SOP 010 - A Gravity Amenability Testing for CVD Applications Page 1 of 6

Revision 3
DRAFT
Updated: Feb 2, 2009 Written By: Toni-Lynn Card
1.0 Scope
1.1 The Knelson MD3 Concentrator (KC-MD3) is used to determine the
amenability of an ore type to gravity concentration.
1.2 Multi-pass tests are used to generate mass pull/recovery profiles,
more commonly for CVD amenability testing. The number of
passes is dependent on numerous variables including client
requests, sample type and composition, particle size, etc. Typically,
four to five passes are used or until the target mineral is exhausted.

2.0 Summary
2.1 Multi-pass test program may differ, depending on the clients’
needs. Generally, the procedure will follow these laboratory
processing steps
2.1.1 Client inquiry
2.1.2 Determine the test program
2.1.3 Sample receiving
2.1.4 Prepare sample to the appropriate processing size (as
required).
2.1.5 Perform test program as per flow sheet/proposal.
2.1.6 Perform calculations including mass balances, as required.
2.1.7 Compose report (if required).
2.1.8 Sample storage
2.1.9 See below for the flow sheet. This is to be used as a
guideline for processing. The number of stages may differ.
With the low yield cone, panning the concentrates is
required.

Sample P80 - Sub-sample, screen, &

client specified assay for target element

Assay for target

Pan Conc element
MD3 Test
Stage 1 KC Conc. 1
Assay for target
Pan Tails
element
KC Tails 1

Assay for target

Pan Conc
element
MD3 Test
KC Conc. 2
Stage 2 Assay for target
Pan Tails
element

KC Tails 2

Assay for target

Pan Conc
element
MD3 Test
KC Conc. 3
Stage 3 Assay for target
Pan Tails
element

KC Tails 3

Assay for target

Pan Conc
element
MD3 Test
Stage 4 KC Conc. 4
Assay for target
Pan Tails
element

KC Tails 4
Assay for target
element

Tails (Stored) 3
months

Tails Disposed

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SOP 010 - A Gravity Amenability Testing for CVD Applications Page 2 of 6
Revision 3
DRAFT
Updated: Feb 2, 2009 Written By: Toni-Lynn Card

3.0 Related Documents

3.1 Knelson MD3 Operator’s Manual
3.2 SOP 001: Laboratory Processing
3.3 SOP 002: Sample Preparation
3.4 SOP 005: Screen Analysis
3.5 SOP 020: General Housekeeping and Maintenance

4.0 Health and Safety

4.1 Eye protection, ear protection and steel-toed footwear are required
PPE.
4.2 Perform visual inspection of electrical and mechanical equipment
prior to use.
4.3 Please adhere to the safety precautions (orange labels) for each
piece of equipment.
4.4 Use correct lifting techniques when handling buckets of slurry.
4.5 Do not contact the agitator while in operation.
4.6 Examine the path you intend to cover. Remove any tripping
hazards.

5.0 Apparatus and Materials

5.1 Jaw Crusher
5.2 Sweco Screen
5.3 Riffle Splitter
5.4 Agitator
5.5 KC-MD3
5.6 Buckets- for tailings and feed sample
5.7 Compressed air (for removing dust)
5.8 Oven
5.9 Rodmill (as required)
5.10 Filter Press and filter paper
5.11 Gold Pan
5.12 Pans for drying concentrates and tailings.

6.0 Procedure
6.1 Sample Preparation- perform steps as required.
6.1.1 Please refer to SOP 004: Sample Preparation, if sample
preparation is required.
6.1.2 Split sample into the appropriate size for testing purposes.
6.1.2.1 Multi-pass samples requires 1kg. The mass as
well as the particle size (P80) used for testing
should be determined with the Territory Manager
or Lab Supervisor/Manager and the client as
needed.

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Revision 3
DRAFT
Updated: Feb 2, 2009 Written By: Toni-Lynn Card
6.1.2.2 Use the PSA Low-yield cone rather than the
standard MD3 cone for this test as the shallow
rings will be more useful for capturing heavy
mineral without gangue dilution in the back of the
rings, as happens with the standard cone.
6.2 Grinding

If the requirement is to assess the gravity amenability on a

typical ball mill product with a range of size, follow the
procedure below:
6.2.1 Grinding samples should be at approximately 65% solids.
6.2.2 If extra sample of the same size used for testing is available,
perform a grind test with the extra sample to more accurately
determine the grinding time needed to obtain the target
particle size.
6.2.3 After processing with a Knelson machine, a sub-sample shall
be taken for screen analysis determination, to determine the
actual particle size (P80).

If the requirement is to test the gravity amenability as a

function of particle size, follow the procedure below. The
objective will be to produce a product as close as possible to
the selected screen size without over-generation of fines:
6.2.4 Split out a representative sample of 1500g
6.2.5 Dry screen the sample on the selected screen.
6.2.6 Crush the oversize further and screen again to remove
undersize generated in crushing.
6.2.7 Repeat the procedure until all of the 1.5kg of sample reports
as undersize.
6.2.8 Rotary split the 1000g necessary to perform the GAT test at
this size.
6.2.9 Likewise prepare samples at the different sizes requested. If
no guidance on size is available, use sizes 1000, 500, 250,
106, and 75 micron. The four-pass GAT will be performed
upon each of these to generate the recovery vs size
relationship.

