Separating mined material

Abstract

A method of separating a mined material that comprises assessing the grade of successive segments of the mined material, and separating each segment on the basis of grade into a category that is at or above a grade threshold or a category that is below the grade threshold. An apparatus is also disclosed.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of separating a mined material comprising:
 (a) assessing the a grade of successive segments of the mined material, wherein each segment is at least 5 tonnes, and 
 (b) separating each segment on the basis of the grade into a category that is at or above a first grade threshold or a category that is below the first grade threshold; 
 (c) separating particles from at least one segment that is above the first grade threshold and producing upgraded material that is above a second grade threshold. 
 
     
     
       2. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the separating in step (c) is dry sorting. 
     
     
       3. A method of separating a mined material comprising:
 (a) assessing the a grade of successive segments of the mined material, wherein each segment is at least 5 tonnes, 
 (b) separating each segment on the basis of grade into a category that is at or above a first grade threshold or a category that is below the first grade threshold, and 
 (c) processing segments that are below the first grade threshold by processing steps other than dry sorting on a particle basis and producing upgraded material. 
 
     
     
       4. The method defined in  claim 2  wherein separating step (c) further comprises dry sorting particles from at least one segment that is below the first grade threshold and producing upgraded material that is above a second grade threshold. 
     
     
       5. The method defined in  claim 2  wherein separating step (c) comprises dry sorting particles from at least one segment that is above the first grade threshold and separately dry sorting particles from at least one segment that is below the first grade threshold and, in each case, producing upgraded material that is above the second grade threshold. 
     
     
       6. The method defined in  claim 5  wherein the first threshold grade threshold is a grade that meets a customer specification in terms of grade. 
     
     
       7. The method defined in  claim 6  wherein the second grade threshold is higher than the first grade threshold. 
     
     
       8. The method defined in  claim 6  wherein the first and the second grade thresholds are the samegrade. 
     
     
       9. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein assessing the grade assessment of in step (a) is a direct assessment of grade. 
     
     
       10. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein assessing the grade assessment of in step (a) is an indirect grade assessment based on detected information that provides an indication of grade. 
     
     
       11. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein assessing the grade assessment in step (a) comprises assessing the grade of successive segments of the mined material as the mined material is transported along a pathway. 
     
     
       12. The method defined in  claim 11  that comprises transporting the mined material along the pathway on a conveyor belt or other suitable presentation system to facilitate assessment assessing the grade in step (a). 
     
     
       13. The method defined in  claim 12  that comprises transferring the mined material onto the conveyor belt and forming a bed of material on the conveyor belt. 
     
     
       14. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the comprises determining a size of the segments of the mined material is determined on the basis of the a mass of the segments. 
     
     
       15. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein, in the case of iron ore, the a size of the segments is at least 20 tonnes. 
     
     
       16. A method of separating a mined material comprising:
 (a) assessing the a grade of successive segments of the mined material, wherein each segment is at least 5 tonnes, and 
 (b) separating each segment on the basis of the grade into a category that is at or above a first grade threshold or a category that is below the first grade threshold; 
 wherein the a size of the segments of the mined material is determined on the basis of the an amount of mined material that passes an assessment point on the a pathway in a given time period. 
 
     
     
       17. The method defined in  claim 16  wherein, in the case of iron ore, the given time period is 30 seconds. 
     
     
       18. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the a size of the segments of the mined material is determined on the basis of the a load capacity of an excavator that loads mined ore into trucks after a drilling and blasting operation in a pit. 
     
     
       19. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein separation separating step (b) separates each segment on the a basis of grade into three or more categories. 
     
     
       20. The method defined in  claim 19  wherein separation separating step (b) separates the segments into three categories of “high grade” high grade material, “waste” waste material and “mixed grade” mixed grade material, where the high grade material and the mixed grade material are above the first grade threshold (on on a mass average basis for the segments) segments and the waste material is below the first grade threshold. 
     
     
       21. The method defined in  claim 20  wherein the mixed grade material is a mixture of both high grade material and low grade material. 
     
     
       22. The method defined in  claim 21  wherein the mixed grade material comprises 25-75% by weight high grade material. 
     
     
       23. The method defined in  claim 1  wherein separation separating step (b) is a dry sorting step. 
     
     
       24. An apparatus for separating a mined material that comprises:
 (a) a grade assessment system for assessing the a grade of successive segments of the mined material, wherein each segment is at least 5 tonnes, 
 (b) a separation system for separating each segment on the basis of the grade into a category that is at or above a first grade threshold or a category that is below the first grade threshold, and 
 (c) a separator separation system for separating particles from at least one segment that is above the first grade threshold and producing upgraded material. 
 
