January 06, 2021

University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar

(UETP)

Department of Mining Engineering

(ME)

MID-TERM PAPAER

Course Title:
Mineral Processing – II (Theory)
Submitted To:
Dr. Ishaq Ahmed
Dept. of Mining Engineering
Submitted By:
Bilal Ahmad
7th Semester
Reg. No. 17PWMIN0806
Dept. of Mining Engineering

Date of Submission: January 06, 2021

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Question # 01:
Differentiate between the construction, Working and application of Baum, Harz and Batac Jigs.
Also draw each by clearly showing its various parts and working principal?
Jigs:
Jig is one of the oldest method of gravity concentration which is exclusively based on difference
in specific gravities of particles.
Harz Jig
Harz jig is one of the oldest type of jig and is basically a coarse mineral jig concentrator. The
working principle of harz jig is that it separates the particles based on difference of their specific
gravities and densities. It can handle all type of ores which can be treated by gravity
concentration with feed size ranging from 1/4 ‘’ to 1’’.
Construction:
Harz Jig are made in three sizes with one to six compartments. Each compartment consists of
open cylindrical container which is subdivided into two compartments or chambers. One of them
corresponds to separation chamber, where a screen is placed near horizontally and feed is poured
over the screen. The other compartment consist of plunger, a pulsating device, responsible for
pulsating water up and down in the separation chamber. A spigot is provided at the bottom of the
tank where the concentrate is collected. Thick bed of coarse heavy particles, which is also termed
as ragging, is placed on the top of jig screen placed near horizontally.

Figure 1: Harz jig

Working Mechanism:
The feed to be separated is poured from the top on the jig screen and then the water in the tank is
moved or pulsated up and down (the jigging action) by means of plunger due to which feed
moves across the jig bed. The fine heavier particles penetrates through the ragging or jig bed and

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screen and settle down at the bottom where they are collected as concentrate. The lighter
particles with smaller specific gravities are carried away to the next compartment where the
current velocity is low. In the Harz jig, a layer of coarse heavy particles is spread on the screen to
prevent too much of the ore from passing through. The strokes of the plunger raise both the bed
of heavy particles and the ore. The heaviest particles of ore find their way during the downward
stroke into the interstices of the bed and gradually pass through it and screen. The lighter
particles cannot descend, and are gradually washed over by the continuous supply of water. 
Applications:
Harz jigging can handle all type of ores which can be treated by gravity concentration with feed
size ranging from 1/4 ‘’ to 1’’.
Baum Jig
A baum jig is the most common type of jig washer which is generally used in coal industry. In
baum jig, the compressed air is used to create pulsating movement of water.
Construction:
Baum jig is a U-shaped vessel which is divided vertically into two chamber. One chamber is
called washing chamber which is consist of screen placed horizontally and other chamber is
called air chamber which is consist of pulsating device used to introduce pulsation movement in
water. A spigot is provided at the bottom of vessel where refuse sink is collected with time to
time.

Figure 2: Baum jig

Working Mechanism:
The feed coal is poured and distributed on the tope of screen placed horizontally in the washing
chamber of baum jig. The compressed air is generated in air chamber of baum jig which causes
pulsation and suction in the jig water which in turn causes pulsation and suction through the

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screen plates and thereby causes stratification with particles having specific gravities decreasing
from bottom to top. Due to up and down movement of water, cleaned coal is carried out by the
water flow and the refuse sinks at the bottom where they are collected.
Application:
The baum jigs are being greatly used in mineral processing industries for coal washing. The
standard Baum jig with some design modifications has been used for nearly 100 years and is still
the dominant device.
Batac Jig
In the batac, the pneumatically pulsated principles of the baum jig are still being used. However,
method of air distribution has been changed. The pulsations of the air causing the jigging action
have been greatly improved by new compressed air valves electronically controlled.
Construction:
The batac jig is pneumatically operated but it has no side air chamber like baum jig. Instead,
batac jig is designed with a series of multiple air chambers extending under the jig bed for its full
width and thereby giving uniform air distribution. The jig uses electronically controlled air
valves which provide a sharp cut-off of the air input and exhaust. These valves, both for inlet and
outlet of air, can be infinitely varied as to speed and stroke, thus accurately controlling the speed,
length and cycle characteristics of the pulsations and suction. 

