2015
Application of Falcon Concentrator to Recover Tin, Niobium and
Tantalum as By-Products of Lithium from the Beauvoir Granite
Demeusy Bastien, Korbel Chloé, Filippov Lev, Sanders Eric
Université de Lorraine, CNRS, GeoRessources
Dehaine Quentin
Geological Survey of Finland, Circular Economy Solutions Unit
ABSTRACT: Centrifugal gravity separators such as Falcon concentrators aim at closing the particle size gap
between classical gravity concentration methods and flotation. A semi-batch laboratory Falcon was used to assess
the potential of this technology to recover finely disseminated cassiterite and colombo-tantalite from the French
rare metal Beauvoir granite as part of Imerys’ Lithiniferous Mica Mining (EMILI) lithium exploration project.
The influence of the main operating parameters (i.e., rotation speed and fluidisation pressure) on the separation
performance has been investigated using the design of experiments methodology. The results demonstrate that
it is possible to recover about 70% of Sn, 60% of Nb and 55% of Ta. The recoveries and enrichment ratios
models highlight the clear difference in the behaviour of heavy and light minerals. The findings are discussed in
a phenomenological perspective, notably about mass recovery, in order to bring some insights in the modelling
of fluidized centrifugal separators.
INTRODUCTION
Centrifugal separators such as Falcon concentrators, (Sepro
Mineral Systems, Canada), and Knelson concentrator
FLSmidth (FLSmidth, Copenhagen), stand out as the most
widely utilized enhanced gravity separation devices in the
market (Ancian et al., 1997). The foundational design of
the Falcon was predominantly established by McAlister in
the 1980s, and the inaugural industrial application of the
Ultra-Fine (UF) Falcon took place in 2005 (Farajzadeh &
Chehreh Chelgani, 2022 McAlister &Armstrong, 1998).
Comprising a high-speed spinning flared bowl, the Falcon
allows the pulp to ascend from its bottom to its top. During
this ascent, the particle bed functions as a flowing film,
causing denser particles to approach the bowl’s wall and
become entrapped, while lighter particles overflow and are
expelled. Certain bowl variations, like the Semi-Batch (SB)
Falcon bowl, can be equipped with fluidization water in
the concentrate’s retention zone, mitigating particle bed
compaction, facilitating the rejection of light particles, and
consequently enhancing concentrate grade (Farajzadeh &
Chehreh Chelgani, 2022). Recent noteworthy hardware
advancements include modifications to the variable top
lip diameter and experimental trials involving dry separa-
tion with air fluidization instead of water (Deveau, 2006
Kökkılıç et al., 2015). Falcon concentrators offer advantages
Application of Falcon Concentrator to Recover Tin, Niobium and
Tantalum as By-Products of Lithium from the Beauvoir Granite
Demeusy Bastien, Korbel Chloé, Filippov Lev, Sanders Eric
Université de Lorraine, CNRS, GeoRessources
Dehaine Quentin
Geological Survey of Finland, Circular Economy Solutions Unit
ABSTRACT: Centrifugal gravity separators such as Falcon concentrators aim at closing the particle size gap
between classical gravity concentration methods and flotation. A semi-batch laboratory Falcon was used to assess
the potential of this technology to recover finely disseminated cassiterite and colombo-tantalite from the French
rare metal Beauvoir granite as part of Imerys’ Lithiniferous Mica Mining (EMILI) lithium exploration project.
The influence of the main operating parameters (i.e., rotation speed and fluidisation pressure) on the separation
performance has been investigated using the design of experiments methodology. The results demonstrate that
it is possible to recover about 70% of Sn, 60% of Nb and 55% of Ta. The recoveries and enrichment ratios
models highlight the clear difference in the behaviour of heavy and light minerals. The findings are discussed in
a phenomenological perspective, notably about mass recovery, in order to bring some insights in the modelling
of fluidized centrifugal separators.
INTRODUCTION
Centrifugal separators such as Falcon concentrators, (Sepro
Mineral Systems, Canada), and Knelson concentrator
FLSmidth (FLSmidth, Copenhagen), stand out as the most
widely utilized enhanced gravity separation devices in the
market (Ancian et al., 1997). The foundational design of
the Falcon was predominantly established by McAlister in
the 1980s, and the inaugural industrial application of the
Ultra-Fine (UF) Falcon took place in 2005 (Farajzadeh &
Chehreh Chelgani, 2022 McAlister &Armstrong, 1998).
Comprising a high-speed spinning flared bowl, the Falcon
allows the pulp to ascend from its bottom to its top. During
this ascent, the particle bed functions as a flowing film,
causing denser particles to approach the bowl’s wall and
become entrapped, while lighter particles overflow and are
expelled. Certain bowl variations, like the Semi-Batch (SB)
Falcon bowl, can be equipped with fluidization water in
the concentrate’s retention zone, mitigating particle bed
compaction, facilitating the rejection of light particles, and
consequently enhancing concentrate grade (Farajzadeh &
Chehreh Chelgani, 2022). Recent noteworthy hardware
advancements include modifications to the variable top
lip diameter and experimental trials involving dry separa-
tion with air fluidization instead of water (Deveau, 2006
Kökkılıç et al., 2015). Falcon concentrators offer advantages