DefinePK

Abstract

Silica in the form of clay agglomerated on the bauxite surface causes lot of complications in the Bayer process of alumina production. Its concentration is normally reduced in the beneficiation stage by the processing (washing) of ore followed by classification. The process may be characterized by the estimation of particle size distribution (PSD) of the washed products. Various size fractions of run-of-mine bauxite were washed in laboratory at different time intervals. The washed bauxite ore was analyzed by wet sieving. The results were plotted in the form of cumulative PSD curves. The parameters for the empirical or Gates–Gaudin–Schuhmann, (GGS) distribution functions were found as the functions of washing time of bauxite inside the drum and a general form of the GGS model was obtained to estimate the PSD of the washed product.