TUTORIAL ONE - CHEM.

PLANT 3A

14/02/2012

Question One
Regular samples were required of the feed to a copper processing plant, having a copper
content of about 9%. The confidence level of estimation was required to be 0.1 % Cu at 2
standard deviation. The liberation size of the Cu mineral (chalcocite) in the ore was determined
to be 75 um. The top size of the ore from the sampler was 2.5 cm. Determine the minimum
mass of sample required to represent the ore. Given; the density of chalcocite is 5600 kg/m3
and the density of the gangue is 2500 kg/m3.

Question Two
A particle of silica
is examined under a microscope and would appear to resemble a coin in shape. The
measurements of this particle are that it has a diameter of 258 microns and a thickness of 37
microns. What is its sphericity?

Question Three
Gold nuggets were examined under a microscope and the following frequency distribution was
obtained:
Interval
1
2
3
4
5
6
Size, mm
0.5
1.5
3.0
6.0
12.0
24.0
Number
3250
1800
400
120
12
4
Assuming the nuggets are similar shape, determine the size distribution on a mass fraction
basis.
The density of gold nuggets = 17580 kg/m3

Question Four
A slurry is redirected into a 50L bucket. It takes 7 seconds to fill. The mass of slurry
collected is 80 kg. What are the solids and water mass flow rates respectively if the
solids density is 2700kg.m-3?
Question Five
A slurry containing 5kg of water per kg of solids is to be thickened to a sludge containing
1.5kg of water per kg of solids in a continuous operation. The amount of solids that
should be extracted per time is 1.333kg.s -1. What will be the volumetric flow rate of the
slurry?