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INTRODUCTION
This study is an investigation of the hypothetical relationship
between grindability causality and rock texture. This is
supported directly or indirectly by a lack of correlation
between grindability and mineralogical composition.
The previous statement is supported by the occurrence of
rocks of similar mineralogical composition (and, therefore, of
similar chemical composition) but with different grindability
indices. However and in spite of their compositional similarity,
they are recognised as different lithological units, at mapping
scale as well as microscopic scale, due to the differences in the
crystalline arrangement of their components.
For the study, information generated by the Estudio
Geometalrgico del Mineral a Explotar en el Mediano y Largo
Plazo, El Teniente, Chile (Arvalo, Floody and Olivares, 1998)
has been used, with an emphasis on information provided by
geological mapping, analyses of thin sections and grindability
metallurgical test data (BWi measured in kWh/st). The project
arose from the need to predict the metallurgical behaviour of
different geological units involved in medium and long-term
production plans.
The studied samples are distributed in 19 profiles, which
cover about 10 000 m of tunnels at levels Teniente 4, Teniente
Sub4 and Teniente 5. These were selected for their accessibility
and because all main recognised geological units for each mine
sector were represented. Samples were taken systematically at
an average of 1 m from the floor and roughly at 10 m spacing,
avoiding interferences from mine infrastructure and discrete
geological features with the ability to affect the homogeneity
of samples.
1. Senior Geologist, CODELCO Chile, Av Libertador Bernardo OHiggins 1449, Santiago, Chile. Email: moyarzun@codelco.cl
2. Chief, Geometallurgy, CODELCO Chile, Milln 1020, Coln Alto Rancagua, Chile. Email: aarevalo@codelco.cl
THE FIRST AUSIMM INTERNATIONAL GEOMETALLURGY CONFERENCE / BRISBANE, QLD, 5 - 7 SEPTEMBER 2011
181
CONCLUSIONS
Magma crystallisation is controlled by the interaction of
diverse physico-chemical factors, which in addition are temporally variable. The shape and size of crystals of a slowly
cooling igneous rock are determined by its free interfacial
energy and that of nucleation, diffusion and variations in
growing rates. Supersaturating degree will affect crystal shape
while undercooling degree will affect crystal size.
TABLE 1
Major elements composition of main lithologies, according to Skewes et al (2002). BWi values after Arvalo et al (1998).
SiO2
Gabbro
Basalt porphyry
Diabase
Latite porphyry
Sewell Diorite
Dacite porphyry
50.05
50.65
52.50
64.73
63.70
65.76
TiO2
1.00
1.01
1.20
0.45
0.39
0.40
Al2O3
17.85
19.11
18.26
17.58
17.02
17.03
Fe2O3+FeO
10.11
9.83
9.97
2.55
4.30
2.07
MnO
0.14
0.09
0.09
0.04
0.08
0.01
MgO
6.32
4.17
5.04
1.14
1.50
0.72
CaO
9.44
7.80
7.96
3.82
3.90
3.19
Na2O
2.62
1.68
2.30
4.93
4.93
5.47
K2O
1.22
2.23
1.43
2.57
2.20
2.41
P2O5
0.32
0.21
0.25
0.16
0.21
0.13
LOI
1.35
1.76
1.96
1.20
1.80
1.66
Total
100.42
98.54
100.96
99.17
100.03
98.85
BWi (kWh/st)
15 - 17
>17
14 - 16
10 - 13
182
16 - 18
THE FIRST AUSIMM INTERNATIONAL GEOMETALLURGY CONFERENCE / BRISBANE, QLD, 5 - 7 SEPTEMBER 2011
TABLE 2
Petrography of main lithologies (Petromicrographs: crossed polarizers, 645 m 484 m).
THE FIRST AUSIMM INTERNATIONAL GEOMETALLURGY CONFERENCE / BRISBANE, QLD, 5 - 7 SEPTEMBER 2011
183
TABLE 2 CONT...
Petrography of main lithologies (Petromicrographs: crossed polarisers, 645 m 484 m).
THE FIRST AUSIMM INTERNATIONAL GEOMETALLURGY CONFERENCE / BRISBANE, QLD, 5 - 7 SEPTEMBER 2011
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We wish to thank Will Clarke (Newcrest Mining Lmtd)
and Ricardo Floody (CODELCO-Chile) for improving the
english version of this paper and also to Roberto Valenzuela
(CIMM TyS SA) with his support on image software and
photomicrograph handling.
REFERENCES
Arvalo, A, Floody, R and Olivares, A, 1998. o Plazo, El Teniente.
Arvalo, A, Floody, R and Olivares, A, 1998. Medium and long-term
production plans geometallurgy models, El Teniente, Chile.
THE FIRST AUSIMM INTERNATIONAL GEOMETALLURGY CONFERENCE / BRISBANE, QLD, 5 - 7 SEPTEMBER 2011
185