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
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.
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
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
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
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