Moises Henriques - 1001008456

Assignmen
t2
MSE 301 Mineral
Processing

MSE 301 - 2014

Assignment # 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. A

sample of calcite (CaCO 3)

device.

was sized with

sedimentation

Initially,

homogeneous slurry containing 1.0 weight percent calcite was prepare

d. After settling
for known time periods, 10 ml samples were extracted from a point
20 cm below the
initial surface. The cross sectional area of the device is 40 cm

.Assuming that
Stokes' law applies, calculate the following:
a. The cumulative weight fraction finer than the separation size
of calcite.
First step calculate the Weight associeted with 100% of the sample and the
respective a percentage that the dried sample weight represent in this total
(weight reteined).
Settling
Time

Dried
Sample

Cumulativ
eW

0.0996

0.373

10

0.0835

0.2734

20

0.0622

0.1899

40

0.0468

0.1277

80

0.0351

0.0809

160

0.0264

0.0458

320

0.0194

0.0194

Wt%
26.702412
87
22.386058
98
16.675603
22
12.546916
89
9.4101876
68
7.0777479
89
5.2010723
86

After we calcule the impact in the length of the liquid that we will have after
removing every 10 ml sample. With the length of every sample we are able to
calculate the terminal velocity and use this to find the Radio of every particle.

Settlin
g Time

Dried
Sample(
gr)

Cumulati
ve W (gr)

0.0996

0.373

10

0.0835

0.2734

20

0.0622

0.1899

40

0.0468

0.1277

80

0.0351

0.0809

160

0.0264

0.0458

320

0.0194

0.0194

Wt%
26.70241
287
22.38605
898
16.67560
322
12.54691
689
9.410187
668
7.077747
989
5.201072
386

L(cm)

Vt(cm/s)

20

19.75

1.975

19.5

0.975

19.25

0.48125

19

0.2375

18.75

0.1171875

18.5

0.0578125

R(cm)

0.009288
822
0.006526
486
0.004585
244
0.003221
135
0.002262
652
0.001589
234

Now with all the variables calculated we just need to calculate the cummulative
weight and build the table with the size distribuition and the respective
cummulative weight % undersize.
Size range
Bigger than
0.0093
0.0093 to 0.0065
0.0065 to 0.0046
0.0046 to 0.0032
0.0032 to 0.0023
0.0023 to 0.0016
smaller than
0.0016

Wt%
retained

cumm
Wt%

26.7

100

22.39
16.67
12.55
9.41
7.08

73.3
50.91
34.24
21.69
12.28

5.2

5.2

b.
(x/K)

Fit the size distribution to an equation of the form

y =

Applying log at both sides of this equation we find log y = alogx alogK. So
our variables are y and x, that can be represented by the cummulative weight
fraction undersize and de diameter of the particles in the sample. So our
graph is generated by a relation between log Y vs Log X.

D(2r in
um)
185.7764
456
130.5297
202
91.70488
5
64.42269
761
45.25303
839
31.78468
958

c.

Log D
1.502217
974
1.655647
744
1.809038
906
1.962392
471
2.115709
407
2.268990
649

Log P

5.2
12.
28
21.
69
34.
24
50.
91
73.
3

0.716003
344
1.089198
367
1.336259
552
1.534533
756
1.706803
097
1.865103
975

Was the choice of Stokes law correct?

To verify if the Stokes law assumption was correct we calculate Reynolds for each size of
the particle and for each terminal velocity. If the values found are lower than 1 the
assumption was correct.

Settli
ng
Time
0
10
20
40
80
160

Dried
Sam
ple
0.099
6
0.083
5
0.062
2
0.046
8
0.035
1
0.026
4

Cumulat
ive W

Wt%

Vt

0.373

26.702

20

0.2734

22.386

19.75

1.975

0.1899

16.676

19.5

0.975

0.1277

12.547

19.25

0.48125

0.0809

9.410

19

0.2375

0.0458

7.078

18.75

0.11718
75

0.00928
9
0.00652
6
0.00458
5
0.00322
1
0.00226
3

Re

1.8345
0.6363
0.2207
0.0765
0.0265

320

0.019
4

0.0194

5.201

18.5

0.05781
25

0.00158
9

0.0092

As we can see, In the first sample we cant apply the stokes law, the Reynolds number
for that flow is higher than 1. But for all other samples, the process follows a stokesian
regime.

2. This is a material balance problem with redundant data. Data w

as collected
from a concentrator that produces a concentrate and a tail. Sam
ples taken from
each of the streams was assayed for three elements. The data is g
iven in the
following table.
Assays (%)

Component
Feed
Concentrate
Tails

0.32

3.81

0.95

2.35

2.25

8.2

0.05

4.05

0.15

The material balance can be calculated by three techniques: namely, th

e simple two
product formula using any of the three element assays: the graphical te
chnique and
finally the matrix method.

a. Compare the results of the material balances obtained with

each of these
methods.

