Key Takeaways – The Importance of Understanding Mineralogy
- Processing route – Mineralogy identifies the minerals present and provides guidance on the most suitable processing route for the ore.
- Grinding objectives – Primary grinding focuses on liberating the non-sulphide gangue, while regrinding targets the liberation of valuable sulphide minerals from sulphide gangue.
- Operational insights – Mineralogy informs pulp, surface and water chemistry, wear rates within the concentrator, and achievable concentrate grades and recoveries.
- Environmental and economic impact – It also highlights penalty elements, tailings disposal considerations, and provides an indication of concentrate quality and overall process profitability.