Minerals Engineering最新文献_第7页

Assessing the potential of phosphate mine tailings through advanced characterization and spatial modelling 基于先进表征和空间模型的磷矿尾矿潜力评价

IF 5 2区工程技术

Minerals Engineering Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-09 DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110046

Kaoutar Erraihani , Yassine Taha , Noaman Bouhlali , Mustapha El Ghorfi , Manar Derhy , Mostafa Benzaazoua , Yassine Ait-Khouia

{"title":"Assessing the potential of phosphate mine tailings through advanced characterization and spatial modelling","authors":"Kaoutar Erraihani , Yassine Taha , Noaman Bouhlali , Mustapha El Ghorfi , Manar Derhy , Mostafa Benzaazoua , Yassine Ait-Khouia","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110046","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110046","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phosphate mine tailings are often treated as waste, even though they contain significant residual phosphorus (P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>) and rare earth elements (REEs). Reprocessing these tailings presents a promising opportunity for recovering critical raw materials (CRMs) to support the green energy transition and sustainable fertilizer production. Phosphate tailings storage facilities (TSFs) occupy large land areas, pose long-term geotechnical risks and lock up critical raw materials. This study presents an integrated approach to evaluate the residual value of phosphorus and rare earth elements lost within the phosphate tailings from Youssoufia site (Morocco) by combining strategic drill cores sampling, comprehensive physical, chemical and mineralogical characterization and 3D modelling. The chemical analysis results were compiled into a database, which was then geo-referenced and integrated to develop a 3D block model using DATAMINE StudioRM software. On average, the tailings contain between 10 and 16 wt% P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> along with approximately 250 ppm of REEs. Around 50% of francolite particles are free, indicating high recovery potential via flotation and demonstrated a positive correlation between P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> and REEs. 3D modelling identified spatially enriched zones for targeted re-mining. Results demonstrate that combining drilling, advanced mineralogy and 3D modelling transforms waste into a secondary resource a key step toward circular phosphate supply strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"238 ","pages":"Article 110046"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Micro-CT imaging of bubble clusters: Extending single mineral observations to a real ore system 气泡团簇的微ct成像：将单一矿物观察扩展到真实的矿石系统

IF 5 2区工程技术

Minerals Engineering Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-12 DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110071

Sayed Janishar Anzoom, Ghislain Bournival, Seher Ata

{"title":"Micro-CT imaging of bubble clusters: Extending single mineral observations to a real ore system","authors":"Sayed Janishar Anzoom, Ghislain Bournival, Seher Ata","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110071","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110071","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In a fluidized-bed flotation system, hydrophobic particles are often buoyed in the pulp phase as bubble clusters. However, the impact of these clusters on the flotation process is not thoroughly understood due to a lack of characterization techniques to study their properties. A technique for studying the properties of clusters using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) was established with single mineral particles (<span><span>Anzoom et al., 2024</span></span>). This study aims to extend this approach to real ores, such as copper ore, where the particles consist of different minerals, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the properties of bubble clusters. The approach integrates micro-CT, X-ray, diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) to perform three-dimensional quantitative characterization of bubble clusters and visualize the internal structure and distribution of different mineral phases present in the particles. Two methods were used to generate clusters: one involving a hand-shaking experiment and another using a fluidised-bed flotation system. Results revealed that cluster characteristics vary depending on their formation method and the particle size distribution. Particle-particle aggregation was more pronounced in the cluster formed using the hand-shaking experiment. The hydrophobic chalcopyrite mineral phase was observed attaching to bubbles, while gangue minerals were engulfed within particles transported by the bubble clusters. While this study focuses on copper ore, which contains a high concentration of chalcopyrite, the method is applicable to studying bubble clusters with any mineral particles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"238 ","pages":"Article 110071"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145957137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Prediction of feed flowrates, based on vibration patterns, generated by vibration sensors on an industrial circular vibrating screen using a set of ML models 利用一组ML模型，根据振动传感器在工业圆振动筛上产生的振动模式预测进料流量