     
     
       25. The apparatus defined in  claim 24  wherein the separator separation system (c) is a dry sorter. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus defined in  claim 25  wherein the dry sorter is capable of producing upgraded material that is above a second grade threshold. 
     
     
       27. A method of mining that comprises
 (a) mining ore, and 
 (b) separating segments of the mined ore in accordance with the method defined in  claim 1 . 
 
     
     
       28. The method defined in  claim 27  that comprises dry sorting separated segments of the mined ore. 
     
     
       29. The method defined in  claim 27  that comprises one or more downstream processing steps to process the processing separated material or the dry sorted material segments in one or more downstream processing steps to produce a product that meets a customer specification in terms of grade and other characteristics, such as particle size. 
     
     
       30. The method defined in  claim 3  where in the processing steps other than dry sorting on a particle basis include wet concentration steps. 
     
     
       31. A method of separating a mined material in a form of copper-containing ore comprising:
 (a) assessing a copper grade of successive segments of the mined material as the mined material is transported along a pathway, wherein each segment is at least 5 tonnes,   (b) separating each segment on the basis of copper grade into a category that is at or above a first grade threshold or a category that is below the first grade threshold, and   (c) processing segments that are below the first grade threshold in a wet processing plant and producing upgraded material.    
     
     
       32. The method defined in  claim 31  wherein assessing the grade in step (a) is a direct assessment of copper grade.  
     
     
       33. The method defined in  claim 31  wherein assessing the grade in step (a) is an indirect assessment of copper grade.  
     
     
       34. The method defined in  claim 31  further comprises reducing a size of the mined material in a size reduction step before assessing the grade in step (a).  
     
     
       35. The method defined in  claim 31  where the processing step (c) includes wet concentration steps.  
     
     
       36. An apparatus for separating a mined material in the form of copper-containing ore that comprises:
 (a) a grade assessment system for assessing a copper grade of successive segments of the mined material as the copper-containing ore is transported along a pathway, wherein each segment is at least 5 tonnes,   (b) a separation system for separating each segment on the basis of copper grade into a category that is at or above a first grade threshold or a category that is below the first grade threshold, and   (c) a separation system for separating particles from at least one segment that is above the first grade threshold and producing upgraded material.    
     
     
       37. The apparatus defined in  claim 36  further comprising a crusher for crushing copper-containing ore before the ore is transferred to the grade assessment system (a).  
     
     
       38. The apparatus defined in  claim 36  comprises a splitter system for splitting segments that are at or above the first grade threshold into one chute and segments that are below the first grade threshold into another chute.  
     
     
       39. A method of mining that comprises
 (a) mining ore,   (b) reducing a size of mined ore in a crushing step and producing a crushed ore;   (c) assessing a grade of successive segments of the crushed ore by direct assessment of the grade as the crushed ore is transported along a pathway, wherein each segment is at least 5 tonnes, and   (d) separating each segment of the crushed ore on the basis of grade of the segment into a category that is at or above a first grade threshold or a category that is below the first grade threshold; and   (e) separating particles from at least one separated segment that is above the first grade threshold and producing upgraded material that is above a second grade threshold in a downstream processing plant.    
     
     
       40. The method defined in  claim 39  wherein separating step (d) includes dry sorting the segment.  
     
     
       41. The method defined in  claim 39  wherein separating step (e) comprises processing particles from at least one separated segment by wet processing in a wet processing plant.  
     
     
       42. The method defined in  claim 39  wherein separating step (e) comprises processing particles from at least one separated segment by dry sorting particles.  
     
     
       43. The method defined in  claim 39  further comprises processing at least one separated segment that is below the first grade threshold by processing steps other than dry sorting on a particle basis and producing upgraded material that is above a second grade threshold.  
     
     
       44. The method defined in  claim 39  further comprises dry sorting particles from at least one separated segment that is below the first grade threshold and producing upgraded material that is above a second grade threshold.  
     
     
       45. The method defined in  claim 39  wherein separating step (e) comprises dry sorting particles from at least one separated segment that is above the first grade threshold and separately dry sorting particles from at least one segment that is below the first grade threshold and, in each case, producing upgraded material that is above a second grade threshold.  
     
     
       46. The method defined in  claim 39  wherein the mined ore is iron ore.  
     
     
       47. The method defined in  claim 46  wherein the iron ore is low grade iron ore.  
     
     
       48. The method defined in  claim 47  wherein the low grade iron ore is a mixture of high grade and waste iron ore.  
     
     
       49. The method defined in  claim 39  wherein assessing the grade in step (c) comprises transporting the crushed ore along the pathway as a bed of material on a conveyor belt.  
     