6.3 Sample Processing

6.3.1 Weigh the sample and record the feed weight, if ground, dry
the tailings to determine mass. If sample is in slurry form,
dry tailings afterwards and add all of the weights together to
obtain a feed weight for mass balances. Using the PSA Low
Yield Cone, perform the following:
6.3.1.1 MD3 Processing:

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Revision 3
DRAFT
Updated: Feb 2, 2009 Written By: Toni-Lynn Card
6.3.1.2 Ensure MD3 (including feed funnel, launders, water
jacket, concentrating cone, and tailings line) is clean.
No material should be present on any interior or
exterior surfaces.
6.3.1.3 Replace the standard MD3 cone with the PSA Low
Yield cone.
6.3.1.4 Set up machine according to the Owner’s Manual.
6.3.1.5 Set machine parameters to standard settings; rotation
to correspond to a force of 60G’s and 3.0 litres/min
fluidization water, or other as required by the test
program. Note this low flowrate is necessary to
minimize the amount of concentrates blown out of the
shallow rings when processing fine samples. Fines will
always produce less mass than coarse, but this is
useful information since it is a part of gravity
amenability anyway.
6.3.1.6 Slowly feed sample into feed funnel, feed rate should
be ~500-800g/min of solids.
6.3.1.7 Turn off the motor (switch) and fluidization water (ball
valve) simultaneously once sample is completely
processed.
6.3.1.8 Allow rotor housing to come to a complete stop.
6.3.1.9 Remove feed funnel. Wash any material on underside
of feed funnel into tailings.
6.3.1.10 Remove cone locking ring (recall left-hand thread).
Any sample on cone locking ring should be washed
into concentrate cone.
6.3.1.11 Remove concentrate cone and carefully rinse
concentrate into a pan using the cone washing wand.
6.3.1.12 Place empty container under drain valve at the bottom
of the rotary housing.
6.3.1.13 Open drain valve at the bottom of the rotary housing
and allow water jacket to empty.
6.3.1.14 If material is present in the concentrate launder, rinse
material into the empty container.
6.3.1.15 Clean water jacket with fresh water.
6.3.1.16 Open fluidization water valve for 2 seconds then close
valve. This ensures any solids that may have entered
the water jacket are removed from the system.
6.3.1.17 Allow water jacket to completely drain and close drain
valve at the bottom of the rotary housing.
6.3.1.18 Combine the material collected from the drain valve
with concentrate into the gold pan.
6.3.1.19 Thoroughly wash out MD3 launder and tailings line into
tailings bucket.

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Revision 3
DRAFT
Updated: Feb 2, 2009 Written By: Toni-Lynn Card
6.3.2 Using a gold pan, pan the Low Yield concentrate into pan
con and pan tails. Pan con should be about 5g, the
remaining material in pan tails. Ensure to label each
concentrate stage differently. Dry each product separately
in pans.
6.3.3 Weigh conc and assay as required. If requiring gold
analysis, the concentrates must be assayed to extinction,
only the Pt, Pd, Ag and Rh can also be analyzed. If
requesting other elements, the material does not have to be
analyzed to extinction.
6.3.4 Repeat steps 6.3.2 to 6.3.20 until the total number of passes
are performed (as per test program).
6.3.5 Sub-sample gravity tails during last processing stage. This is
to be performed for each processing stage. The tails are cut
at consistent intervals until all of the feed has been
processed and should be 150-300g.
6.3.6 Filter and dry and weigh the tailings sample. Split out 50-
100g for a sub-sample. The remaining can be used for
screen fractional analysis or particle size determination. For
more detailed instructions, please refer to SOP 005: Screen
Analysis.

6.4 Additional Information

6.4.1 The GAT test without panning would be performed if there
was a serious cost constraint on assay, or the mineral
system was pure binary, i.e. target and gangue and no
higher grade species was expected. For example,
homogeneous liberated chromite in silicate gangue.
6.4.2 When processing a complex ore with precious metals, the
panning procedure should be performed. If more definition
is required on the precious metal content, a separate GRG
test upon a larger sample can be performed in addition to
the GAT test.
6.4.3 At KC Africa, XRF can be used to assay the panned
products which can be assayed non destructively for base
metals first, then submit the same samples for precious
metals analysis by fire assay. If this cannot be performed,
the sample must be split so a duplicate sample is produced:
one GAT sample going for base metals assay and the other
for precious metals. Alternatively, the procedure can be
repeated to generate samples for the different assay
requirements.
6.4.4 Likewise you could also do a size by size analysis of the con
instead of a panning if the precious metals were sufficiently

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Revision 3
DRAFT
Updated: Feb 2, 2009 Written By: Toni-Lynn Card
high in grade to see definition on the upgrade ratio from just
1kg to the approximately 25 grams of concentrate.
6.4.5 If samples are required for downstream processing, for
example cyanidation upon concentrates, the GAT procedure
should be repeated to generate these. Samples may be
combined for passes 1 to 4 to generate enough.

6.5 References
6.5.1 General Operating Guidelines and Basic Laboratory Test
Procedures for a KC-MD3 Knelson Concentrator. Rev.
October’99.

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