IF 5 2区工程技术

Minerals Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-11-25 DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109963

Philip Krukenfellner , Elmar Rueckert , Helmut Flachberger

{"title":"Prediction of feed flowrates, based on vibration patterns, generated by vibration sensors on an industrial circular vibrating screen using a set of ML models","authors":"Philip Krukenfellner , Elmar Rueckert , Helmut Flachberger","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109963","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109963","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Machine monitoring systems in the mineral and waste processing industries are typically separate from process monitoring systems, including those for vibrating screens. This study presents a novel approach integrating flowrate measurement capabilities into a circular vibrating screen’s vibration monitoring system embedded in the <em>I-Step Operator</em> system developed in collaboration with IFE Aufbereitungstechnik GmbH. A set of machine learning models was trained to predict feed flowrates using vibration patterns captured by smart acceleration sensors on the screen, including tri-axial accelerations and the angle of the major vibration axis relative to the horizontal plane. A volume flowrate monitoring system was temporary installed above the screen’s feeding conveyor belt to collect data for model training and testing. Among the models evaluated, the multilayer perceptron regressor achieved the best performance, with an R2 score of 90.10 ± 1.00 %, matching the flowrate monitoring system’s measurement error margin of 10 %, as provided by the manufacturer. The study also identified the inlet left sensor as the most critical input, demonstrating the model’s low sensitivity to other single-sensor failures. Additionally, incorporating ambient temperature improved the model’s performance, suggesting that factors beyond vibration patterns can enhance prediction accuracy. This indicates that such factors can be successfully integrated into the model, further extending its predictive capabilities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 109963"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145594480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Enhanced flotation of graphite using Micro-Nano bubbles from the black mass of spent lithium-ion batteries 利用废锂离子电池黑质中的微纳气泡增强石墨浮选

IF 5 2区工程技术

Minerals Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-27 DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110044

Xiaoxue Ma , Hao Zhang , Haifeng Wang , Zhuyan Ge , Guangwen Zhang , Ruoxi Zhao , Juan Hao , Shuai Wang , Weining Xie , Yaqun He

{"title":"Enhanced flotation of graphite using Micro-Nano bubbles from the black mass of spent lithium-ion batteries","authors":"Xiaoxue Ma , Hao Zhang , Haifeng Wang , Zhuyan Ge , Guangwen Zhang , Ruoxi Zhao , Juan Hao , Shuai Wang , Weining Xie , Yaqun He","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110044","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110044","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The separation of cathode and anode materials is essential for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Due to graphite’s high hydrophobicity, flotation is the preferred method for separating black mass, graphite in the anode material is suitable for flotation due to its high hydrophobicity, but its fine particle size (<15 um) hinders particle-bubble collision and true flotation. However, the fine particle size of electrode materials hinders effective separation in conventional flotation. Therefore, micro-nano bubble enhanced flotation was investigated, and its mechanism was analyzed. Both micro-nano and conventional flotation methods were compared to assess their efficiency in graphite separation under varying parameters. The graphite concentrate grade peaks and then declines with slurry concentration, kerosene, and methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) dosage, while recovery rises and then stabilizes. Under the optimal conditions of a flotation time of 3 min, a pulp density of 40 g/L, a kerosene dosage of 300 g/t, and an MIBC dosage of 150 g/t, the graphite grade of the micro-nano bubble flotation concentrate can reach 89.22 %, with a recovery rate of 85.83 %. Under the optimal conditions, the flotation rate constant <em>k</em> of micro-nano bubble flotation reaches 0.779, while conventional flotation only achieves 0.492, indicating that micro-nano bubbles significantly enhance the flotation separation performance. Contact angle measurements and optical microscopy revealed that micro-nano bubbles enhance the hydrophobicity of graphite and promote particle aggregation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 110044"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Leaching mechanism and kinetics investigation of ilmenite leaching assisted by iron powder 铁粉辅助钛铁矿浸出机理及动力学研究

IF 5 2区工程技术

Minerals Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-27 DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110040