Figure 3: Batac jig

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Working Mechanism:
The jig cycle is considered to consist of four portions namely, inlet (inlet valve open), expansion
(both valves shut), exhaust (outlet valve open) and compression (both valves shut). It is intended
that the jig bed should be lifted as a whole during the inlet period and should then open up or
dilate, allowing the particles time to settle under hindered settling conditions. The exhaust
portion of the cycle should cause the bed to collapse back onto the bed plate with further
separation taking place during this suction portion of the cycle as small particles trickle down
through the interstices of the bed. During the compression part of the cycle (which rarely exists
as the inlet valve is usually opened as soon as the exhaust valve shuts fully), compression of the
air in the air chamber is supposed to take place. The inlet cycle is considered to be important as it
is during this time that the particles are supposed to be accelerated upwards with separation
taking place by virtue of the fact that the initial accelerations depend primarily upon particle
density and not particle size. There are therefore three effects that are responsible for the
development of stratification in the bed, namely, differential acceleration, hindered settling and
interstitial trickling.
At the beginning of the cycle (opening of the air valve), the water is falling in the jigging
chamber and the air pressure in the air chamber is rising rapidly. This rise in pressure in the air
chamber decelerates the rising mass of water and causes it to fall again (rise in the jigging
chamber). Thus the pulsion stroke lags the opening of the air valve by about 36-40 degrees. The
pressure in the air chamber falls slightly as the water level in the air chamber drops and then
rapidly as the inlet valve shuts. In the Meyer and Bird cycles with the shorter inlet valve open
times, the air chamber pressure decreases to a negative gauge value due to the continued upward
motion of the water in the jigging chamber; the pressure rises again when the exhaust valve
opens and the water in the jigging chamber falls.
Applications:
The baum and batac jig both are widely used in coal industries for washing coal. The jig has also
been successfully utilized to produce high-grade lump ore and sinter- feed concentrates from
such iron ore deposits which cannot be upgraded by heavy-medium techniques.
=====================================================================

Question # 02:
Explain the Separation Efficiency Curve for screens, classifiers and shaking tables for some
metallic mineral with the help of examples. The data in the example can be assumed. Plot the
same and explain various elements for same.
Separation Efficiency Curve:
Separation efficiency curve is a graphical method of determining separation efficiency which is
universally accepted and used. The separation efficiency curve is also known as Tromp curve,
partition curve or performance curve. The plot is drawn between partition coefficient on vertical
axis and mean particle diameter on horizontal axis. The amount of misplaced particles to

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overflow is termed as partition coefficient which is also termed as distribution factor or

probability factor. Separation efficiency curve is a convenient method of showing sharpness
separation of screens, classifiers and shaking table.
Partition Curve for Screening:
In order to access the efficiency of screens, partition curve will be drawn. For example, quartz
sample is screened through a screening equipment for size separation and two products are
produced which are undersize and oversize product. The results of screening product showed that
62.5% of feed reported to the coarse product while remaining 37.5% of feed reported to fine
product. The particle size analysis of all three products – feed, course and fine – carried out as
shown in table below

Size (µm) Mean size Overflow Underflow Reconstituted Partition

(µm) feed Coefficient
Mass % Mass in Mass % Mass in
sample Sample
A B C D E F G H
16000 17889 37.5 23.44 0.5 0.19 23.63 0.99
8000 11314 32 20 1 0.38 20.38 0.98
4000 5657 13 8.13 10.6 3.98 12.10 0.67
2000 2828 7.4 4.63 12.1 4.54 9.163 0.50
1000 1414 3.6 2.25 15 5.63 7.875 0.28
500 707 2.5 1.563 18 6.75 8.313 0.19
250 354 2 1.25 20 7.50 8.750 0.14
125 177 1.5 0.94 19.8 7.42 8.363 0.11
-125 0.5 0.31 3 1.13 1.438 0.22
100 62.5 100 37.5

In the above table, column – B is the geometrical mean size which is calculated by square root of
product of two values of particle sizes. The column – C and column – E are the particle analysis
test of fine and coarse product. Column – D and Column – F showing the total distribution of
feed to underflow ad overflow and is calculated by multiplying column – C and E with the yield
in underflow (0.375) and overflow (0.625). Yield in underflow and overflow can be determined
by taking a ratio of total percentage weight of product and total weight of feed. The weight
fractions of column – D and F are added together to produce reconstituted feed distribution.
Partition coefficient is the percentage of feed material of certain mean size which report to the
overflow and can be calculated easily by dividing column – G with column – D. Partition
coefficient can be drawn using partition coefficient on vertical axis and mean size on logarithmic
horizontal axis.

