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1ST ASIAN MINING CONGRESS

16-18 January, 2006, Kolkata, India


The Mining Geological and Metallurgical Institute of India (MGMI), Centenary

INTEGRATED FLOWSHEET DESIGN AND THE TECHNO-ECONOMICS FOR


SETTING UP OF A MANGANESE ORE BENEFICIATION PLANT FOR MOIL
A. B. Chatterjee*, G. P. Kundargi**

ABSTRACT
Manganese ore is important in an industrial economy as manganese in alloy forms is an essential input
in steel making, where it is used both in the ore form as such and as ferro-manganese. Manganese ore
improves strength, toughness, hardness and workability of steel and about 90 to 95% world production
of manganese ore is used in metallurgy of iron and steel.

Balaghat mine of Manganese Ore (India) Limited, the principal producer of high-grade manganese ore
in the country, is situated in Balaghat District of Madhya Pradesh. It remains one of the most important
producers of high-grade manganese ore in MOIL as well as in India. In due course the capacity of the
mine is proposed to be increased to 5.0 lakh tonnes.

A 600 TPD Mn ore beneficiation plant already exists at Bharveli Mn ore underground semi-mechanized
mine. Keeping in view the deterioration in ROM ore quality, stringent market requirements and proposed
increase in production capacity of the mine, MOIL has decided to set up a modern, cost effective
beneficiation plant with state-of-the-art technology. After successful testing of its ROM ore in a pilot
plant at IBM, MOIL entrusted CMPDI the assignment of preparation of Techno-Economic Feasibility
Report and Tender document for setting up of a modern plant at Balaghat mine based on the Pilot scale
beneficiation studies carried out by IBM.

Mineralogy of the as received sample shows that the ore consists of mainly psilomelane, pyrolusite with
subordinate amounts of braunite. The main associated gangue mineral is quartz and minor amounts of
mica / manganophyllite. The minerals are free as well as associated / interlocked with silicate gangue.
About 75% of the quartz is free. Pilot plant test results proved good amenability of the tested ore for
gravity separation methods.

An integrated flowsheet comprising crushing, wet screening, classification, hand picking and jigging
has been designed to generate the sized concentrates with specified chemical composition. The plant
will have three main sections, i.e. Ore receiving, screening and crushing section, Beneficiation section
and Hand-sorting/lumpy ore cleaning floor. The hourly throughput capacity of the plant has been
considered as 100 tph considering yearly throughput capacity as 5.0 lakh tonnes. The flowsheet consists
of solid-liquid balance, balance of products and specifications of selected equipment. Estimation of
capital cost and plant operating cost has been done at various capacity utilisations. Economic analysis
consisting of cash flow statement, profit and loss statement, pay-back period, break-even point, return
on investment were carried out and the management of MOIL decided to set up the beneficiation plant
which is going to be the largest Mn-ore beneficiation plant in India with state-of-the-art technology.
Construction work is about to start and the plant is expected to be ready within 1-2 years.

* Coal & Mineral Preparation Division, CMPDIL(HQ), Kanke Road, Ranchi – 834 008. E. Mail : a_b_chatterjee@rediffmail.com
** Manganese Ore India Ltd. 3, Mount Road Extension, P.O. Box. 34, Nagpur- 1
368 Integrated Flowsheet Design of a Manganese Ore Beneficiation Plant