Tao Long , Long Xiang , Rui Liu , Congxue Tian , Li Li , Jiesong Liu , Wenrong Xiang

{"title":"Leaching mechanism and kinetics investigation of ilmenite leaching assisted by iron powder","authors":"Tao Long , Long Xiang , Rui Liu , Congxue Tian , Li Li , Jiesong Liu , Wenrong Xiang","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110040","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110040","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the titanium dioxide production process using the sulfuric acid method, reducing the feed concentration of sulfuric acid can reduce waste acid emissions. However, this approach suffers from low leaching efficiency. This paper proposes an efficient process for the low concentration acid leaching of ilmenite assisted by iron powder. The results show that when the molar ratio of n(Fe)/n(Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) is 0.25 and the sulfuric acid concentration is 78 %, the leaching efficiency of titanium reaches 97.46 %. Iron powder has a significant impact on the leaching efficiency of titanium in ilmenite. The order of the effect of iron powder addition, sulfuric acid concentration, and acid-to-ore ratio on the titanium leaching efficiency is as follows: acid-to-ore ratio > sulfuric acid concentration > iron powder addition. Kinetic studies indicate that the addition of a reducing agent reduces the activation energy. The activation energy without a reducing agent is 58.53 kJ/mol, while that with a reducing agent is 45.31 kJ/mol. Additionally, the leaching mechanism by which the reducing agent enhances the titanium leaching efficiency is revealed. A microbattery is formed between the iron powder and ilmenite, which reduces high valence metals and promotes titanium leaching. This study provides new insights into the enhanced leaching process of low concentration titanium from ilmenite.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 110040"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145845502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Attritor milling mechanisms and optimization for selective separation of aluminum foil from cathode materials recovered by electrical pulsed discharge 电脉冲放电回收正极材料与铝箔选择性分离的磨矿机磨矿机理及优化

IF 5 2区工程技术

Minerals Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-10 DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109998

Chiharu Tokoro , Masaki Horiuchi , Yuki Murata , Akiko Kubota , Asako Narita , Hidehiro Kamiya , Yutaro Takaya

{"title":"Attritor milling mechanisms and optimization for selective separation of aluminum foil from cathode materials recovered by electrical pulsed discharge","authors":"Chiharu Tokoro , Masaki Horiuchi , Yuki Murata , Akiko Kubota , Asako Narita , Hidehiro Kamiya , Yutaro Takaya","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109998","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109998","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the quantitative optimization of attritor milling conditions for the selective separation of aluminum (Al) from cathode active materials (CAM) recovered from spent lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) via electrical pulsed-discharge delamination, with the aim of establishing an efficient direct recycling process. Attritor milling experiments were conducted using various media diameters, rotational speeds, and durations to evaluate their effects on Al removal and particle modification. The recovered powders were analyzed for their particle size, composition, and structure. Population balance modeling and discrete element simulations were applied to elucidate comminution mechanisms. The results revealed that 3 mm media promoted surface grinding with controlled fine-particle generation, whereas 10 mm media induced impact-driven volume breakage. The distinct behavior of Al originates from the coexistence of foil fragments and plasma re-solidified particles, which respond differently to milling. Under optimized conditions (3 mm media, 800 rpm, 20 min), 92 wt% of CAM was recovered with Al contamination below 0.3 wt%, while Li(Ni, Mn, Co)O<sub>2</sub> particles was preserved, satisfying the requirements for direct recycling. These findings demonstrate that optimizing attritor milling after electrical pulsed discharge enables the efficient selective separation of Al and high-purity CAM recovery, contributing to the sustainable direct recycling of spent LiBs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 109998"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145732434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Extending HydroFloat™ technology to finer feeds : Copper ores 将HydroFloat™技术扩展到更细的进料：铜矿石

IF 5 2区工程技术

Minerals Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-10 DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109991

Richel Annan Dadzie , George Blankson Abaka-Wood , William Skinner , Jonas Addai-Mensah , Massimiliano Zanin

