A laboratory-scale characterisation test for quantifying the size segregation of stockpiles. (October 2022) - Ye, Z.
Abstract: Most mine sites use large coarse ore stockpiles as a buffer between the mine and the processing plant. Stable operation of the downstream processes demands a uniform output from the stockpile with respect to particle size, however, particle size distributions of the product drawn from stockpiles can vary significantly over time due to various size segregation phenomena. Although quantifying size segregation occurring in industrial stockpiles would provide valuable information for operators, it is not practical due to the size of these piles which can exceed 100 kt. This research is focused on developing a laboratory test, which aims to quantify the propensity of an ore pile to segregate and to correlate these results to industrial stockpiles. The data generated by the laboratory-scale experiment could enable the modelling of size segregation for industrial-scale stockpiles. The results of the comprehensive laboratory tests indicate that it is possible to quantify size segregation in the laboratory and scale up the results.