Metallurgical Balances

Uses
steady-state accounting of mass flows in a system evaluation of metallurgical testwork comparison of two different mills or circuits process control of an operation plant

Properties of the Balance

requires samples for assay and weights/flowrates accuracy of the assays used turnaround time of the assays

Metallurgical Balances
The method relies on equations and tables Equations
2-Product Formula C F=C+T Ff = Cc + Tt where F = feed tonnage rate or 100% C = concentrate tonnage or weight% T = tailing tonnage or weight% and f, c, t = assay of each respective stream (%, g/t, ppm, etc.) F T

Two-Product Formula
There are 6 variables Total Mass

Species Analysis

Step 1: Step 2: Step 3:

F and f C and c T and t Reduce number of variables to 5 by setting F = 100 Obtain the value of three variables Calculate the remaining two variables

Two-Product Formula
The calculation can be done using the formula or by simply filling in a Table. If f, c, and t are the three measured variables, then the formula is used.

If other variables are given, then the Table is simply filled in

Metallurgical Balances
2-Product Formula Solution
C = 100 * (f-t)/(c-t)

%Recovery = 100 * c(f-t) /f(c-t)

f

The Metallurgical Balance Table

Product Weight% Assay (%)

Units

%Recovery

Concentrate
Tailing Feed

C T
100

c t f

Cc Tt 100f

Cc/f Tt/f
100

Two-Product Formula
Given the following four variables: Product Weights Product Assays
Product Weight Weight% %Cu Cu Units %Recovery (g) Concentrate 45.3 4.542 26.9 122.180 94.67 Tailing 952.1 95.458 0.072 6.873 5.33 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Feed 997.4 100.00 (1.291) 129.053 100.00

Two-Product Formula
Given the following three variables: %Recovery %Cu in Concentrate %Cu in Feed
Product Weight Weight% %Cu Cu Units %Recovery (tpd) Concentrate 1,135 4.542 26.9 122.180 94.67 Tailing 23,865 95.458 0.072 6.873 5.33 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Feed 25,000 100.00 1.291 129.053 100.00

Metallurgical Balances
The method relies on equations and tables Equations
F 3-Product Formula F = C1 + C2 + T Ff1 = C1c11 + C2c21 + Tt1 Ff2 = C1c12 + C2c22 + Tt2 where C1 C2

F = feed tonnage rate or 100% C1 and C2 = concentrate1 and 2 tonnage or weight% T = tailing tonnage or weight% and f1, c11 , c21 , t1 = stream assay for element 1 (%, g/t, ppm, etc.) f2, c12 , c22 , t2 = stream assay for element 2 (%, g/t, ppm, etc.)

Metallurgical Balances

Metallurgical Balances

Metallurgical Balances

Metallurgical Balances

Metallurgical Balances

Metallurgical Balances