- Email: [email protected]
Golden nuggets
Proceedings of the XXI InternationalMineralProcessingCongress
GOLDEN NUGGETS
Mystery and sacredness surround the origins of those activities that are grouped under the name of Mineral Processing. In all cultures, mineral products, just as vegetable products, are considered living parts of the earth. The original act of picking a piece fruit, putting out fire or exploiting mineral from the earth, which was considered sacrilegious, was punished by exile, slavery and segregation, as happened to Adam, Prometheus and Hephaistos according to Mediterranean mythology. The defying gesture of man confronting the sacredness of nature, while condemning him to suffer in order to obtain its fruit, at the same time emancipates him and makes him protagonist of his destiny; it makes him an artifice of a new world, built according to the limits of man himself. Homo faber thus becomes capable of taking the place of the generative force of the earth, favoring the processes of growth and accelerating the generative action to the point of transformation of matter and energy into materials. The alchemist crowns this acceleration by researching the final transformation of all raw materials into the incorruptible gold. A set of roles and codes of professional behavior emerge from this experience, which culminate in the De La Pirotechnia by Biringuccio and in the De Re Metallica by Agricola, whose purpose is not simply that of passing on the production processes and the transformation of raw materials, but that rather more ambitious task of revealing the means of recognizing the harmony in the rules inherent in the management of the natural resources. By exceeding empirical rules handed down by the masters of Art, Science and Technology are developed at the University, the headquarters in which the alchemic experiment matures, and adopt physical and mathematical models of processes that are the very foundation of modem Mineral Processing. Tradition, Science, and Technology outline a long course through the history of man, with myths and mysteries, secrets, know-how's, scientific discoveries and technical applications. The history of Mineral Processing describes a course back to an origin rich in symbolism, followed by strong consolidated experiments, and, finally, suitable of refined rational analysis and efficient synthesis of models. The XXI IMPC, following the tradition initiated in 1952, traces a trip through the development of scientific knowledge and the most recent industrial applications, in order to compare know how's of scientists and technicians with the perspectives for the research and for the industrial activity in the sector of Mineral Processing, which now also definitely include topics of waste treatment, recycling and soil remediation. This series of Golden Nuggets volumes, after an accurate process of cleaning, recleaning, and polishing, includes 270 texts selected after a preliminary call for papers (with a response of 650 abstracts), which were then refined after review. All manuscripts were first reviewed in a draft form by a 40 reviewers. In spite of the fact that rules of compilation were pre-established, the reworked, final versions have
VI
Proceedings of the XXI International Mineral Processing Congress
been formatted in such a way as to guarantee a uniform look for the proceedings. The editor took the liberty of introducing essential layout changes, as well as correcting grammar, spelling and style when this was most needed and requested by reviewers. The works collected in the first two volumes (A and B), which focus mainly on the presentation of scientific and technological innovations, are designed to be presented in the oral sessions of the XXI International Mineral Processing Congress. The works collected in the last volume (C), which are focused mainly on the presentation of new advanced applications, are designed for presentation in the posters sessions of the same Congress. All of the people involved in the editing process need to be thanked: the authors, the reviewers, the members of the scientific and editorial committee, and the members of the production staff, with special thanks to the scientific secretary, who assured continuous contact between authors and editor. To all people, incoming in Rome attending the XXI IMPC: felicifaustoque ingressui. Rome, March 20th 2000 Paolo Massacci Chairman of the XXI IMPC Organizing Scientific and Editorial committee
PATRONAGE The XXI Intemational Mineral Processing Congress takes place under the high patronage of the President of the Italian Republic and under the patronage of the Minister for University, Technical and Scientific Research. SPONSORSHIP
The XXI Intemational Mineral Processing Congress is held on invitation of: Universit/t di Roma "La Sapienza", Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (National Research Center), Ordine degli Ingegneri di Roma (Italian Engineering Association), Provincia di Roma, Comune di Catanzaro and Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per l'ingegneria delle Georisorse (Italian Interuniversity Society for Georesources Engineering among the Universities of Bologna, Cagliari, Roma "La Sapienza" and Trieste). MEMORIAL While the activities for preparation of the XXI IMPC were in progress, Prof. Gianfranco Ferrara, an authoritative exponent of the International Steering Committee and the National Organizing Committee of the Congress, passed away. His suggestions remain with us as a precious guide for completion of this edition.
