428 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
settings to achieve the best separation between these par-
ticle groups. Table 3 shows the results achieved during XRT
sensor application. The amount of the gold/copper bear-
ing particles in the feed material was 44.1%. This content
was increased to 75.8% after the separation test, resulting
in 93.9% recovery of these particles to the product frac-
tion. The recovery of the particles having gold/copper to
the waste fraction was 6.1%.
The second test was carried out by applying XRT and
optical sensors at the same time. The results are shown in
Table 4. With the similar content of gold/copper particles
in the feed material (53%), the product fraction contained
93.9% of the gold and copper particles, while the waste
fraction had only 1.1% of such particles. The recovery of
the product particles was at the very high level of 99.1%
and only 0.9% to the waste fraction.
It can be noticed that there is a huge positive effect of
applying XRT and optical (RGB) sensors together for pre-
concentrating this gold/copper ore. When considering the
recovery levels for XRT sensor alone and in combination
with the optical camera, the recovery of the product par-
ticles to the product fraction was increased from 93.9% to
99.1% and for the waste fraction it was reduced from 6.1%
to 0.9%. The groups of the product and waste particles
after the last test (as in Table 4), were sent to the laboratory
for chemical analysis. The chemical assays confirmed the
content of 0.38 g/t of gold in the waste fraction and 6.2 g/t
for the product fraction.
Based on the laboratory results, shown in Table 4, the
industrial sorting circuit has been established applying the
similar sorting technology. In this case, the level of 0.5 g/t
has also been considered as the economic limit for further
processing. The feed material contained particles with sev-
eral g/t of gold but there was a majority of particles having
much less gold than 0.5 g/t. Therefore, it was very impor-
tant to remove the low grade particles with less than 0.5
g/t, to improve the complete processing circuit (CIP pro-
cess). Table 5 shows the results achieved in this industrial
circuit. After the large representative sample of over 1.2 t
of the feed and the sorted fractions, was taken for chemical
analysis, the average gold concentration was measured at
1.2 g/t in the feed. After sorting, the concentrate fraction
contained 4.3–19.4 g/t of gold making 5.17 g/t in aver-
age. The waste fraction had the gold content of 0.35–0.52
g/t. It means the waste fraction had the gold concentration
under the economic limit of 0.5 g/t. However, the yield for
the product was at 15% and 85% for the waste stream. It
means the further processing steps at the plant, were used
only for 15% of the material stream when compared to the
original solution (without sorting). It was almost 7 times
less of material used for further processing, together with
the similar saving scale regarding the total processing cost,
energy requirement and the amount of fine waste generated
after grinding, flotation, leaching, thickening, etc. Despite
the recovery of gold has been measured at 64.7%, it was
concluded by this particular producer that the new pro-
cessing line, employing the sorting process provides a huge
advantage for the overall process.
XRT and SWIR Sensors
The second combination was investigated for the XRT and
SWIR camera for sorting of the 15–45 mm copper ore
Table 3. Laboratory sorting results using X-ray sensors
Fraction Yield [%]Content [%]Recovery [%]
Feed 100 44.1 100
Product 54.7 75.8 93.9
Waste 45.3 5.9 6.1
Table 4. Laboratory sorting results using X-ray sensors with RGB camera
Fraction Yield [%]Content [%]Recovery [%]
Feed 100 53.0 100
Product 55.9 93.9 99.1
Waste 44.1 1.1 0.9
Table 5. Industrial sorting results using X-ray sensor and RGB camera
Fraction Tonnage [t] Yield [%]Au Content [%]Au Recovery [%]
Feed 1266 100 1.2 100
Product 190 15 5.17 64.7
Waste 1076 85 0.5 35.3
settings to achieve the best separation between these par-
ticle groups. Table 3 shows the results achieved during XRT
sensor application. The amount of the gold/copper bear-
ing particles in the feed material was 44.1%. This content
was increased to 75.8% after the separation test, resulting
in 93.9% recovery of these particles to the product frac-
tion. The recovery of the particles having gold/copper to
the waste fraction was 6.1%.
The second test was carried out by applying XRT and
optical sensors at the same time. The results are shown in
Table 4. With the similar content of gold/copper particles
in the feed material (53%), the product fraction contained
93.9% of the gold and copper particles, while the waste
fraction had only 1.1% of such particles. The recovery of
the product particles was at the very high level of 99.1%
and only 0.9% to the waste fraction.
It can be noticed that there is a huge positive effect of
applying XRT and optical (RGB) sensors together for pre-
concentrating this gold/copper ore. When considering the
recovery levels for XRT sensor alone and in combination
with the optical camera, the recovery of the product par-
ticles to the product fraction was increased from 93.9% to
99.1% and for the waste fraction it was reduced from 6.1%
to 0.9%. The groups of the product and waste particles
after the last test (as in Table 4), were sent to the laboratory
for chemical analysis. The chemical assays confirmed the
content of 0.38 g/t of gold in the waste fraction and 6.2 g/t
for the product fraction.
Based on the laboratory results, shown in Table 4, the
industrial sorting circuit has been established applying the
similar sorting technology. In this case, the level of 0.5 g/t
has also been considered as the economic limit for further
processing. The feed material contained particles with sev-
eral g/t of gold but there was a majority of particles having
much less gold than 0.5 g/t. Therefore, it was very impor-
tant to remove the low grade particles with less than 0.5
g/t, to improve the complete processing circuit (CIP pro-
cess). Table 5 shows the results achieved in this industrial
circuit. After the large representative sample of over 1.2 t
of the feed and the sorted fractions, was taken for chemical
analysis, the average gold concentration was measured at
1.2 g/t in the feed. After sorting, the concentrate fraction
contained 4.3–19.4 g/t of gold making 5.17 g/t in aver-
age. The waste fraction had the gold content of 0.35–0.52
g/t. It means the waste fraction had the gold concentration
under the economic limit of 0.5 g/t. However, the yield for
the product was at 15% and 85% for the waste stream. It
means the further processing steps at the plant, were used
only for 15% of the material stream when compared to the
original solution (without sorting). It was almost 7 times
less of material used for further processing, together with
the similar saving scale regarding the total processing cost,
energy requirement and the amount of fine waste generated
after grinding, flotation, leaching, thickening, etc. Despite
the recovery of gold has been measured at 64.7%, it was
concluded by this particular producer that the new pro-
cessing line, employing the sorting process provides a huge
advantage for the overall process.
XRT and SWIR Sensors
The second combination was investigated for the XRT and
SWIR camera for sorting of the 15–45 mm copper ore
Table 3. Laboratory sorting results using X-ray sensors
Fraction Yield [%]Content [%]Recovery [%]
Feed 100 44.1 100
Product 54.7 75.8 93.9
Waste 45.3 5.9 6.1
Table 4. Laboratory sorting results using X-ray sensors with RGB camera
Fraction Yield [%]Content [%]Recovery [%]
Feed 100 53.0 100
Product 55.9 93.9 99.1
Waste 44.1 1.1 0.9
Table 5. Industrial sorting results using X-ray sensor and RGB camera
Fraction Tonnage [t] Yield [%]Au Content [%]Au Recovery [%]
Feed 1266 100 1.2 100
Product 190 15 5.17 64.7
Waste 1076 85 0.5 35.3