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Partition Curve of Screens

1

0.9

0.8

0.7
Partition Coefficient

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
30000 3000 300 30

Mean Particle Diameter (µm)

Figure 4: Partition curve of screen data

From the partition curve of screening data as shown in figure – 4, the separation size or cut size
d50 is 1810µm. the separation size is that particle size at which each particle has 50 chances to
report either to overflow or underflow. The separation size d75 and d25 is 4554µm and 754µm
respectively. The sharpness of separation depends on the slope of the efficiency curve. Ideal
curve is a vertical straight line at d50 but as from the partition curve for screen in figure – 4,
there is a deviation between ideal curve and actual curve and this error is known as escart
probability or probability error. The closer the curve to the vertical line at d50, higher is the
sharpness of separation. The escart probability is calculated by,
d 75−d 25
Ep=
2
4554−754
Ep=
2
Ep=1900
The Ep value is 1900 for this screen, but as this value approaches to zero, curve gets closer to the
vertical straight line at d50 and the sharpness of separation becomes higher and vice versa. The

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area between the ideal curve (straight vertical line at d50) and actual curve as shown in figure –
4 is error area and representing the amount of misplaced particles in fines and coarse product of
screen. The imperfection value is calculated by,
Ep d 75−d 25
Imperfection, Ip= =
d 50 2 d 50
1900
Imperfection Ip= =1.04 ( screning data was assumed )
1810
The imperfection value is also called efficiency of separation. The imperfection value is 1.04.
The screening data was assumed thereby the results are not valid.

Partition Curve for Classifier:

The classifier efficiency is assessed by plotting partition curve. Consider the cyclone is being fed
with quartz. 65.2% of total feed reported to underflow stream whereas 34.8% pf the total feed is
reported to overflow stream. The particle size analysis of both the cyclone product that is coarse
and fine is carried out and presented in percentage weight in table below.

Size (µm) Weight (%) Weight (%) of Reconstitute Arithmetic Partition

Feed d Feed Mean Size Coefficient
U/F O/F U/F O/F
A B C D E F G H
1168 14.7 - 9.6 - 9.6 - 1
589 – 1168 21.8 - 14.2 - 14.2 878.5 1
295 – 1168 25 5.9 16.3 2.1 18.4 442 0.89
208 – 295 7.4 9 4.8 3.1 7.9 251.5 0.61
147 – 208 6.3 11.7 4.1 4.1 8.2 177.5 0.5
104 – 147 4.8 11.2 3.1 3.9 7 125.5 0.44
74 – 104 2.9 7.9 1.9 2.7 4.6 89 0.41
-75 17.1 54.3 11.2 18.9 30.1 - 0.37
TOTAL 100 100 65.2 34.8 100

Column – D and E is determined by multiplying them with yield 0.652 and 0.348 respectively.
Column – F is determined by addition of Column – D and E. Column – H is determined by
taking a ratio of column – D and column – F. The partition curve can be drawn by plotting
partition coefficient on vertical axis and mean particle diameter on logarithmic horizontal axis.

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Partiton Curve of Hydro-cyclone

1
0.9
0.8
Partition Coefficient

0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
50000 5000 500 50 5

Mean Particle Diameter (µm)

Figure 5 Partition curve for hydro-cyclone

From the partition curve as shown in figure – 5, the separation size or cut size d50 is 178µm. the
separation size is that particle size at which each particle has 50 chances to report either to
overflow stream or underflow stream. The separation size d75 is 347µm. From the partition
curve, it is clear that there is large deviation between ideal curve and action curve meaning that
there are large number of misleading particles in underflow and overflow streams.