Characterising the effect of different modes of particle breakage on coarse gangue rejection for an orogenic gold ore

ABSTRACT Enrichment and metal deportment metallurgical parameters, indicative of the propensity for a comminuted ore to preferentially concentrate metal into multiple density fractions during coarse particle gangue rejection (CPGR) by float–sink separation technique, were developed and applied. Including, a coarse separation enrichment deportment index (EDI) parameter metric to describe a comminuted ore overall preferential grade by density deportment response. The parameters describe the extent of gangue and value component liberation as a measurable rock property that is a function of both particle breakage regime and downstream separation technique. Ultimately the methodology provides metallurgical metrics for measuring the separation performance by the liberation of gangue in fine crushed comminuted ores. In this study, various laboratory-scale fine crushing mechanical and non-mechanical electric pulse SELFRAG Lab devices treated a Ballarat region gold ore to achieve a particle size of ≤2.00 mm to evaluate ore amenability for CPGR and preconcentration potential.