REPORT ON DMS CYCLONES

PREPARED BY TAKUDZWA CHINEHASHA

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Plant Metallurgist Signature Date

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HR Advisor Signature Date

Introduction

A Dense Media Separation (DMS) plant is the heart in diamond processing. It is designed to
separate diamondiferous ore from gangue material based on density differences between the
two (gangue and diamondiferous ore) in a correct medium density. The DMS circuit has got
three interacting circuits: Gravel, water and media circuit.

RZM Murowa diamonds uses DMS technology to concentrate diamonds from gaunge. DMS
process efficiency has got two features, ore separation efficiency and media recovery efficiency.
The DMS plant relies on the DMS Cyclone which is a prominent feature in the DMS although
there are bath type/static separators also used to serve the same purpose.

Other minerals processed through DMS are copper, coal, manganese, iron, lithium, platinum
etc. RZM Murowa Diamonds DMS plant processes diamond primarily through a 90tph and
80tph plant to produce concentrates (<1% yield). The concentrate from the 90tph and 80tph is
jet pumped to a 10tph re-concentration plant. The final concentrate is jet pumped to the
recovery plant for sorting by x-rays.

The DMS circuit

The DMS circuit consists of the gravel circuit, media circuit and water circuit as once stated.
However for simplicity purposes the 90tph DMS circuit will described below with the comparison
to other DMS plants being taken into account for later.

Ore circuit

Ore from the scrubbing section is de-slimmed in the scrubber de-slimming screen ensuring that
all slimes are removed thus reducing balling of material on the conveyor belt. This leads to
increased scrubber optimisation. The scrubber de-slimming screen cuts at -1mm. To get rid of
any metallic objects which will choke the concentrate lines/pump impellors/cyclone inlet/spigot,
a magnet is in operation at the scrubber de-slimming screen product conveyor. The scrubber
product conveyor discharges material into a 40t Surge bin. The surge bin is equipped with laser
level sensor with a process interlock with the scrubber and the preceding conveyors.

Below the surge bin there is a belt feeder that is equipped with a VSD, a gate manually adjusted
to regulated feed into the feed preparation screen which is also interlocked with the belt feeder.
The feed preparation screen is installed with (0.8 by 8mm) bottom deck panels and (3 by 19)
slotted top deck panels. The water sprays in the feed preparation screen are not in use as
residual moisture (>10%) was causing density drops due to excess moisture carry over into the
mixing box. The feed preparation screen is equipped with 40 square mm trap screens that are
used to trap oversize material.

Product from the feed preparation screen discharges into the mixing box at the wash side,
where FeSi at operating density of 2.50 -2.60 SG pushes it to the pressure side of the mixing
box. FeSi reports to the mixing box through pipes from the header box. The cyclone feed pump
(8/6”) then pumps the material and FeSi at 192kPa and a density of 2.60 to the cyclone
distributor where the material is shared between the 2X45tph Multotec CL390. These cyclones
are inclined at 5 degrees to allow for free drainage of material when feed ceases thus
minimizing chokes. The sinks and floats report to a combined split-single deck screen fitted with
0.8 by 8mm panels, through the common drain chutes. Sinks reports to the primary concentrate
bin and floats report to the tailings conveyor. Figure illustrates the movement of material
(Gravel) within the DMS circuit:
Media Circuit

Initially fresh FeSi added at the FeSi plant in pumped by a spillage pump into the dilute sump.
From the dilute sump FeSi is then pumped to the magnetic separator (0.90 x 2.1m counter), by
the dilute pump. The dilute tank receives FeSi from the mixing box over flow, pipe densifier
overflow and fresh FeSi addition sump. Spillage on the DMS floors reports to the FeSi addition
tank pumped by a warman spillage pump.

However, due to the magnetic properties of ferrosilicon it is then attracted on the magsep drum
which then discharges it into a chute that leads to the circulating sump by use of a scrapper.
From the circulating sump, FeSi is then pumped to the header box by a circulating pump.

The header box is designed in such a way that the overflow reports to the densifying cyclone
feed pump (8/6) and splitter box where the media is either diverted to the dilute or correct
medium sump. The densifying cyclone feed pump feeds the pipe densifier (VV165, Multotech),
where the underflow reports to the correct medium sump. Over flow gravitates into the correct
medium sump. The major use of the pipe densifier is to remove moisture.

Ferrosilicon of correct density after classification by a cyclone is recovered by the drainage

chutes into the circulating sump and that of altered density is recovered during rinsing of
adhered FeSi by use of panels (0.8*80. Density of media is controlled by addition of FeSi to the
dilute sump or water to the correct medium sump.

Water Circuit

DMS plants consume huge volumes of water and hence to optimise their functionality water
should be in adequate supply. Water to the 90t DMS plant is supplied from the process water
tank by the 90t process water pump (10/8). This water is then supplied to the feed preparation
screen, combined screen and to the dilute, correct and effluent sumps. The effluent sump
receives effluents from the magsep and feed preparation screen underpan. The effluents are
then pumped to the 90t degrit cyclone (Multotec VV350) Cyclone) by an effluent pump (10/8)
where the overflow reports to the degrit sump and underflow reports to the degrit screen which
cuts at 500microns. The effluent in the degrit sump is pumped by a thickener feed pump (12/10)
to the thickener. The thickener overflow reports to the process water tank and the slurry is then
pumped to the tailing dam.
The figure below illustrates the water circuit together with the media circuit:
DMS media

A variety of DMS powders are manufactured and all find application in the latest DMS
technology. Usually magnetite and ferrosilicon (FeSi 14% - 16% Silicon by weight) with a
relative density of 6.8 – 7.1 find application in the DMS mineral processing industry. FeSi comes
in only two forms that is milled and atomised ferrosilicon.

RZM Murowa utilises milled ferrosilicon which is cheaper than atomised ferrosilicon. However
atomised FeSi has a better performance as compared to milled ferrosilicon. The milled FeSi
exist in different grades. The differences in grades are based of particle size distribution (PSD).
What affects media selection is based on the operating density, geology of ore and operating
costs. Of utmost importance is the stability and viscosity of the media in order to maximize
recovery of the valueables.