INTRODUCTION production is about 1.0 million tonnes per annum of


The total world reserve base of manganese is Manganese Ore.
approximately 5,000 million tonnes. Total recoverable Balaghat mine of Manganese Ore (India) Limited is
reserves of manganese ore in India (as on 1.4.1995) are situated in Balaghat District of Madhya Pradesh. The
placed at 167 million tonnes comprising 40 million tonnes deposit was first located in the year 1883 but the regular
in the proved category, 49 million tonnes in the probable mining started only in 1903 by M/s C.P.M.O having H.Q.
category and the remaining 78 million tonnes in the in London, who worked up to 1962. Since then M/s MOIL
possible category. South Africa, Australia, Gabon & Brazil has taken over the charge. Up to 1920, it was worked by
are the major world producers of high grade ore (Mn opencast method and later on underground working
content 37-52%) and India, China and CIS countries are started. Reserves as on 01/04/2002 are 23.41 million
the major producers of low grade ore (Mn content 25- tonnes upto 25th level and it has 9.361 Million tonnes
35%). By considering the statewise reserves, Orissa with reserve of Ferro-grade ore with Phosphorus content less
52.81 million tonnes accounts for about 31.6% of the total than 0.10%. Total annual production of the mine in 2002-
recoverable reserves followed by Karnataka 41.05 million 03 being 236334 tonnes, Balaghat mine remains one of
tonnes (24.53%), Madhya Pradesh 23.64 million tonnes the most important producers of high grade manganese
(14.13%), Goa 16.86 million tonnes (10%), Maharashtra ore in MOIL as well as in India. By now, it has achieved
16.66 million tonnes (9.96 % ), Andhra Pradesh 11.9 the distinction of being the largest and deepest
million tonnes (7.11%) and remaining 3.84 million tonnes underground manganese mine in the whole Asia. In due
from Jharkhand and Gujarat. Manganese ore is important course the capacity of the mine is proposed to be
in an industrial economy as manganese in alloy forms is increased to 5.0 lakh tonnes per annum.
an essential input in steel making where it is used both in
the ore form as such and as ferro-manganese. The quality of Manganese ore from Balaghat mine is
Manganese ore improves strength, toughness, hardness critical because ore from this mine is the best of the lot
and workability of steel and about 90 to 95% world and is used to improve the quality in blending with other
production of manganese ore is used in metallurgy of iron ores. The quality of the blended ore, supplied to various
and steel. consumer industries such as, Iron & Steel Industry; Ferro
Alloys etc, depends mainly on the quality of the ore of
As the steel production in our country is set to grow Balaghat mine.
at a very fast rate, demand for high grade manganese is
on the rise. Much of India’s Manganese reserve fall in the In Balaghat mine, change in the backfilling practice
low grade category that makes it all the more necessary by sand and water mixture (sand-stowing) has resulted
to find out modern cost effective techniques for in silica sand adhering to the ROM ore and hence in quality
beneficiating our modest reserve. deterioration of the mined ore. Market pattern of the
beneficiated products have also changed making the
Annual production of Manganese ore in India stood quality parameters more stringent. The production from
at 1.56 million tonnes during 2000-01. Eleven principal the mine is proposed to be increased in the near future.
producers operating 39 mines (out of total 133 reporting ROM production is projected to rise up to 0.42 million
mines, 8 are underground and rest are opencast) tonnes in 2006-07 and finally it has to attain full production
contributed 86% of the total production. Eighteen public capacity of 0.5 million tonnes.
sector mines jointly accounted for 61% of the total
production during 2000-01. OBJECTIVE
Manganese Ore (India) Ltd. (MOIL), Nagpur is the A 600 TPD Mn ore beneficiation plant already exists
principal producer of high grade manganese ore in the at Balaghat Mn ore underground semi-mechanized mine
country. MOIL has 10 working mines in the state of at Bharveli which employ unit operations like crushing,
Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Present level of dry screening, hand sorting and jigging to produce two
A. B. Chatterjee and G. P. Kundargi 369

concentrates viz. -75 +25 mm lumps assaying 49-50 % the Ore Cleaning Floor (OCF). 25-6mm fraction is
Mn and 8.9% SiO2 and a Jig concentrate assaying 46% upgraded in a number of semi-mechanised Joplin jigs.
Mn and 14% SiO2. The beneficiation methods adopted The –6mm fraction is stored separately or subjected to
are manual, labour intensive and primitive. Keeping in jigging by Joplin jigs depending upon customer’s
view the deterioration in ROM ore quality, stringent market requirement. The entire processing facilities are semi-
requirements and proposed increase in production mechanised and labour intensive.
capacity of the mine, MOIL has decided to set up a modern
cost effective beneficiation plant with the state of the art PILOT PLANT TEST RESULTS
technology. A low grade manganese ore sample from Bharveli
Existing system of upgradation by semi-mechanized mines of MOIL has been tested in the Ore Dressing
means in several Joplin Jigs is quite labour intensive and Laboratory and Pilot Plant of Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM),
less efficient and pose problems in maintaining quality. Nagpur for studying the ore characteristics, its amenability
The present backfilling practice by sand and water mixture to washing in various equipment including Jigs etc. The
(sand-stowing) has resulted in silica sand adhering to the relevant extracts from these test results are given as
ROM ore and hence deterioration of the mined ore from follows for the purpose of tendering.
Balaghat mine. The proposed increase in the mine
capacity from the present level of 2.4 lakh tonnes to 5.0 Physical :
lakh tonnes per year and deterioration of the mined ore
- The as received sample consisted of lumps up to
has necessitated setting up of an effective and modern
300 mm size with little fines. The lumps were hard
beneficiation plant at Balaghat mine. Hence, MOIL
and compact in nature having blackish colour.
approached Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) to carry out
certain test work on the ROM samples. After successful - The bulk density of the as received sample was found
testing of its ROM ore in a pilot plant at IBM, MOIL to be 2.75 T/M3.
entrusted CMPDI the assignment of preparation of - The angle of repose of the representative sample
Techno-Economic Feasibility Report and Tender (fed to the scrubber) as determined by formation of
document for setting up of a modern plant at Balaghat a cone was found to be 330-40’.
mine based on the Pilot scale beneficiation studies carried
- The specific gravity of the ore was found to be 3.92.
out by IBM.