     
       50. The method defined in  claim 49  wherein assessing the grade in step (c) comprises assessing the grade of successive segments of the crushed ore by analyzing the entire bed depth.  
     
     
       51. The method defined in  claim 39  wherein grade assessment step (c) comprises assessing the grade of successive segments of the crushed ore by Prompt Gamma Neutron Analysis (PGNA).  
     
     
       52. The method defined in  claim 39  wherein size reducing step (b) is a primary crushing step producing the crushed ore having a primary crushed ore particle size.  
     
     
       53. The method defined in  claim 39  comprising stockpiling mined ore before size reducing step (b).  
     
     
       54. A method of separating a mined ore comprising:
 (a) reducing a size of mined ore in a crushing step and producing a crushed ore;   (b) assessing a grade of successive segments of the crushed ore by direct assessment of the grade as the crushed ore is transported along a pathway, wherein each segment is at least 5 tonnes,   (c) separating each segment of the crushed ore on the basis of grade of the segment into a category that is at or above a first grade threshold or a category that is below the first grade threshold; and   (d) separating particles from at least one separated segment that is above the first grade threshold and producing upgraded material that is above a second grade threshold in a downstream processing plant.    
     
     
       55. The method defined in  claim 54  wherein separating step (c) includes dry sorting the segment.  
     
     
       56. The method defined in  claim 54  wherein separating step (d) comprises processing particles from at least one separated segment by wet processing particles in a wet processing plant.  
     
     
       57. The method defined in  claim 54  wherein separating step (d) comprises processing particles from at least one separated segment by dry sorting particles.  
     
     
       58. The method defined in  claim 54  wherein separating step (d) comprises dry sorting particles from at least one separated segment that is above the first grade threshold and producing upgraded material that is above a second grade threshold.  
     
     
       59. The method defined in  claim 54  further comprises processing at least one separated segment that is below the first grade threshold by processing steps other than dry sorting on a particle basis and producing upgraded material that is above a second grade threshold. 
     
     
       60. The method defined in  claim 54  further comprises dry sorting particles from at least one separated segment that is below the first grade threshold and producing upgraded material that is above a second grade threshold.  
     
     
       61. The method defined in  claim 54  wherein the mined ore is iron ore.  
     
     
       62. The method defined in  claim 61  wherein the iron ore is low grade iron ore.  
     
     
       63. The method defined in  claim 62  wherein the low grade iron ore is a mixture of high grade and waste iron ore.  
     
     
       64. The method defined in  claim 54  wherein assessing the grade in step (b) comprises transporting the crushed ore along the pathway as a bed of material on a conveyor belt.  
     
     
       65. The method defined in  claim 64  wherein assessing the grade in step (b) comprises assessing the grade of successive segments of the crushed ore by analyzing the entire bed depth.  
     
     
       66. The method defined in  claim 54  wherein assessing the grade in step (b) comprises assessing the grade of successive segments of the crushed ore by Prompt Gamma Neutron Analysis (PGNA).  
     
     
       67. The method defined in  claim 54  wherein size reducing step (a) is a primary crushing step producing a crushed ore having a primary crushed ore particle size.  
     
     
       68. The method defined in  claim 54  comprising transferring mined ore from a stockpile to size reducing step (a).  
     
     
       69. An apparatus for separating a mined ore that comprises:
 (a) a crusher for crushing mined ore to crushed ore;   (b) a grade assessment system for assessing a grade of successive segments of the crushed ore by direct assessment as the crushed ore is moved along a pathway, wherein each segment is at least 5 tonnes,   (c) a separation system for separating each segment of the crushed ore on the basis of grade into a category that is at or above a first grade threshold or a category that is below the first grade threshold, and   (d) a separation system for separating particles from at least one segment that is above the first grade threshold and producing upgraded material.    
     
     
       70. The apparatus defined in  claim 69  wherein the separation system for separating particles is a dry sorter.  
     
     
       71. The apparatus defined in  claim 69  wherein the separation system for separating particles is a wet processing plant.  
     
     
       72. The apparatus defined in  claim 69  wherein the crusher includes a primary crusher for crushing mined ore to a primary crushed ore particle size.  
     
     
       73. The apparatus defined in  claim 69  includes a splitter system for splitting segments that are at or above the first grade threshold into one chute and segments that are below the first grade threshold into another chute.