A study of the influence of process parameters on the processing of gold-bearing raw materials in a centrifugal jigging machine

Abstract

Assumptions were made on the significance of certain process parameters for the intensification of gold-bearing raw materials processing by jigging in a centrifugal field. These parameters were then ranked based on the degree of their influence. The research was carried out using a pilot centrifugal jigging machine (CJM) designed by JSC Irgiredmet. A hypothesis has been put forward on the effects of the oscillation frequency and amplitude on the CJM bed by analogy to their effects on the bed of a classical diaphragm jigger. The studies included bench and factory tests conducted at operating gold plants. The results confirm that the rpm of the jigging chamber, the frequency of concave pulsations, and the amplitude of concave oscillations are the main CJM performance parameters relevant for process intensification. The concave oscillation frequency and the chamber rotation rate, which are interdependent, have been found to be the major drivers. The maximum processing efficiency was obtained at a chamber rotation frequency of 200 rpm and a concave pulsation frequency of 280 times per minute with a vibration amplitude of 9 mm; the maximum concentration ratio was 2.4, with a concentrate yield of 8.4% and gold recovery of 20.1%. The test results emphasize the expediency of developing a mathematical model to establish the dependence of processing efficiency on the specific CJM parameters and their optimal values.