Fine Particle Processing - A difficult Problem for Mineral Engineers

Abstract

In general, most of the ores contain valuable mineral in finely disseminated form resulting in the recovery of these fine mineral particles exceedingly difficult.Mineral industries in common generate a lot of rejects in theform offines and slimes, which ultimately create environmental and social problems besides causing losses of mineral values. In view of the recent stringent policy imposed by the Govt. of India on environment, there is an urgent need to attempt a possible solution to such problems . In this paper, why slimes are a problem, the limitation of present processes and equipment and the advances in mineral proc-essing for recovery of mineral values from fines have been focussed.