HWANGE COLLIERY COMPANY LIMITED

ZIMBABWE SCHOOL OF MINES

Serving the SADC mining industry

JIG AND FLOTATION

REPORT

NKOSI NCUBE

ND MINERAL PROCSSING AND EXTRACTIVE

METALLURGY

PERIOD: 13/08/18 TO 07/09/18

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ............................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

Feeding……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4

Jigging…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

Pumps…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6

Compressor…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7

Floatation flow chart……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………8

Thickening…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9

Water recycling system……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10

Water circulation flow chart……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….11

Observations and Recommendations……………………………………………………………………………………………...12

Jig and floatation flow chart……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13

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INTRODUCTION

Jig and flotation section is a plant made up for coal washing producing products which are nuts, peas
and the duff for coking coal with ash content in the range of 9-10%. It also makes sure there are no loses
of coal fine as it makes use of floatation to recover the fine coal so as to avoid loss of coal which is fine
due to crushing or mining methods that may have caused the coal particles to be fine.

ORE HANDLING

Ore handling include transportation, feeding, storage and washing of the ore.

ORE STORAGE

ROM and the product are stored on stockpiles as stockpiles have a larger storage. These stockpiles need
to be monitored, management of stockpiles include monitoring the distance of ROM from the feed
bunker to cut transport costs. Coal’s ignition point is 45oC and coal has sulphur which when reacts with
water produces sulphur hydroxide which is an exothermic reaction thereby start fires which requires
proper monitoring of stockpiles. Also monitoring the environment to make sure there are no fires that
are easily started or easily spread by the ROM and no veld fires arise from ROM. The ROM must not be
contaminated nor should it contaminate the product. Larger coal stockpiles have reduced heat loss,
leading to a higher risk of spontaneous combustion thereby causing fires that can cause veld fires. The
raw coal is fed from the stockpiles using a front-end loader hence the distance needs to be shorter for
faster feeding of the plant. In addition, if in case there is a breakdown the ore is stored in the feed
bunker and feed bin, the ore is blended. However, there is segregation of ore and formation of dead ore
and its time consolidating.

ORE TRANSPORTATION

Conveyor belts do transportation of loose ore from feed bunker up to the jig. The conveyor belt
works in a system that the head pulley is the one that is driven by a motor and the rotation of the
motor causes the pulley to move the belt in the same direction. The product from the two drain and
rinse screen and filter press is transported by conveyors to different stockpiles. Pulp is transported
by pipes to avoid spillages of pulp

1. Drain and rinse screens to flotation

2. Product of flotation to filter press
3. Tails of flotation to thickener tanks
4. Tails in thickener tanks to tail dams

Pipe transport is the one used to transport water also in the plant except from filter press and thickener
tanks where it is transported by a launder back to circulation water tank, the jig product is transported
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by launder to the product box

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FEEDING

Feeders are necessary whenever it is desired to deliver a uniform stream of dry or moist ore, since such
ore will not flow evenly from a storage reservoir of any kind through a gate, except when regulated by
some type of mechanism. Feeding is essentially a conveying operation in which the distance travelled is
short and in which close regulation of the rate of passage is required. Where succeeding operations are
at the same rate hence it is unnecessary to interpose feeders. Where, however, principal operations are
interrupted by a storage step as in the in the jig sand flotation where there are stock piles and feed
bunkers, it is necessary to provide a feeder.

At every end of the belt there is a chute feeding to the next belt to avoid overloading of the belt and loss
of coal due to spillages out of belt. At each the feed bunker and feed bin there is an obex feeder that
determines feed rate and feeds the conveyor belt.

CRUSHING

From ROM the coal is fed to a 10 tonne bunker by a front end loader, the feed bunker is vibrating so as
to assist in emptying and avoid dead ore in the bin, and has an obex feeder under it which feeds to J1
conveyor. To note, each conveyor has a chute feeding to the next belt. There is series of conveyor belts
up to J9 that feeds a vibrating double deck screen. The top deck has an aperture size of -30mm and the
oversize particles (+30mm) are fed to horizontal impact crusher number 2. The -30mm and plus +20mm
are feed to horizontal impact crusher number1. The crushing efficiency is. The crushed feed is fed to J10
which feed to a 45tonne capacity feed bin which is vibrating. Under the feeder bin there is an obex
feeder that measures feed rate the obex feed feeds to J11.

