Introduction

Process mineralogy combines mineralogical techniques with mineral process unit operations to identify minerals, their associations and characteristics in order to:

• establish feasibility concepts at the early stages of geological exploration;
• design processing flowsheets;
• specify raw materials and marketable products;
• troubleshoot plants; and
• indicate new uses of minerals.

Process Mineralogy 2 for Coal and Industrial Minerals is the second of two courses on process mineralogy by the author. It presents application of the basic tools of investigative and analytical mineralogy with respect to coal and industrial minerals, illustrated by numerous examples, including:

• coal petrology;
• industrial minerals: diatomite, clay and calcium carbonate; and
• industrial minerals: structural clay, glass, cement and advanced ceramics.

Together with the companion course, Process Mineralogy 1 for Metals (which also covers the investigative and analytical tools of process mineralogy), this course provides an excellent introduction to process mineralogy for all mining disciplines.

Learning Outcomes

1. Discuss the principles of coal petrology and its application to the coking process.
2. Discuss the mineralogy of diatomite, clay minerals and calcium carbonate.
3. Discuss the mineralogy of structural clay, glass, cement and advanced structural ceramics.

Duration: 10 Hours

Category: Mineral Processing

Level: Advanced