Heavy Media Separation Tests with the Pyrite Samples from Amjhore, Shahabad DT.Bihar

Two Pyrite samples from Amjhore marked A and B were received from the Managing Director, M/S.Pyrites and chemicals development Co. Ltd ., Dehri –on –Sone, for batch Scale heavy media separation tests in National Metallurgical Laboratory for separating the Shale admixed with Pyrite during mining operations.The contamination of shale was reported to be 50% in the sample A and 30%in the sample B. Sample A assayed 19% total S, 20% Fe whereas sample’ B’ assayed 25,3% total S, 24.7% Fe with traces of Cu, Pb, Zn, As and Ni. Batch Heavy media separation tests performed with the samples at -125mm( -5" ) and -100mm(-4") sizes after screening out the -5mm fraction and using a fine suspension of galena in water at medium specific gravity of about 2.4, gave pyrite Concentrates assaying above 40% total S, which is acceptable to the firm as feed for their new Sulphuric Acid Plant being set up at Sindri. A representative portion of the -5mm( -0.2") fines obtained from each sample as saying about 32%, and 36% total S respectively, when subjected to jigging, yielded concentrates assaying 42.29 % and 43. 57% total S respectively. Hence the same could be mixed with the sink product obtained from heavy media separation tests.