Two Product Formula

a
Components

Assays
b

Feed

0.32

3.81

0.95

Concentrate

2.35

2.25

8.2

Tails

0.05

4.05

0.15

f-t
c-t

0.27
2.3

-0.24
-1.8

0.8
8.05

0.117

0.133

0.0994

C*

0.116701173

F
f
C
c
T
t

a
1
0.32
0.117
2.35
0.91504
0.05

b
1
3.81
0.133
2.25
0.87591
4.05

c
1
0.95
0.099
8.2
-0.04633
0.15

0.001587

-0.0299

-0.139

In the two product formula I have calculated the values for f-t and c-t, and used it to find
the value of C, I made it for all the Assays and then I was able to find C* making an
average of the C values found. After that I build the balance table, in this balance table I
had the values for F(assumed 1),C(was calculated) and the assays c,f,t. So I usesd the
formula Ff=Cc+Tt to find the value of T. After I just calculated the residue generated by
the utilization of C*, to do that I used the formula r=(f-t)-(C*)(c-t).

Graphical Technique

Graphical Technique

f-t

1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2
-0.4

f(x) = 0.16x

f-t
Linear (f-t)

c-t

C
*

F
f
C
c
T

0.1564
a
1
0.32
0.156
2.35
-0.95080

b
1
3.81
0.156
2.25
0.85385

c
1
0.95
0.156
8.2
-2.21653

0.05

4.05

0.15

-0.089720

0.041520

-0.459020

In order to calculate this one, I used the previously calculated values of c-t and f-t to
build a graph passing in the origin 0:0 and the inclination of this graph represents the C*
value. With this value calculated I just calculated the T and R values just like in the
previously method.

Matrix Method
1

2.35

0.05

C*

0.32

2.25

4.05

t*

3.81

8.2

0.15
A

0.95
*

A'A

X
A'F

78.825

11.46

18.1145

11.46

17.4275

16.589

Inv(A'A)
0.014027
-0.00922415
-0.00922
0.063446205

A'F
18.1145
16.589

X
C*
T*

Inv(A'A)*(A'F)
0.101079692
0.88541826

F
f
C
c

a
1
0.32
0.101
2.35

b
1
3.81
0.000
2.25

c
1
0.95
0.000
8.2

1.64925

0.88459

0.80764

0.05

4.05

0.15

0.037517

-0.058057

-0.013692

In this method I build the matrix A using the values of c and t and the matrix F using the
values of t. To find the X matrix I used the software Matlab to calculate the operations
with the matrixes, first I used it to find the value of AA and AF. Then I calculated the
value of the inverse of this matrix and found Inv(AA), to finish I calculated the X matrix
by multiplying the matrix inv(AA) by the matrix AF. With this I found the value of C*
and just like in the other methods calculated the T and R values.
Comparing these 3 methods we can see that all of them generate residues in the end,
what makes the balance dont close in 0. This way Is necessary treat this residues to
close the balances.

b. Calculate the distribution of the elements in the two produc

ts from the
concentrator. Use the concentrate fraction obtained by least
square
(graphical) method.
I made this one together with the question A. The distribution of components and
assays using the least square method is this:

C*

F
f
C
c
T
t

0.1564
a
1
0.32
0.156
2.35
0.95080
0.05
0.08972
0

b
1
3.81
0.156
2.25
0.85385
4.05

0.041520

c
1
0.95
0.156
8.2
2.21653
0.15
0.45902
0

How explained in the last question, I had the values of F, f, C, c and T, so I just need to

use the formula Ff=Cc+Tt to find T, T=(Ff-Cc)/t.

c.

Calculate adjusted assays

Adjustm
ents

C*

0.1564

F
f
C
c

a
1
0.32
0.156
2.35

b
1
3.81
0.156
2.25

-0.95080

0.85385

0.05

4.05

0.08972
0

0.041520

1.73612
192

/\f
/\c

0.05167
84
0.00808

0.023915
371
-

c
1
0.95
0.156
8.2
2.2165
3
0.15
0.4590
20

0.2643
9
0.0413

25
/\t

0.37167
84
2.34191
75

3.786084
629
2.253740
364

t*

0.00640
41

4.070175
007

R*

f*
Adjusted
Assays

0.04359
59

0.003740
364
0.020175
007

c*

51
0.2230
43
1.2143
94
8.1586
49
0.0730
4
0

The first step to calculate the Adjusted Assays was find H, to do that I used the formula
H=2*(1-C*+(C*)), the with H value, I found the adjustments for each Assay (feed,
concentrate and tail respectively) using the following formulas:
/\f = R/H
/\c = -(C*)R/H
/\t = -(1-(C*))R/H
where R is the residue value that varies for every assay, C* and H are fix and doesnt
change from one assay for another.

With all adjustments calculated is time to find the adjusted assays, to do that I just used
the following formulas:
f* = f - /\f
c* = c - /\c
t* = t - /\t
Where f, c and t are the original values of the assays and the f*, c* and t* are the
adjusted assays values.
With these values I just recalculated the residues, using them to confirm that the
balance will close in 0. To do that I reused the formula R=(f-t)-(C*)(c-t), but in the place
of f, c and t I used the f*, c* and t*. And the result was R=[0,0,0] as expected.