Recovery of Fine Cassiterite from Tailing Dump in Jarin Tin Mine, Thailand

Abstract

The beneficiation of cassiterite fines from tailing dumps in the Jarin Tin Mine, Thailand were studied through a wet concentration process and dry electrostatic and magnetic processes. The tailing dumps with the size of mineral smaller than 5 mm was collected through the tin mining in the area 20 years ago with the total amount of 17 million tons. The huge pile of the tailing dump may impact environmental in the area, so they need to be treated and recovered for the valuable heavy minerals and sand tailing for the local construction industry. The grade of the tailing dumps are 0.05% Sn, 0.002% Nb, 0.001% Ta. After the wet processing by the screen, hydrocyclone, spiral concentrator, and shaking table, the concentrate consist the most of cassiterite, ilmenite, garnet, zircon, monazite, xenotime, and quartz, containing 20% Sn with a yield of approximately 0.2%. The following dry processes used rotary dryer, screening, electrostatic separator, magnetic separator to separate cassiterite from the heavy minerals and quartz. The final tin concentrate can be upgraded to 72% Sn which can be sold to the tin smelting plant. The economic analysis of the cassiterite recovery processes was conducted using the discounted cash flow model in order to address the cost and benefit of the processes.