Metallurgical Scoping Studies

WHAT TYPE OF ORES CAN WE TEST?
SGS can provide a number of standard and specialty tests for scoping metallurgy. The choice of tests depends primarily on the type of deposit, the commodity that has the potential of being extracted, environmental drivers and investor requirements. We have specialized facilities to test all ore types. Some of these include:

• Base Metal Sulphides
• Base Metal Oxides
• Gold
• PGMs
• Industrial Minerals and Mineral Sands
• Uranium
• Rare Earths and Exotics
• Iron Ore
• Coal
• Diamonds

TYPES OF SCOPING STUDIES:
Mineralogical Characterization
This is the first phase of a typical scoping test work campaign. Its aim is to characterize the ore, identify any potential issues from the onset and answer some environmental questions. Mineralogical test work helps provide a quantitative mineralogical assessment provides details of how the target minerals manifest themselves in the ore.

This examination also helps highlight any future process issues that might be encountered.  For example:

• Does the ore contain radio active materials?
• Is there high arsenic?
• Are the minerals fine-grained?
• Could there be possible AMD issues?
• Regrind requirements, etc.?  

Mineralogical work can help outline future metallurgical work to help with process development.

Preliminary Flowsheet Development
The exact flowsheet that is required often depends on the findings from the mineralogical characterization work conducted. Preliminary lab-scale tests can be conducted to test the metallurgical response to the proposed flowsheet. Some of these tests include:

Bench Scale Grinding Tests: A host of grinding tests are available to understand the work index, hardness, and abrasion indices of ore. Some these tests include Macpherson tests, Bond Work index tests, SAG Power Index tests, and JK grind tests. The information from the grinding work can provide an estimate of the energy requirements and an understanding of the variability. Preliminary grinding flowsheet development can be leveraged from this type work.

Bench Scale Flotation Tests: Flotation testing starts by determining a suitable reagent suite for a particular ore. The preliminary flotation test work helps validate liberation size requirements and reagent selection (collectors, modifiers, depressants). The results from these tests provide the potential grade-recovery relationship and pulp kinetics. This information can be used to size flotation equipment, evaluate the best grind size/regrind requirements, and flotation circuit requirements.

Bench Scale Hydrometallurgical Test Work: Leaching rates, reagent consumption, temperature requirements and gas/pressure requirements can be determined through hydrometallurgical leaching test work including bench-scale autoclave work. Conducting metallurgical leach testing can provide an indication of reagent costs, equipment requirements, indication of metallurgical amenability to leaching and also provide environmental considerations due to deleterious elements or even ARD.

Bench Scale Magnetic, Electrostatic, Gravity Separation, DMS: Separation of certain minerals can be efficiently achieved by taking advantage of their physical, electrical and magnetic properties. For example, mineral sands, coal, iron ore, and diamonds are some minerals that use at least one of these processes for a method of extraction. Conduct any of these common industry scoping tests SGS’ fully integrated facilities.  

WHY CHOOSE SGS FOR YOUR METALLURGICAL STUDIES?
SGS is the world leader in metallurgical testing services for the mining and minerals industry. Our high service standards ensure that tests meet bankable standards, accountability, quality assurance and transparency requirements. SGS allows companies start with scoping studies and shift to fully bankable studies seamlessly for any mineral extraction process. At the conclusion of a scoping study, it will be clear which steps and budget will be required to conduct prefeasibility and bankable feasibility studies.

For more information, please contact our Scoping Study experts