GOLDEN NUGGETS
Mystery and sacredness surround the origins of those activities that are grouped under the name of Mineral Processing. In all cultures, mineral products, just as vegetable products, are considered living parts of the earth. The original act of picking a piece fruit, putting out fire or exploiting mineral from the earth, which was considered sacrilegious, was punished by exile, slavery and segregation, as happened to Adam, Prometheus and Hephaistos according to Mediterranean mythology. The defying gesture of man confronting the sacredness of nature, while condemning him to suffer in order to obtain its fruit, at the same time emancipates him and makes him protagonist of his destiny; it makes him an artifice of a new world, built according to the limits of man himself. Homo faber thus becomes capable of taking the place of the generative force of the earth, favoring the processes of growth and accelerating the generative action to the point of transformation of matter and energy into materials. The alchemist crowns this acceleration by researching the final transformation of all raw materials into the incorruptible gold. A set of roles and codes of professional behavior emerge from this experience, which culminate in the De La Pirotechnia by Biringuccio and in the De Re Metallica by Agricola, whose purpose is not simply that of passing on the production processes and the transformation of raw materials, but that rather more ambitious task of revealing the means of recognizing the harmony in the rules inherent in the management of the natural resources. By exceeding empirical rules handed down by the masters of Art, Science and Technology are developed at the University, the headquarters in which the alchemic experiment matures, and adopt physical and mathematical models of processes that are the very foundation of modem Mineral Processing. Tradition, Science, and Technology outline a long course through the history of man, with myths and mysteries, secrets, know-how's, scientific discoveries and technical applications. The history of Mineral Processing describes a course back to an origin rich in symbolism, followed by strong consolidated experiments, and, finally, suitable of refined rational analysis and efficient synthesis of models. The XXI IMPC, following the tradition initiated in 1952, traces a trip through the development of scientific knowledge and the most recent industrial applications, in order to compare know how's of scientists and technicians with the perspectives for the research and for the industrial activity in the sector of Mineral Processing, which now also definitely include topics of waste treatment, recycling and soil remediation. This series of Golden Nuggets volumes, after an accurate process of cleaning, recleaning, and polishing, includes 270 texts selected after a preliminary call for papers (with a response of 650 abstracts), which were then refined after review. All manuscripts were first reviewed in a draft form by a 40 reviewers. In spite of the fact that rules of compilation were pre-established, the reworked, final versions have
VI
Proceedings of the XXI International Mineral Processing Congress
been formatted in such a way as to guarantee a uniform look for the proceedings. The editor took the liberty of introducing essential layout changes, as well as correcting grammar, spelling and style when this was most needed and requested by reviewers. The works collected in the first two volumes (A and B), which focus mainly on the presentation of scientific and technological innovations, are designed to be presented in the oral sessions of the XXI International Mineral Processing Congress. The works collected in the last volume (C), which are focused mainly on the presentation of new advanced applications, are designed for presentation in the posters sessions of the same Congress. All of the people involved in the editing process need to be thanked: the authors, the reviewers, the members of the scientific and editorial committee, and the members of the production staff, with special thanks to the scientific secretary, who assured continuous contact between authors and editor. To all people, incoming in Rome attending the XXI IMPC: felicifaustoque ingressui. Rome, March 20th 2000 Paolo Massacci Chairman of the XXI IMPC Organizing Scientific and Editorial committee
PATRONAGE The XXI Intemational Mineral Processing Congress takes place under the high patronage of the President of the Italian Republic and under the patronage of the Minister for University, Technical and Scientific Research. SPONSORSHIP
The XXI Intemational Mineral Processing Congress is held on invitation of: Universit/t di Roma "La Sapienza", Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (National Research Center), Ordine degli Ingegneri di Roma (Italian Engineering Association), Provincia di Roma, Comune di Catanzaro and Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per l'ingegneria delle Georisorse (Italian Interuniversity Society for Georesources Engineering among the Universities of Bologna, Cagliari, Roma "La Sapienza" and Trieste). MEMORIAL While the activities for preparation of the XXI IMPC were in progress, Prof. Gianfranco Ferrara, an authoritative exponent of the International Steering Committee and the National Organizing Committee of the Congress, passed away. His suggestions remain with us as a precious guide for completion of this edition.