XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 1303
to remove the oversize and material fractions 6 mm. The
material (+200 µm –6 mm) from the screen is sent to dense
media separation, where it is mixed with ferrosilicon and
water, and fed to an inclined hydrocyclone. This process,
based on the laboratory-scale work of Ariza-Rodríguez et
al., (2023), produces a valuable celestine concentrate from
fresh tailings.
Case Study 2: Minas de Ezcúzar—Granada, Spain
The beneficiation of celestine at Minas de Escúzar, thor-
oughly detailed by Carvajal-Lachica (2019), is summarized
here and schematized in Figure 7. The processing plant
includes both density separation and flotation. The run-of-
mine ore is screened, with the coarse fraction (100 mm)
being crushed using a jaw crusher. The product is screened
again in a closed circuit with a roller mill, producing mate-
rial at 100% 25 mm. The ore is then classified into two
fractions, coarse and fine, with a 2 mm screen cut. The
coarse fraction (+2 –25 mm) is sent to dense media separa-
tion for pre-concentration. The fine fraction (2 mm) is
sent to a hydrocyclone. The overflow of the hydrocyclone
(100 µm) is sent to flotation for further concentration,
while the underflow (+100 µm –2 mm) is considered a pre-
concentrated mineral and sent to a stockpile.
The density separation for the coarse fraction is achieved
using dense media hydrocyclones. The feed (+2 –25 mm)
is first screened at 15 mm, with the coarse fraction being
crushed using a roll mill in an open circuit. The material
under 15 mm is then pumped into a dense media separa-
tion process in an inclined hydrocyclone. Leveraging the
specific gravities of celestine (~4), calcite (2.7), and gypsum
(2.3), a dense media slurry is prepared using finely ground
magnetite and water, achieving a specific gravity of 3.5 in
the slurry. The overflow contains the gangue material and
is sent to the tailings, while the celestine-rich underflow
(60–65% celestine) is sent to the pre-concentrate stockpile.
SP
0/100 mm
WL
RoM ore
T
E
P1
6/20 mm
Crushing
bucket
Tailing
0/6 mm
P2
0/35 mm
SP
20/100 mm
WL
C
C – Conveyor
E – Excavator
T – Truck
H – Hydrocyclone
P – Pump
SC – Screw Conveyor
MS – Magnetic Separator
RoM Ore – Run-of-Mine Ore
SP – Stock pile
VS – Vibrating Screen
WL – Wheel Loader
P1 – Product 1
P2 – Product 2
SP
100 mm
First pass
WL
Mobile
crusher
Figure 6. An overview of the celestine processing at Canteras Industriales
to remove the oversize and material fractions 6 mm. The
material (+200 µm –6 mm) from the screen is sent to dense
media separation, where it is mixed with ferrosilicon and
water, and fed to an inclined hydrocyclone. This process,
based on the laboratory-scale work of Ariza-Rodríguez et
al., (2023), produces a valuable celestine concentrate from
fresh tailings.
Case Study 2: Minas de Ezcúzar—Granada, Spain
The beneficiation of celestine at Minas de Escúzar, thor-
oughly detailed by Carvajal-Lachica (2019), is summarized
here and schematized in Figure 7. The processing plant
includes both density separation and flotation. The run-of-
mine ore is screened, with the coarse fraction (100 mm)
being crushed using a jaw crusher. The product is screened
again in a closed circuit with a roller mill, producing mate-
rial at 100% 25 mm. The ore is then classified into two
fractions, coarse and fine, with a 2 mm screen cut. The
coarse fraction (+2 –25 mm) is sent to dense media separa-
tion for pre-concentration. The fine fraction (2 mm) is
sent to a hydrocyclone. The overflow of the hydrocyclone
(100 µm) is sent to flotation for further concentration,
while the underflow (+100 µm –2 mm) is considered a pre-
concentrated mineral and sent to a stockpile.
The density separation for the coarse fraction is achieved
using dense media hydrocyclones. The feed (+2 –25 mm)
is first screened at 15 mm, with the coarse fraction being
crushed using a roll mill in an open circuit. The material
under 15 mm is then pumped into a dense media separa-
tion process in an inclined hydrocyclone. Leveraging the
specific gravities of celestine (~4), calcite (2.7), and gypsum
(2.3), a dense media slurry is prepared using finely ground
magnetite and water, achieving a specific gravity of 3.5 in
the slurry. The overflow contains the gangue material and
is sent to the tailings, while the celestine-rich underflow
(60–65% celestine) is sent to the pre-concentrate stockpile.
SP
0/100 mm
WL
RoM ore
T
E
P1
6/20 mm
Crushing
bucket
Tailing
0/6 mm
P2
0/35 mm
SP
20/100 mm
WL
C
C – Conveyor
E – Excavator
T – Truck
H – Hydrocyclone
P – Pump
SC – Screw Conveyor
MS – Magnetic Separator
RoM Ore – Run-of-Mine Ore
SP – Stock pile
VS – Vibrating Screen
WL – Wheel Loader
P1 – Product 1
P2 – Product 2
SP
100 mm
First pass
WL
Mobile
crusher
Figure 6. An overview of the celestine processing at Canteras Industriales