The crushers in use are two impact crushers and this crusher, comminution is by impact rather than
compression, by sharp blows applied at high speed to free-falling rock. The moving parts are beaters,
which transfer some of their kinetic energy to the ore particles on contacting them. The internal stresses
created in the particles are often large enough to cause them to shatter. These forces are increased by
causing the particles to impact upon an anvil or breaker plant. In an impact crusher, all particles are
subjected to impact and the elongated particles, having a lower strength due to their thinner cross
section, would be broken

IMPACT CRUSHERS CROSS SECTION

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ORE HANDLING CICRCUIT

ore conveyor +30mm

+20mm feed bunker

-20mm

JIGGING

The pressure jig separate materials on the principle of density. The jig bed is first fluidised using water to
dilate the bed and aid the transportation of coal on the jig bed. The jig has three compartments and
each compartment has a sensor device, waste extractor, waste bucket elevators and two pistons for
pressure anything above the set point of the sensor reports to the sinks as tails. If the sensor is not at
the set point weights are removed or added to make it to the set point. A compressor supplies pressure
to the pulsator box for jigging and there is a pressure regulator to maintain the pressure required in
each compartment. A valve releases the excess pressure. The jig parameters are monitored using the
ash content results for coking coal.

After the bed has been fluidised feed is introduced through the jig under pane and feed rate has to be
controlled to ensure there are no loses of coal reporting to the sinks or there is no contamination of coal
with gangue. Set points for sensors are set depending on the type of ore. Pressure is introduced from
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underneath the jig bed and per each compartment the two pistons interchange that is when the other is

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putting pressure the other is on the suction stroke. In the first compartment that’s where much of the
tails are extracted and the speed of the waste extractors depends on the waste being extracted, thus if
there is no waste extracted the waste extractors will be stationary.

When the other piston is applying pressure the other is the other suction stroke, hence when pressure is
applied from underneath the jig bed the material on the jig bed rises and on the suction stroke material
that have high density sinks through 18mm screen and reports as tails. The waste extractors will reflect
on the panel the percentage that is being extracted in each compartment. Waste bucket elevators
transport the tails to their stockpile. Coal is light in density it will float throughout the jigging process
and is the valuable material wanted that goes though the jig compartments. The next compartment has
a 16mm screen and bed depth of 76cm and usually less extraction of the waste is done here, which is
the same with the third compartment which has a 14mm screen and a bed depth of 72cm and usually
no much waste is extracted here and the reading on the panel will be zero usually. The washed coal
reports to the product box where the coarser solids sink and they are transported to the two drain and
rinse screens by two product elevators so as to remove water and remain with coking coal only. The 5µ
particles are drained and the oversize particles are transported by a series of conveyors to the product
stockpiles.

JIG IN MOTION

KEY

Upstroke suction stroke coking coal tails

PUMPS

The pump has an impeller driven by a motor that uses electricity as energy. The impeller creates a
vacuum inside the pump and the pressure sucks the water or pulp into the pump and the water or pulp
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is pumped to the destined area create another vacuum to make the process continuous.
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COMPRESSOR

A compressor sucks the atmospheric pressure and then supplies it to the required area as positive
pressure.

FLOTATION

Flotation is a physio-chemical separation process that utilises the difference in surface properties of the
valuable minerals and the unwanted gangue minerals. From the product box, the overflow joins the feed
from the pulp from two drain and rinse screens and pumped to pre-conditioning tanks. In the coal
flotation process, the naturally hydrophobic coal particles are floated while the hydrophilic gangue
particles are collected as tailings. Collector is added prior to Flotation to enhance the surface
hydrophobicity of the coal particles whereas Frother is used for decreasing the surface tension of air
bubbles assists the formation of ultrafine bubbles. Diesel and MIBC (methyl isobutyl carbinol) are
commonly used as collector and frother, respectively, in coal flotation. The pulp is pre - conditioned in
two tanks of 1.475litres capacity where the floatation agent (MIBC) is being added at rate of 600ml/min
a frother is needed to stabilise the bubbles in the flotation cell and diesel, which acts as a collector so as
to render hydrophobicity to the particles is being added at a rate of 400ml/min in each tank. Each pre-
conditioning tank is feeding each flotation tank. Each floatation cell has an agitator to produce bubbles
and to make sure there is cohesion of particles and air is available. Coal has carbon, therefore it is highly
hydrophobic and will attach to the bubbles and reports to the floats so there is direct flotation in jig and
flotation plant, the floats are pumped to floatation sump