The desired quality of Balaghat ore for supply to the Chemical :


major consumer industries is given in table - 1: A representative portion of the as received sample
was subjected to chemical analysis. The result are
Table – 1 : Desired quality of products
presented in following table – 2 :
Assay % Product size range (mm)
-75 +25 mm -25 + 6 mm Table - 2 : Chemical analysis of the as-received
Mn 49.5 47 sample
SiO2 8 (max) 10 (max) Constituents Assay%

P 0.1 0.1 Mn 42.9

Fe 5.0 5.5 SiO2 19.0


Fe 3.32
PRESENT SYSTEM OF HANDLING OF RUN-OF- MINE
Al2O3 1.61
ORE
BaSO4 3.70
Presently, the run-of mine Manganese Ore is crushed TiO2 0.07
to -75mm and the crushed product is screened to get
CaO 0.56
three size fractions; namely 75-25mm; 25-6mm and 6-
MgO 0.36
0mm. Quality of 75-25mm ore is upgraded by removal of
P 0.10
the gangue materials by resorting to manual sorting in
370 Integrated Flowsheet Design of a Manganese Ore Beneficiation Plant

Mineralogy of the quartz is free. Pilot plant test results proved good
amenability of the tested ore for gravity separation
Mineralogy of the as received sample shows that the
methods.
ore consists of mainly psilomelane, pyrolusite with
subordinate amounts of braunite. The main associated
Experimental Results
gangue mineral is quartz and minor amounts of mica /
manganophyllite. The minerals are free as well as Overall metallurgical results of the entire test are
associated / interlocked with silicate gangue. About 75% presented in Table - 3
Table – 3 : Overall metallurgical results of the final test
Feed size Process Products Wt% Assay% Dist.%
Mn SiO2 min
-75+25 mm Hand Conc 32.8 51.36 7.39 40.2
Sorting Rejects 25.8 30.84 33.07 19.0
-25+6 mm Jigging Jig conc 14.4 49.80 9.36 17.1
Jig tails 3.0 21.22 60.22 1.5
Classifier Jigging Jig bed Conc. 7.5 50.39 5.48 9.0
Underflow (-6+1.5mm)
Jig hutch 1.9 49.92 6.42 2.3
conc
Jig tails 3.4 22.10 47.74 1.8
Classifier overflow - - 11.2 34.40 21.61 9.1
Head (calc) - - 100.0 41.93 18.69 100.0
-1.5mm Composite 13.1 36.65 19.41 11.4
of jig hutch
conc.+ Cl
over flow

Overall manganese recovery in various concentrate : 77.7%

Flow sheet Design Screening and Crushing Section :


Pilot plant test results show good amenability of A separate vibrofeeder, vibratory screen for screening
Balaghat ore towards gravity separation techniques e.g. RoM ore at 75mm and a jaw crusher for crushing +75mm
jigging. It is also noted that in the existing plant, ore have been envisaged. Various operations of this
beneficiation is carried out by manual Joplin jigs. Pilot section are briefly mentioned hereafter :
plant test results also show that desired sizewise product
RoM Manganese ore of -250/200mm size from the
qualities can be easily achievable through jigs. Hence,
90 tonne hopper at Holm’s shaft will be transported
an integrated flowsheet comprising crushing, wet
via trucks and received at the existing 100 tonne ore-
screening, classification, hand picking and jigging has
receiving hopper.
been designed to generate the sized concentrates with
specified chemical composition. The plant will have three Similarly, Mn ore of -250/200mm size from the 100
main sections, i.e. Ore receiving, screening and crushing tonne hopper at Production shaft will be conveyed
section, Beneficiation section and Hand-sorting/lumpy ore by an existing belt conveyor and received at the same
cleaning floor. The hourly throughput capacity of the plant 100 tonne ore-receiving hopper.
has been considered as 100 tph considering yearly
RoM ore thus received at the hopper will be conveyed
throughput capacity as 5.0 lakh tonnes.
through a series of belt conveyors to the new screen-
A brief description of the process flow is given cum-crusher house.
below :
A. B. Chatterjee and G. P. Kundargi 371