{"title":"Extending HydroFloat™ technology to finer feeds : Copper ores","authors":"Richel Annan Dadzie , George Blankson Abaka-Wood , William Skinner , Jonas Addai-Mensah , Massimiliano Zanin","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109991","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.109991","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>HydroFloat™ fluidised-bed flotation is well established for coarse particle recovery, particularly for feeds (>150µm), and has demonstrated strong potential for treating copper sulphide ores. This study extends its application to finer-than-usual tailings (≥53 µm) to evaluate performance under controlled hydrodynamic conditions. Copper rougher tailings from an Australian concentrator were deslimed and floated in a 6-inch HydroFloat™ cell across teeter-water rates of 1.2–3.0 L/min. Results show that copper recovery exceeded 60 % at 3.0 L/min, with an upgrade ratio of ∼2.5. Increasing water flow improved recovery by enhancing suspension of dense, partially liberated particles but also increased fine-gangue entrainment, reducing concentrate grade. Lower flow rates yielded cleaner products but at the cost of recovery. Mineralogical analysis confirmed that most recovered copper occurred in composite or low-liberation particles, highlighting the ability of HydroFloat™ to recover dense intergrowths that conventional flotation often loses. Despite limited selectivity at high flows, the HydroFloat™ effectively scavenged copper-bearing composites from tailings, demonstrating its potential for extending the technology’s operational range to finer feeds. This study underscores the importance of hydrodynamic control for stable operation and lays the groundwork for future research on reagent chemistry to further improve hydrophobicity and selectivity at finer particle sizes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 109991"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145732435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Comprehensive XRD study of enhancing Al removal rate by microstructure refinement and phase transformation in quartz powder purification process 石英粉体净化过程中显微组织细化和相变提高Al去除率的综合XRD研究

IF 5 2区工程技术

Minerals Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-24 DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110033

Hao Fu , Xuesong Jiang , Xiaotian Chen , Zhenyi Hu , Jifei Sun , Zongrong Zhou , Ling Wang , Boyuan Ban , Jian Chen

{"title":"Comprehensive XRD study of enhancing Al removal rate by microstructure refinement and phase transformation in quartz powder purification process","authors":"Hao Fu , Xuesong Jiang , Xiaotian Chen , Zhenyi Hu , Jifei Sun , Zongrong Zhou , Ling Wang , Boyuan Ban , Jian Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110033","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110033","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Al is one of the most difficult to remove impurities from quartz. Even with HF, only a limited removal efficiency was demonstrated. This study proposes a novel and environmentally friendly strategy centered on a combined process of ball milling, Na<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> roasting, fluorine-free acid leaching, and chlorination roasting. The core innovation lies in the strategic induction of a consecutive and reversible phase transformation cycle (α-quartz → cristobalite → α-quartz), which serves as an internal grain refiner to achieve continuous microstructure refinement, thereby constructing abundant fast pathways for impurity migration. A comprehensive XRD analysis was introduced to observe the microstructure evolution. The results indicate that Na<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> promotes the phase transformation from α-quartz into cristobalite at a relatively low temperature, while chlorination roasting facilitates the reverse transformation back to α-quartz. It revealed that these two distinct phase transformations not only disrupt the crystal integrity but also lead to significant microstructure refinement accompanied by abundant lattice defects. Through these defects, Al impurities rapidly migrate to the quartz particle surface, where they react with the acid solution and HCl gas, enabling efficient removal. Under the optimal process, the Al removal rate reached 90.5 %, the total impurity removal rate attained 98 %, and the quartz purity increased from 99.683 wt% to 99.994 wt%. This work highlights the crucial role of reversible phase transformation-induced grain refinement as an efficient strategy for lattice impurity removal, offering a green and high-performance alternative to HF-based purification with demonstrated advantages in environmental safety, energy efficiency, and product yield.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 110033"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145823110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Citric acid composite ammonium salt- efficient leaching ion-adsorption rare earth ore 柠檬酸复合铵盐高效浸出离子吸附稀土矿

IF 5 2区工程技术

Minerals Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-29 DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110042