FROTH FLOTATION DIAGRAM

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FLOTATION FLOW CHART

Slurry with coal fines

Pre-conditioning tank A B

Flotation cell
A
B

THICKENER TANK B
A

Flotation sump

TAILS

Filter press Circulation water tank

CLEAN COKING COAL

KEY

Coal ----- water ----- tails------

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THICKENNING

The sinks in flotation that are tails, are fed to the two thickener tanks. A flocculent that is
polyiachramide (anionic) is being mixed with water then fed to the thickener tanks. The flocculent
causes the particles to agglomerate hence the solids are hold together and making them heavier and
they sink at the bottom. After 2 hours, the solids are being discarded to the tailing disposal site. The
water is then pumped back to the circulating water tank.

FILTERING

Filtration is the process of separating solids from liquid by means of a porous medium, which retains the
solid but allows the liquid to pass. Feed from flotation the pulp needs to be separated from water hence
there are filter presses are there to separate the coal fines from the water that needs to be recycled in
the plant.

From flotation sump, the pulp is pumped to five filter presses. A filter press is a tool used in separation
processes especially of solid/liquid separation using a principle of pressure drive, provided by slurry
pump. The filter press is used in fixed volume and batch operations, which means that the operation has
to be stopped to discharge the filter cake before next batch can be started. The slurry needed to be
dewatered is injected into the centre of the press and each chamber is filled. Each filter press has its
own pump that pumps pulp from the flotation sump to the filter press. The filling time should be as
quick as possible in order to avoid cake formation in the first chamber before the last chamber is full.
The pressure inside the system will increase due to the formation of thick sludge. When the velocity of
the water from the chambers decrease it shows, it is ready.

Then the liquid is if filtered out through the filter cloths by adding streams of compressed air and it
should not exceed 8MPa. After filtering a button is pressed to release the block compressing the plates
and it reaches a point where a device that moves the plates starts moving and discharging the filter
cake. The filters are fed for an average time of 15-23minutes to fill them, if they are full the water
coming out of the filters becomes very low. After filling them with feed pressure is introduced to each
plate for the first five minutes then pressure is let out. Pressure is then applied and it should not exceed
8MPa checking on whether if the filtering process is complete. The pressure filters are divided into
sections with each section having 6 plates attached with filter cloth. If it is complete the filters are
opened the product is discharged, the process of releasing the product takes an average of 3minutes.
The product is fed to J12 then fed to series of conveyors up to J15 that transport the coal fines at a
different place with coking coal. The water that is filtered flows back to the circulation tank.

SAMPLING

There is need to determine ash content to monitor jig and flotation parameters. The ash content
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required for coking coal and the washed coal fines is between the ranges of 9-10%.
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At the plant there is a lab and the samples are collected at each cell and mixed and for coking coal the
sample is collected at the two drain and rinse screens. All samples are quantified through coning and
quartering where samples are mixed heavily and separated into 4 quarters then two quarters are
chosen and the remaining two are discarded as tails, there has to be samples for coking coal and two for
fine coal, the procedure is repeated up to required size for both samples. The weight of the sample has
to be 28g and it is weighed as also the crucible is also measured. The remaining samples are dried in an
oven at 150degrees Celsius for 10mins, after being dried they are pulverised. They are then fed to the
muffle furnace and are heated for 30minutes at 850degrees Celsius