A scalping screen with 75mm aperture at the top of - The classifier overflow, containing –65# finer fraction,
the screen-cum-crusher house will produce two size will be taken to a slime pond and subjected to natural
fractions, namely, +75mm and –75mm. settling and drying.

The coarser fraction (+75mm) will be crushed to – - A Spitz Kasten tank is provided to receive the
75mm size by a jaw crusher. underflow water of fixed and dewatering screens of
both the jigs.
Both the –75mm size fractions (screen underflow and
crusher output) will be collected on a belt conveyor - The overflow of Spitz Kasten tank shall be pumped
for onward conveyance to the beneficiation building. back to the circulating water tank at the top of the
building and partially to the wet screens for spraying
Beneficiation Section purpose while the underflow shall be pumped to the
The throughput capacity of the Beneficiation Section above slime pond.
is 100tph. Various operations of this section are briefly
- Water from these ponds shall be pumped back for
mentioned hereafter:
reuse.
- Entire quantity of –75mm Mn ore shall be conveyed - Classifier underflow (6mm – 65#) shall be stored in
to the top of the beneficiation building where it will be a 30 tonne surge hopper and fed to a bottom air
fed to the wet vibrating screen of aperature 25mm. pulsated electronically controlled modern jig for
- The screened coarser fraction i.e. (-75 to +25 mm) beneficiation through vibrofeeder.
shall be conveyed out of the beneficiation building - The concentrates of the jig (6 - 1.5mm), will be
and stored in a 800 tonne hopper of hand sorting / drained in bucket elevators and a dewatering screen,
lumpy ore cleaning floor (OCF). Material from the conveyed out of the plant building and stored in a
hopper will be reclaimed on three slow moving picking separate storage bin from where it will be transported
belt conveyors through vibrofeeders to the loading yards through rear discharge dumpers.
- The gangue minerals and silicates produced from - The material from the jig hutch (1.5mm-65#) shall
the manual picking operation shall be stored in be drained out from time to time to the separate
storage bins situated along the length of the picking slime pond through the existing drainage system of
belts on both sides and will be conveyed to the reject Balaghat mine. The existing drain has to be extended
dumping yards through the mining tubs already up to the beneficiation building.
existing in Balaghat mine, as and when required.
- The gangue minerals and silicates produced from
- Underflow of the -25 mm vibrating screen will be fed the two jigs will be dewatered in respective fixed
to another –6 mm wet vibrating screen. The overflow screen and vibrating screen, conveyed through belt
of the above screen (-25 to +6 mm) will be fed to a conveyors to a storage bin outside the beneficiation
bottom air pulsated electronically controled modern building and ultimately discharged through rear
jig through a 20 tonne surge hopper and vibrofeeder. discharge dumpers to reject dumping yard.
High grade Mn ore concentrate produced from the
jig will be dewatered in bucket elevators and further - Concentrates of the fine jig will be dewatered in a
conveyed out of the plant building through belt vibrating screen after the bucket elevator
conveyor for storing in a storage bin. Thereafter, it - Fresh water tank along with pumps shall be provided
will be transported to the loading yards through rear on the ground floor of the proposed beneficiation
discharge dumpers. This will form another saleable building to supply adequate quantity of spray water
product from the plant. to the wet classification screens (U-9 & 10) at
- – 6 mm sized fraction will be fed to a spiral classifier. appropriate head/pressure.
372 Integrated Flowsheet Design of a Manganese Ore Beneficiation Plant