Bingxuan He , Jun Wang , Yang Liu , Ruyi Zhang , Hongchang Liu , Baojun Yang , Zhenyu Zhu , Shan Hu , Chunqiao Xiao , Yun Fang , Guanzhou Qiu

{"title":"Citric acid composite ammonium salt- efficient leaching ion-adsorption rare earth ore","authors":"Bingxuan He , Jun Wang , Yang Liu , Ruyi Zhang , Hongchang Liu , Baojun Yang , Zhenyu Zhu , Shan Hu , Chunqiao Xiao , Yun Fang , Guanzhou Qiu","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110042","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110042","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The extraction of ion-adsorption rare earth (IARE) ores is a research focus due to its valuable heavy rare earth elements (REEs). One of the most common extraction methods is in-situ leaching using (NH<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>, for which a concentration of approximately 2.0 90 % is required in practice. However, this results in significant ammonia nitrogen pollution of the environment. This study focuses on reducing consumption of this leaching agent. We selected citric acid, a readily available, naturally biodegradable, bio-based organic acid, and blended it with (NH<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> to leach IARE ores. Experiments involving column leaching and barrel leaching show that using a (NH<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>-citric acid leaching agent improves REEs leaching efficiency by 20–40 %, compared to using pure (NH<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> alone. From a mechanistic perspective, experimental evidence demonstrates that citric acid promotes the leaching of REEs from IARE ores through three mechanisms. Firstly, the protons in citric acid weaken the double electric layer of the IARE ores, thereby facilitating the mass transfer of NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> and RE<sup>3+</sup> ions. Secondly, citric acid reduces and decomposes iron colloidal oxide, releasing the REEs it contains. Finally, citric acid forms complexes with RE<sup>3+</sup> ions, neutralizing their charge and reducing the probability of REEs being re-adsorbed onto the clay surface. This work paves the way for the further industrial application of organic matter in the leaching of IARE ores, and provides a new approach on the clean and efficient extraction of IARE ores.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 110042"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145883365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Lithological classification of drill cores using XCT and XRF data: a geometallurgical perspective 利用XCT和XRF数据的岩心岩性分类：地质冶金学观点

IF 5 2区工程技术

Minerals Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-03 DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110053

Milena Nasretdinova , Peter Dowd , Chaoshui Xu

{"title":"Lithological classification of drill cores using XCT and XRF data: a geometallurgical perspective","authors":"Milena Nasretdinova , Peter Dowd , Chaoshui Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110053","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mineng.2025.110053","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents an integrated framework for the automated lithological classification of drill cores by combining X-ray computed tomography (XCT) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) data within a machine learning setting. A total of 293 m of drill cores from the Kalkaroo copper–gold deposit in South Australia were classified into five lithological categories at 5 cm intervals. XCT voxel attenuation values were summarised using percentile-based descriptors to capture density and textural variability, while XRF provided complementary geochemical information. Random Forest (RF) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) classifiers were applied using drill hole-wise leave-one-out cross-validation to mitigate spatial autocorrelation. The integrated XCT-XRF dataset outperformed single-modality inputs, with the XGBoost method achieving the highest predictive performance (Macro-F1 = 0.86). SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) revealed that Cu, Fe, S, Ca, and K were the dominant discriminators, while high-end XCT percentiles enhanced the resolution of dense sulphide phases. This proved critical for distinguishing chalcopyrite-rich intervals, which govern copper recovery and concentrate grade, from pyrite-dominant horizons, which increase lime consumption and depress flotation selectivity. Downhole analysis confirmed the geological plausibility of predictions and highlighted transitions with implications for blending, comminution energy and metallurgical forecasting. The results demonstrate that XCT-XRF integration provides robust, interpretable, high-resolution lithology classification with geometallurgical relevance. Quantitative calibration to comminution indices or flotation performance requires additional datasets and is outside the scope of the present study.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18594,"journal":{"name":"Minerals Engineering","volume":"237 ","pages":"Article 110053"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0