Ore Sorting · May 2016
Sensor-Based Ore Sorting at a Block Cave
How a range of sensors could sort ore from waste at the New Afton block cave, and identify ore types ahead of the mill.
- Project
- New Afton
- Location
- British Columbia, Canada
- Application
- Bulk and particle sorting
- Samples
- Drawpoint and stockpile rock samples
- Compared against
- Assays of pulverized rock
PaperInvestigation into the Implementation of Sensor-Based Ore Sorting Systems at a Block Caving Operation · MassMin 2016, Sydney
Read the paperContext
The lack of selectivity in block caving means many operations mine and process ore below cut-off grade at some stages of production. As part of a cave-to-mill study at New Afton, the work looked at where in the cave and material handling system sorting is most effective.
The Work
Rock samples from drawpoints and the surface stockpile were tested rock by rock with surface XRF, an electromagnetic sensor and magnetic susceptibility measurements, then pulverized and assayed to give each rock's actual copper content.
Results
Surface XRF readings gave a good indication of copper grade, and simulated XRF particle sorting showed the ore is amenable to sorting. A combination of XRF and electromagnetic sensor readings identified supergene ore, so the mill could be warned before it arrives.
