The extracted necessary underground elements in the form of minerals and various organic compounds, which by their physicochemical properties can be used in the field of industrial production, need to be processed. For these purposes, independent (most often dependent on other stakeholders), organizationally-isolated objects with a certain type of activity — enrichment plants — were created. This is a mining enterprise created for the initial processing of solid minerals. The result of this process is the release of the necessary products that are used in the field of industrial production.
Concentration process in factories
The use of various solutions for separating metals and minerals from each other by the difference in their physical or chemical properties is called enrichment. Using diverse methods at ore processing plants, a product is obtained from it in which the presence of a useful substance is incomparably greater than in the source. This is a concentrate. Also, enrichment results in products with an average capacity of the desired substance - intermediate, they are returned for processing. The poorest foods are called tails.
Processing plants are processing:
- natural mineral compounds of non-ferrous metals: ore minerals containing copper, nickel, tin, molybdenum, lead, zinc, etc .;
- natural ferrous metal minerals containing iron, manganese and chromium;
- necessary minerals without a metal content: phosphorus, graphite and many other natural compounds;
- coal.
Sometimes, when enriching mineral and organic formations, finished raw materials (asbestos, limestone, graphite) can be obtained for further use.
In 1760, the first factory for the extraction and enrichment of gold was built in Russia.
Classification of processing plants
The status of the factory in relation to the mining organization depends on it. Concentration plants are defined as:
- Individual orders - they function to work with mineral compounds that come from one single mining enterprise. Located in the same territory within the industrial zone.
- Centralized (group) - for the enrichment of natural natural minerals from different mining mines; the work object is located away from the latter.
In addition, the presence of such factory facilities that are located directly at the consuming facility, for example, coke production, was determined.
Types of enterprises
Depending on what process the processing of natural compounds of minerals in the factory takes place, they are distinguished in this way:
- enterprises with crushing and sorting mode;
- flushing operation objects;
- objects of gravitational processing;
- flotation facilities;
- enrichment sites with a magnetic process;
- with hybrid technology.
For example, a factory using crushing and screening mode. Crushing and sorting takes place on it, depending on the bulkiness of the rocks, mineral and organic formations, slags and other materials. The purpose of these processes is to obtain a product of a certain granular composition. The crushing and screening organization can be positioned as an independent enterprise or be a workshop of coal processing plants. As profile equipment, various forms of crushers and ball mills are used.
Washing plants are characterized by a method of enriching the rock, better known for the process of gold mining from natural sources.
Gravity factories
In factories with a gravitational regime, the work is based on the law of gravity, as a result of which the mineral compounds are separated from each other due to different parameters in density. The gravity method enriches coal, shale, tungsten, zircon, ferrous and rare metal ores, phosphates and diamonds. In total, this method processes about four billion tons per year. This is achieved due to the cheapness of the method, the simplicity of the equipment, the ease of wastewater treatment and the possibility of providing closed water supply to the mining and processing plant.
Flotation and other factories
The flotation method (translated from French to “swim”) is characterized by the ability of natural mineral compounds to stay on the surface, due to the difference in specific energies. Flotation processes natural compounds of metals, coal, and sulfur.
Processing using the magnetic regime of natural minerals is characterized by the basis of a diverse magnetic field process on the part of minerals with different magnetic powers. Thus, in processing plants, compounds of iron, tungsten, titanium and other types of minerals are processed. In this case, equipment such as magnet separators is used.
Enrichment using a hybrid technique includes the firing process and hydrometallurgy.
Factory layout
Processing enterprises are available with vertical, horizontal and stepwise positioning.
Vertical arrangement - implies movement in the area of work of the movement of material by gravity. It did not receive much popularity and distribution due to high circulating loads.
The horizontal arrangement is a mechanized transport system having many ways of movement. In practice, it can be seen in rare cases, since it requires the presence of huge industrial areas.
Stepwise setting is a combined system of the previous two material transfers.
Since the 80s, the principle of modules has been applied in the construction and design of concentration plants. The basis of this was the regimes of standard processing processes: flotation, crushing, etc. The layout of one section with schemes in one stream and the presence of high-performance equipment are also used. In many developed countries, multisectional enrichment enterprises have gained great popularity and have the advantage of stepwise layout. LLC concentration plant "Uzlovskaya", located in the Donetsk basin, is a vivid example. Founded in 1934, the factory went through all stages of development and became a highly mechanized enterprise.
Process Safety
Mineral useful compounds for processing at the factory pass many stages - from the crushing mode to the output of the concentrate. Finished raw materials are stored in silos. After that, it is planned to ship to the consumer or send for recycling.
These work processes distribute harmful substances in the atmosphere in the form of dust and gases. In contrast, an enrichment plant has an aspiration system.
Aspiration involves the suction of air using special equipment directly at the place of formation of harmful gases and dust.
To combat noise in factories, equipment sealing is used. In places of increased dust generation, hydro-dusting is used by suppressing the dust cloud by spraying steam mist.