Gold Ore Gravity Concentration by sluice

Gravity concentration introduction

Gravity concentration is a process to concentrate the gold mineral of interest using the difference of specific gravity of gold and gangue minerals. The specific gravity of gold is 19.5 and the specific gravity of quartz (the common gangue mineral associated with gold) is 2.65 (i.e., gravity concentration works because gold is heavy, and quartz is light). Often gravity separation methods are confused with size classification because large particles of light minerals can behave like a small particle of a heavy mineral. The most effective gravity separation processes occur when applied to ore particles of about the same size. The most important factor for a successful gravity separation is liberation of the gold particles from the gangue minerals. It is not easy to establish the degree of liberation of low-grade minerals such as gold. Classical microscopy of screened fractions to establish mineral liberation is unreliable with gold ores. The most recommended method to establish the optimum gold liberation size is grinding for different times (or grain size distributions) and applying gravity concentration to the ground products. This is a classical and important procedure to recommend any type of gravity concentration process. Because most artisanal miners do not classify (screen) the crushed/ground material (i.e. they work in open circuit), their chances to improve gold recovery are very limited.
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Physical Mineral Concentration Methods

Physical Mineral Concentration Methods :

l. Separation dependent on optical and radioactive properties of minerals, i.e. hand pickling, optical sorting, radioactive sorting, etc.

2. Separation dependent on specific gravity (density) difference of minerals, i.e. heavy-media separation, gravity concentration by use of tables, jigs, cones, etc.

3. Separation utilizing the different surface properties (i.e. surface chemistry) of the minerals, i.e. froth flotation, etc.

4. Separation dependent on magnetic properties of the minerals, i.e. low and high, dry and wet magnetic separation, etc.

5. Separation dependent on electrical conductivity properties of the minerals, i.e. electrostatic separation, etc.

So mineral processing is concerned mainly with the physical methods of separation of minerals.