sludge

Feed

Water

Magnetic

field

Sludge

(Multi-force system)

Future R&D Programme

Development of process to maximise the iron recovery from lean grade ores by combination of physical and pyrometallurgical routes

Ex. Reduction roasting of low grade iron ore followed by physical beneficiation

Beneficiation of Indian coal to achieve less than 10% ash

Production of high purity graphite, colloidal graphite and graphene in commercial scale

Development of indigenous equipment for mineral processing

THANK YOU