Experience in Retrofitting the Mineral Processing Equipment to Intensify the Gravity Recovery of Gold

Abstract

The experience of replacing a Knelson concentrator with MOD 2 and MOD 3 jigs at the gold recovery plant of the Karalveem deposit is described. Due to the change in the source product quality (an increase in the amount of finely disseminated gold from 17 to 75 % of the total gold obtained), the Knelson concentrator performance at stages 4 and 5 was unsatisfactory. It was decided to retrofit the equipment and replace the Knelson concentrator with the MOD 2 and MOD 3 jigs. The gold in the Karalveem deposit ore was briefly characterized by size as fine, dust, and medium-round gold, and the mineral composition of the Karalveem deposit ore samples considered. Statistically significant results of testing before and after retrofitting (replacing the Knelson concentrator with MOD 2 and MOD 3 jigs) have been represented. The efficiency of the MOD type jig installation has been evaluated. The authors have concluded that industrial testing the recovery of fine, dust, and medium-round gold on the MOD type jigs can be performed at any mine to process this type of ores, and these jigs may compete with Knelson concentrators that have already gained popularity.