| 摘要 |
The value-minerals are captured by gravity-separation, from a low-grade slurry. The ratio of liquids-to-solids in the slurry affects the efficiency of capture, and an ideal liquids/solids ratio is the ratio at which the efficiency of capture is at a maximum. The ideal ratio is different for different particle-sizes. The procedure includes dewatering the slurry, dividing the dry particles by particle-size, and feeding the several size-divided dry-streams into respective capture-stations. Prior to each dry-stream entering its respective capture-station, make-up water is added to the dry-stream in such quantity as to bring the liquids/solids ratio up to the ideal, for that particle-size. The procedure makes it simple to provide accurate measurement of and accurate control of the liquids/solids ratio. |
| 主权项 |
1. Procedure for recovering value-minerals from a watery-slurry, including:
where the watery slurry comprises at least 50% water, removing substantially all loose-water from the slurry; dividing the slurry, by particle size, into at least two streams, being: (a) a first dewatered slurry-stream, termed the small-dry-stream (34), essentially comprising smaller-sized particles, and (b) a second dewatered slurry-stream, termed the large-dry-stream (30), essentially comprising larger-sized particles; providing an operable small-water-adding-station, and operating the same to add make-up water to the small-dry-stream, whereby the small-dry-stream becomes a small-wet-stream; providing an operable small-capture-station (36); determining a small-optimum-ratio, defined as a ratio of solids-to-liquids that, being present in slurry passing through the small-capture-station, maximizes efficiency of capture of value-minerals; adding the make-up water in such quantity as to bring the solids-to-liquids ratio in the small-wet-stream up to the small-optimum-ratio; after adding the make-up water, then passing the small-wet-stream through the small-capture-station; operating the small-capture-station to isolate and collect small value-minerals; providing an operable large-water-adding-station, and operating the same to add make-up water to the large-dry-stream, whereby the large-dry-stream becomes a large-wet-stream; providing an operable large-capture-station (41); determining a large-optimum-ratio, defined as a ratio of solids-to-liquids that, being present in slurry passing through the large-capture-station, maximizes efficiency of capture of value-minerals; adding the make-up water in such quantity as to bring the solids-to-liquids ratio in the large-wet-stream up to the large-optimum-ratio; after adding the make-up water, then passing the large-wet-stream through the large-capture-station; operating the large-capture-station to isolate and collect large value-minerals; and where the small-optimum-ratio is different from the large-optimum-ratio. |
