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Exploitation- an effective tool in clay mining

Er. A. K. Gupta+, Mr. Rakesh Acharya++, Mr. M S Shekhawat+++Dr. Prakash Singh

+ Ex. Scientist & Head, Deptt of Ceramic Engg. College of Engg. & Tech. Bikaner, ++ Deptt. Of Mining,
Bikaner, +++ Deptt. Of Physics, Engg College Bikaner

Abstract

The importance of exploitation is not the question of present. Even in the ancient time, the
miners used to exploit the minerals, but based on art and without much scientific inputs.
During the last four decades, the scientific methods of exploitation are finding ever-
increasing application in Minerals industries. The Scientific & Technical route of exploitation
through the Particle Size & particle Size distribution was carried out to match the import
substitute of Ukraine clay. The results approved the Computer simulation and practically
obtained data.
Under Atomization scenario in all the developing countries, , where the market is a
basic factor of the success of any Industry. It can be concluded that the compitivity can no
longer be co-related to mass productivity but rather must be related to the quality of
finished mineral and the management of processing techniques, which intern results Cost
effective mineral production with Zero Rejection. This is easily possible through Particle
size analysis in case of Clay minerals

1.Introduction

The importance of exploitation is not the question of present. Even in the ancient time,
the miners used to exploit the minerals, but based on art and without much scientific inputs.
During the last four decades, the scientific methods of exploitation are finding ever increasing
application in Minerals industries. Principally, the Exploitation is an essential tool for cost
effective recovery of explorated minerals and when it is not applied after the exploration, it
exploits the explorer of minerals.
Secondly,The modernization of Mining industries, infect not only involve installation of
High productive exploration machineries, but it involve multi-directional approach of
exploitation through scientific & technical characterization of minerals and to process them to
suit the market demand.
The scientific methods of exploitation can be classified in three main groups: Pure
Research, Product Development, and Product Controls.
1. Pure Research: This includes investigating the nature of minerals through Physico-Chemical
characterization and to understand the causes of the undesired properties with reference to
the needs of End Product.
2. Product Development: This covers the systematic beneficiations of mined product to the
desired Uses.
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3. Product Controls: This includes the checking of the important parameters of the minerals in
process.
Under all the developing Countries, It has been opined that these methods of
exploitation not only provides the products of reproducible quality but also creates more cost
effective and qualitative production. The Exploitation tool in mineral industries can be
represented as Fig.1.

Inferior Quality Ancient mining Industry Energy Crises

High Rejection Requirement of
Scientific Inputs i.e. Exploitation Under Atomization Scenario required quality &
through Testing & Research in developing Countries reproducible raw
materials input

Pure Research
Exploitation
Product Development

Process controls
Traditional Mining

Modernization
High Productive machines
Raw material Input
Processing Systems Cost effective Product

Zero Rejection

Fig. 1 Exploitation in growth

Finally , Under Atomization scenario in all the developing countries, , where the market is a
basic factor of the success of any Industry. It can be concluded that the compitivity can no longer be co-
related to mass productivity but rather must be related to the quality of finished mineral and the
management of processing techniques, which intern results Cost effective mineral production with
Zero Rejection.
2. Experimental
Reference to the clay minerals, the exploitation under Pure Research, The Physico-Chemical
characterization is first step to understand the elements and their qualitative & quantitative analysis in
respect to Dry and Plastic properties, Chemical Composition and Fired properties etc. This provides the
technical routs of beneficiation of minerals to suit the market demand and in-tern the value up-
gradation. The importance of exploitation through physico-chemical characterization has been
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explained by different R&D organizations in detail to affect the qualitative supply of clay & applied clay
minerals in various industries, like fillers in Rubber & Plastic industries, Grinding & Polishing Disks, Filter
aids. The most widely accepted properties under Physico-chemical characterization can be summarized
as in table 1.
Table 1: General classification of Physico-chemical characterization of Clay minerals
Dry & Plastic Properties Chemical Composition Fired Properties
1. Slagging& plasticity by feel 1. Chemical 1. Fired color
Analysis
2. Water of Plasticity & 2. Rational 2. Fired linear shrinkage
Atterburg no. analysis
3. Specific Gravity 3. Fired Modulus of
Rupture
4. Grit content 4. Bulk density
5. Grain size Particle Size & 5. Water Absorption
Particle size Distribution
6. Dry Linear Shrinkage 6. App. Volume Porosity
7. Dry Modulus of Rupture
8. Packing Density

The particle Size & particle Size Distribution is a major tool of exploitation in clay
minerals & their allied minerals ,which controls the Dry & plastic properties as well as the
fired linear shrinkage , fired modulus of rupture, Bulk density & water absorption etc. This
route of exploitation has been used to develop the import substitute of Ukraine Clay. The
experiments were carried out on CILAS -1064 Particle size analyser for dry & Wet Mode to
measure the particle size distribution from 0.04µ to 500 µ.
First The particle size & particle size distribution was carried out for different clay
minerals and then the computer simulation was carried out to develop the appropriate
particle size of blended mix as per Ukraine clay, which have more fine particles then the
common available kaolinite clays. It is frequently associated with kaolin & kaolinitic clay.
Two ball clays of Bikaner district & China clay from Indu ka bala area were taken under
computer simulation.
The blending of clays were carried out at different percentage of clays . the most
appropriate composition was matched to the batch composition, when A1 (40%), A2(20%),
B1(40%).which was carried out by developing a software on Excel. First, the particle size &
particle size distribution of different clays was developed where the data feeding for
different percentage resulted the final particle size distribution and comparison with the
standard clay and practically obtained particle size distribution after admixing the clays in
appropriate proportions.
3.Results & Disscusions
The following basic facts to computer simulation were considered and comparison
with the same characteristics of Ukraine clay was considered.
1. Particles of evenly distributed In clays between 10 µ to 1µ may rise to higher dry M.O.R.
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2. Gritty materials over 45µ may be responsible for low plasticity in body-mixes, which may
produce micro defects developed during fabrication.
3. Higher percentageage of particles more than 45% finer than 2µ may be responsible for
higher shrinkage, but may also increase the M.O.R.
4. Particles below 0.5 µ around 80%, may predict for very good plasticity , thus will
reduce the defects generally developed during fabrication.

Particle Size Distribution in Component

Clay-1 4 3
Clay A1 Ukraine
3.5 BCP-1
Clay A2 2.5
Clay B1 3 BC-1

Volume Fraction

Volume Fraction
2.5 2

2 1.5
1.5
1
1
0.5 0.5
0
0
0.01 0.1 1 10 100
0.01 0.1 1 10 100
Particle size in µm
particle Size in µm

Cummulative Finer % Cummulative Finer %

120
120

100 100
Cummulative % finer

Cummulative %finer

80 80

60 60

40 40
Clay A1 Ukraine
20 Clay A2 20 BCP-1
Clay B1 BC-1
0 0
0 50 100 0 20 40 60
Particle Size in µm Particle Size in µm

Fig.2. Particle size & particle size distribution of different clays & blended mix in
respect to cumulative finer fraction percentage & Volume fraction at respective
micron sizes
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4. Conclusion
The results approved the Computer simulation and practically obtained data as in
Fig.2.The different Dry & Plastic properties especially the Water of plasticity, green
Density, Dry linear shrinkage, Dry Modulus of Rupture & Packing Density were also
measured. The values for Dry linear shrinkage decreases but the values of Dry M.O.R., &
Bulk Density, and plasticity increases sharply for the appropriate mix of highest random
packing density.