Institute «Yakutniproalmaz», OJSC «ALROSA» (Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia):

Makarsky I. V., Head of Laboratory for Research of Diamond Products Quality and Inspection Methods, MakarskiyIV@alrosa.ru

Bondarenko I. F., Academic Secretary, BondarenkoIF@alrosa.ru

Adonin Ye. I., Head of Laboratory for Research of Diamond Products Quality and Inspection Methods (1999–2010)

The advantages and demerits of natural diamonds production-induced damage control methods, applied at «ALROSA» diamond recovery plants, are considered. The methods in question are: colored indicator diamonds and mineralogical estimate of salable crystals' production-induced damage, complementing each other in large measure, owing to special features of both methods. Simultaneous application of these both methods permits to increase precision of salable diamonds preservation estimation, and avoid wrong decisions in improvement of technologies. Characteristic diamonds damages, induced by drilling-and-blasting works and by ore disintegration in wet autogenous grinding mills, are shown. The studies final results show that diamonds production-induced damage is consider ably higher in diamonds liberation in wet autogenous grinding of kimberlites, if compared with effect of drilling-and-blasting works, and may significantly exceed damage of diamonds, fed to wet autogenous grinding mills in liberated state. Therefore, the main trend in salable diamonds preservation increase consists in provision of optimal conditions in autogenous grinding of kimberlites through stabilization of load and radial size segregation in wet autogenous grinding mill's drum.