A 3-Curve Densimetric Analysis

2017

Mrs Jane Danoczi (Processing Engineer - Saskatchewan Research Council)

A 3-curve densimetric analysis provides important operational information for any technology using gravity separation. Information such as; mass-balance and recovery efficiency information. This analysis also allows one to critically compare the performance of different technologies or different sized units such as DMS cyclones - should one use a cluster of 360 mm diameter cyclones or one 610 mm diameter cyclone. The 3-curve densimetric analysis is conducted by taking representative samples of the feed, floats and sinks of a gravity separation process and then analysing these samples using heavy liquid separation (HLS). The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) can now conduct HLS testing to a specific gravity in excess of 4.0 g/ml. The SRC conducted a 3-curve densimetric analysis on their 150 mm diameter dense media cyclone (DMC) to quantify the misplaced material. The findings from this analysis are; • At the DMC d50 cut-point, the average operational efficiency is 97.95%. • The d50 value obtained from the DMC tracer test and from the heavy liquid densimetric tests are comparable. • The d50 value shifts approximately 0.1 SG for each 1 mm change in particle size.