FF-ROUTE - The development of a froth flotation route to pre -concentrate Ilesha -Itagunmodi (Nigeria) gold ore

2^nd International Conference and Exhibition on Materials Science & Engineering

October 07-09, 2013 Hampton Inn Tropicana, Las Vegas, NV, USA

Kayode Emmanuel Oluwabunmi

Accepted Abstracts: J Material Sci

Abstract :

The study determined the liberation size of Ilesha - Itagunmodi gold ore. It also carried out the chemical and microstructural characterization of the ore, and derived a froth flotation process route to upgrade the ore. This was with a view to providing information on the appropriate combination of process variables for the beneficiation of gold from the ore. The ore samples were collected from open pits in Itagunmodi at Ilesha, southwestern part of Nigeria. The samples were panned to give a substantial quantity of black sand residues containing the gold ore. The residues obtained from the panning process were ground using a ball mill and subjected to sieve analysis. Atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) was employed to determine the liberation size of gold from each fraction obtained from the sieve analysis. Microscopical and chemical characterization were also carried out using X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, 2 4 factorial experimental design with 3 replicates each was used to derive a froth flotation process route to upgrade the ore. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and 3D surface graphs were generated using the Design Expert 8.0.3 software by Stat-Ease Inc., of Maryland, USA. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) indicated that the concentration of gold value in the collected samples was about 0.0024%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the presence of gold in form of Au 2 O 3 . The AAS results showed that the liberation size of gold range from 75 to 150 μm. The 2 4 factorial experimental design results showed that an average gold concentration of about 82.90 ppm was obtained after flotation compared to 44.30 ppm before flotation. This translated to about 87.13 % increase in recovery of gold from the ore. The study has established a process route for the pre-concentration of Ilesha-Itagunmodi gold deposits for subsequent recovery of the gold value.

Biography :

Kayode Emmanuel Oluwabunmi has completed his M.Sc. at the age of 28 from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Nigeria. He is a research and development officer with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI-PEDI) an agency under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in Nigeria, a scholar and passionate researcher in the field of metallurgy and mineral processing. He has about 5 papers to his credit. He has once served as an editorial board member and business manager of a reputable magazine.