Mechanical activation applications in mineral processing

Abstract

Mechanical activation is a pre-process applied to increase the reactivity of the mineral in the course of state changes in these processes prior to a basic metallurgical process. In the mineral preparation processes, the mechanical activation processes are carried out in the grinding mills. Because the most important effect of mechanical activation in mineral preparation processes is the milling of mineral particles, which leads to a change in their physicochemical properties. During mechanical activation, the crystal structure of the mineral deteriorates and more reactive species form. Thus, under extreme conditions, the milled mineral will now be more active during the metallurgical process to be carried out, and this will increase the process speed. Reducing the reaction temperature, increasing the amount of solubility and speed, preparation of water-soluble compounds, simple and cheaper reactor production and shorter reaction time requirements are some of the advantages of mechanical activation. For these reasons, mechanical activation is an attractive topic in metallurgical processes. In this study, several studies investigating the application of mechanical activation in hydrometallurgical leaching processes in various mineral processing plants have been examined. © 2018 Union of Chambers of Engineers and Architects of Turkey. All Rights Reserved.