- Plant spillage sump and pump will be provided on ECONOMICS


the ground floor of the proposed beneficiation plant.
The total capital investment for the plant with a rated
- Seal water (for gland sealing) will be pumped from throughput capacity of 5 Lakh tonnes per annum has been
the fresh water tank through a separate seal water estimated as Rs. 1700.00 lakhs approximately. Debt:
pump. Equity ratio of 1:1 has been considered for carrying out
financial analysis.
Product Handling Section
The operating cost per tonne of raw manganese ore
As per the proposed scheme, transportation of
at 100%, 85% and 80% capacity utilization works out to
various products produced from the beneficiation section
Rs. 169.24, Rs. 190.42 and Rs. 199.25 respectively. For
to the railway yard will be done through rear discharge
computation of economics, all the four saleable products
dumpers and loading on the wagons for onward despatch
(concentrates) have been considered. The selling price
will be done manually
of the product has been worked out as Rs. 2714.53 per
The equipment flowsheet is shown in Drg. No. 1. The tonne based on the selling prices of all the four saleable
flowsheet consists of solid-liquid balance, balance of individual products on weighted average basis. The
products and specifications of selected equipment etc. operating cost at 100%, 85% and 80% capacity utilization
per tonne of saleable product works out to Rs. 267.79,
BALANCE OF PRODUCTS Rs. 301.30 and Rs. 315.27 respectively.

The solid balance shown in the integrated flowsheet The estimated cost of production per tonne of output
has been achieved considering suitable screening at 100% capacity utilisation without profit is Rs. 2195.05.
efficiency values, plant level performance values of jigs The weighted average selling price of the product has
etc. the likely balance of products and corresponding been worked out as Rs. 2714.53 per tonne. Break Even
assay of products produced from the Ore Cleaning Floor Point in terms of ROM ore annual throughput capacity
has been derived from the quality and quanyity figures of has been computed as 1.34 lakh tonnes i.e. about 27%
capacity utilisation, which is much less than the throughput
present hand sorting section. The water balance has been
capacity of the project, i.e. 5 lakh tonnes. Payback period
achieved following existing norms and standards. The including development period has been worked out as 3
likely balance of products for the proposed plant has thus years 3 months.
been presented in Table – 4
Financial analysis has been worked out on
Table – 4 : Balance of Products incremental revenue, cost & profit on full working year of
operation. Accordingly, incremental cash flow analysis has
Product size Concentrates Rejects / Tailings
been done and incremental IRR at 100% capacity
Weight % Assay % Weight% Assay % utilisation has been estimated as 33.78%.
Mn SiO2 Mn SiO2
PRESENT STATUS OF THE PROJECT
75 – 25mm 39.4 51.36 7.39 19.2 23.78 41.89
The Feasibility report was prepared in Feb ‘ 2004
25 – 6 mm 14.4 49.80 9.36 3.0 21.22 60.22
and subsequently, a presentation was made for the
6 – 1.5 mm 7.5 50.39 5.48 3.4 22.10 47.74 management of MOIL on the feasibility of the project.
Finally, MOIL decided to set up the plant as per the design
-1.5mm + 65# 1.9 49.92 6.42 - - -
suggested in the report. Tender specification document
-65 # - - - 11.2 34.4 21.61 (TSD) were prepared for construction of the plant on turn-
key basis. A separate TSD was prepared for supply of
Based on the above balance of products, the overall bottom air pulsated electro-pneumatically controlled
recovery of all saleable products (concentrates) is 76.6%. modern jigs and global tenders have been invited. The
A. B. Chatterjee and G. P. Kundargi 373

first part of the tender (turn-key) has been finalised ACKNOWLEDGEMENT :


whereas the second part is under the process of
The first author is grateful to Sri S. Choudhury, CMD,
finalization. The plant, once commissioned will give india
Sri B. Bhattacharya, Dir. (T) (CPU) and the management
its first modern manganese ore beneficiation plant at
of CMPDI for the permission granted to present the paper
Balaghat, MP.
in this Seminar.
REFERENCES The authors are also grateful to the management of
1. Indian Minerals Year Book – 2002, by Indian Bureau MOIL for the permission granted to publish this paper in
of Mines, Nagpur this seminar.

2. Mineral Processing Plant Design, Practice and The views expressed in this paper are those of the
Control, by Andrew L. Mular, Derek J. barratt, Doug authors and not necessarily of CMPDI.
N. Habbe
3. Pilot scale beneficiation studies on a low grade
manganese ore sample from Bharveli mines,
Balaghat district, MP, March 2001, By IBM, Nagpur,
4. Catalogues / Brochures, technical specifications and
budgetary prices of various equipments sent by
various mineral processing equipment manufacturers

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