After heating them for 30 minutes they are allowed to cool for 10minutes. After allowing them to cool
they are weighed then the ash is dumbed and cleaned and measure the weight of the crucible. The
difference of weight of the crucible with ash and crucible without ash after heating is hen divided by the
initial weight of the sample multiplied 100 to get the ash content. The results are used to control the
plant, as the ash content is expected to be between 9-10%. If ash content is above 10% it means the jig
separation is not efficient as it is recovering wastes that should have sunk to the tails but instead tails
are reporting to the concentrate which is coal, therefore pressure has to be increased and feed rate has
to be optimum. If it is in floatation the dosage has to be reduced and retention time has to be reduced
also. If the ash content is below 9% it means coal is being lost to the tails therefore the feed rate has to
be increased and pressure has to lowered, in floatation it means there is need to increase floatation
dosage or retention time

WATER RECYCLING SYSTEM

Water in the jig and flotation plant comes from jacaranda and from jacaranda it is then pumped to the
circulation water tank and cooler pump tank. From the circulation water tank water is pumped to the jig
and, flotation cell and thickener tanks. The water is recycled in the plant and there are pH checks so as
so as to maintain pH so that it doesn’t affect in flotation. The water from waste extractors on the jig is
pumped back to the circulating water tank. The water that is filtered on filter presses is also transported
back to the circulation tank through a launder. Water from the from the thickener tanks that is retained
after removing the waste solids is also pumped back to the circulation water tank also. Also there is a
cooling water tank that has water to cool pumps
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WATER CIRCULATION FLOW CHART

FROM JACARANDA/TAR DAM

WATER TO THE JIG UNDERPANE

COOLING
WATER CICULATION
TANK WATER TANK

JIG

THICKENER TANKS

FILTER PRESS

THICKENER TANKS A AND B

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the jig and flotation section is efficient in coal washing as it obtain the clean coking coal of
required ash content, although there are some difficulties like the type of coal that may affect ash
content.
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OBSERVATIONS

 There is no constant product size which affects product quality

 The crusher is not efficient as some bigger particles are passing through the crushing stage
without being rushed
 There is loss of fuel in flotation as there are no designed dosages
 Conveyor belts are in open space hence they are prone to weather conditions which can cause
them to wear or damaged hence they need to be covered by shade like in case it’s raining the
ore will become wet and sticky this affects the crusher and screening, also the belt becomes
slippery and stops to move hence there is need to cover conveyors

RECOMMENDATIONS

 There is need to have everything in order like the front end loader, the plant available,
floatation agents and flocculent to improve production
 there is need to fix the Obex feeder so as to determine feed rate as this affects in jigging and
flotation
 there is need to put impact idlers on receiving points of conveyors so as to maintain the belt life
span
 there is need to determine flotation dosage so as to obtain good results
 there is need to maintain density in thickening tanks so as to get pure quality of thickening and
reduce loss of flocculent
 there is need to do tap off screens to remove material on screens so as to improve screening
efficiency
 there is need to determine thickener tank capacities so as to obtain optimum dosage in
thickening tanks so as to proportionalise costs
 on the plant start-up procedure there is need to start with floatation section back to the feeder
bunker, on shutting down start from the bunker to floatation so that no feeding
continue whilst other operations are operating
 the operation of flotation is expensive so there can be a determined mixing ratio of coal fines
and clean coking coal hence they can be blended so as to meet flotation expenses
 There is need to make the crushing circuit a closed one so as to allow flexibility of crushing
operation by making it possible to select the product particle size.

References

 E.G Kelly and Spottiswood; Introduction to mineral processing, 1st edition.

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• B.A Wills; Mineral processing technology, 6th edition.

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• Bond, F.C. (1952). The third theory of comminution, Trans. AIMF, 193, 484.

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JIG AND FLOTATION FLOW CHART

ROM Product
box

FEED
BIN
DIESEL MIBC
+5µ TANK TANK

+30mm
D&R

- +10mm

PRE-CONDITIOING TANK B
crusher 1 Crusher 2 TANK A

Feed
bin
FLOTATION FLOTATION
FLOCULLENT ADDITION CELL A CELLB

C
o jig
m
p
r Thickener B FLOTATION SUMP
e tank A
Waste elevators
s
s
o
r

COMPRESSOR
FILTER
PRESS
TAILS
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TAILS DISPOSAL PRODUCT STOCKPILE

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COKING
COAL
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