Laboratory and pilot-plant beneficiation of chromite ore from Bird River, Manitoba

"A mineral processing investigation to recover chromite was performed at Lakefield Research, under the guidance of CANMET personnel, on a 70 tonne ore sample from the Bird River deposit in Manitoba. In the laboratory phase a flowsheet was developed which involved grinding, gravity separation and flotation. The gravity concentrates were upgraded by magnetic separation and the flotation concentrates by gravity concentration. Pre-concentration by electronic ore sorting, magnetic separation and heavy media separation also was examined.The developed flowsheet was applied on a pilot-plant scale in the second phase of the testwork to the ore as received, and to ore pre-concentrated by electronic ore sorting and magnetic separation. Ore pre-concentrated by heavy-media separation was treated on a laboratory scale based on the pilot-plant flowsheet.Processing the are as received resulted in 77% recovery of chromite in a concentrate analyzing 30% Cr20 J; processing are pre-concentrated by electronic are sorting resulted in 64% recovery of chromite in a concentrate analyzing 30.5% Cr20J.IntroductionA five-year mineral development sub-agreement was signed between the federal government and the province of Manitoba in 1984. The purpose of the agreement was to establish a work program which would strengthen and diversify the mineral resource industry of Manitoba. Basically, the agreement covers three sectors: Sector A, geoscience; Sector B, mining and minerals technology research; and Sector C, development studies.Project selection involved input from industry, federal and provincial representatives. In the case of industrial mineral s, the selection was initiated at a meeting held at the offices of the Department of Mines and Energy, Winnipeg, Manitoba, in October 1985. One such project was the evaluation of the chromite ore deposits at Bird River, Manitoba."