Mekhanobr-tekhnika Research and Production Company, Saint-Petersburg, Russia:

V. A. Arsentiev, Director of Development and Research, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, ava@npk-mt.spb.ru
A. M. Gerasimov, Senior Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences
I. D. Ustinov, Head of Research and Education Center, Doctor of Chemical Sciences

The main resources consumed in mineral processing are fresh water and energy. Mineral processing consumes more than 60 % of total water flow. The forecasts say that water demand will grow in mining and processing by 40 % by 2030. The studies in the possibility of water flow rate reduction in processing should be undertaken in parallel with energy consumption estimate as intakes of water and energy are tightly connected within the integrated process layout. A water-saving technology often involves an increase in consumed energy, and vice versa. Phyllosilicates with mobile crystal lattices greatly complicate dressing procedures either with dry or wet methods. A promising trend in resource-saving in processing of phyllosilicate minerals is thermal or hydrothermal modification at the beginning of a process flow in order to mitigate or eliminate negative effect of phyllosilicates on performance of ore pretreatment, separation, dewatering and end product storage. Hydrothermal modification of kaolinic ore enables its dressing at the pulp density of 40–45 % as against 20–25 % in the classic technology. Moreover, it is no more necessary to use dispersion agents. It is found that thermal treatment of sylvine ore within the range 200–500 °C considerably changes structure of minerals in insoluble fraction, which allows reducing consumption of flotation agents, diminishing flotation front, improving clarification of tailing pulps and scaling down circulating liquid phase volume. Aiming to cut down energy consumption in thermal treatment, it is possible to use microwave heating for selective warming of phyllosilicates in insoluble fraction. Thermal modification of coal results in essential change in properties of phyllosilicates as they become inactive in water absorption but increasingly magnetic susceptible, which improves efficiency of dry magnetic and electrostatic separation and ash fraction removal. These modes of modification consume more energy but enable appreciable saving of other resources.
This study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Grant No. 18-17-00169.

1. Likhacheva A. B. Fresh Water Problem as a Structural Factor of World Economy. Higher School of Economics Economic Journal. 2013. Vol 17, No. 3. pp. 533–562.
2. Larionov V. G., Sheremetieva E. N. The current state of the world’s water resources and main directions for increasing their availability. Izvestiya of Irkutsk State Economics Academy. 2015. Vol. 25, No. 4. pp. 590–596.
3. Toledano P., Roorda C. Leveraging Mining Investments in Water Infrastructure for Broad Economic Development: Models, Opportunities and Challenges. 2014. Available at: https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/D8PZ57K9 (accessed: 19.04.2018).
4. Woodley A., Keir G., White J. Systems modelling of mine water and energy tradeoffs. The Sustainable Engineering Society Conference. Canberra, 2013. Available at: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/74593/1/woodley_ssee_paper_final.pdf (accessed: 19.04.2018).
5. Nguyen M. T., Vink S., Ziemski M., Barrett D. J. Water and energy synergy and trade-off potentials in mine water management. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2014. Vol. 84. pp. 629–638.
6. Ossa-Moreno J., McIntyre N., Ali S., Smart J. C. R., Rivera D. et al. The Hydro-economics of Mining. Ecological Economics. 2018. Vol. 145. pp. 368–379.
7. Adiansyah J. S., Rosano M., Vink S., Keir G., Stokes J. R. Synergising water and energy requirements to improve sustainability performance in mine tailings management. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2016. Vol. 133. pp. 5–17.
8. Ihle C. F., Kracht W. The relevance of water recirculation in large scale mineral processing plants with a remote water supply. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018. Vol. 177. pp. 34–51.
9. Laskowski J. S. Anisotropic minerals in flotation circuits. CIM Journal. 2012. Vol. 3, No. 4. pp. 203–213.
10. Uriev N. B. High-Concentration Dispersed Systems. Moscow : Khimiya, 1980. 320 p.
11. Ndlovu B., Farrokhpay S., Bradshaw D. The effect of phyllosilicate minerals on mineral processing industry. International Journal of Mineral Processing. 2013. Vol. 125. pp. 149–156.
12. Xumeng Chen, Yongjun Peng. Managing clay minerals in froth flotation – A critical review. Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review An International Journal. 2018. Vol. 39, Iss. 5. pp. 289–307.
13. Arsentyev V. A., Gerasimov A. M., Mezenin A. O. Kaolines beneficiation technology study with application of hydrothermal modification. Obogashchenie Rud. 2017. No. 2. pp. 3–9. DOI: 10.17580/or.2017.02.01
14. Arsentyev V. A., Gerasimov A. M., Kotova E. L. Sylvinite ore thermochemical modification by means of super high frequency thermal treatment. Obogashchenie Rud. 2017. No. 6. pp. 3–8. DOI: 10.17580/or.2017.06.01
15. Vaisberg L. A., Kameneva E. E. X-ray computed tomography in the study of physico-mechanical properties of rocks. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2014. No. 9. pp. 85–90.
16. Gerasimov A. M., Dmitriev S. V. A combined technology of dry beneficiation of coal. Obogashchenie Rud. 2016. No. 6. pp. 9–13. DOI: 10.17580/or.2016.06.02