Correlation Study of Hydrocyclone Numbers toward P80

Product and Hydrocyclone Classification Performance on

Polishing Mill Circuit PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara
Muhammad Abdur Rasyid1, Edy Sanwani2
Program Studi Teknik Metalurgi, Institut Teknologi Bandung
E-mail: 1m_abdur_rasyid@yahoo.com, 2esanwani@mining.itb.ac.id

Extended Abstract
PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (PT NNT) has a big role in producing copper concentrate in
Indonesia. PT NNT process copper-bearing minerals from the ore into the concentrate. The
mineral processing mainly divided into three important steps: crushing, grinding, and flotation.
In 2012, a descent in its production was recorded. The copper content in concentrate was only
77.000 ton at that time, far below than in 2011 which production reached 140.000 ton copper.
The copper grade and recovery on the concentrate also fell between 20-25% Cu in grade and
below 70% in Cu recovery. This decrease caused by an overburden removal activity, hence the
processing plant only processed stockpile ore which copper grade is low. From that experience,
PT NNT is struggling to enhance both its copper recovery and grade on the product, especially
when processing stockpile ore.
Previous study in October 2012 found that product from polishing mill-hydrocyclone open
circuit, which located in flotation circuit, was producing too fine concentrate particles. Based on
the design, the size target of the circuit product is P80 75 micron, in fact it was only 52,5 micron.
The study also figured out that the root of the problem was the hydrocyclone used in unproper
range of operating pressure. To get the optimum range of operating pressure, one of the option to
improvise the circuit in order to meet the design target parameter was by varying the number of
operating hydrocyclone.
Theoretically, addition in the number of operating hydrocyclone would result in coarser
overflow. Operating pressure will drop as the hydrocyclone opening added. Lower pressure
generates lower centrifugal force hence it will be harder for the particles to settle toward
hydrocyclone body. Consecuently, middling particles will tend to be floated by vortex to
overflow, raise the overflow P80 and size separation (d50). Besides, lower operating pressure will
also change the solid recovery of feed to underflow, as well as the water recovery.
This study focused on finding the right composition of number of hydrocyclones operated, from
1, 2, 3, and 4 openings, which gave effect toward the product size of polishing mill
hydrocyclone circuit. By changing the number of hydrocyclone openings, the pressure also
changed, and resulted in coarser product which meet or get near the design parameter. As the
trial run, the feed solid percentage was hard to be maintained flat. Its fluctuation and its impacts
to the product were also need to be recorded to be analyzed. The changing of hydrocyclone

openings was not only shifted the separation size, but also changed the ratio of feed report to
underflow and the value of water recovery in the underflow, which both led to variaton of
separation performance. Hydrocyclone performance for each condition was analyzed by the help
of Tromp curve or classification curve. Classification efficiency model by Plitt was also made to
assist the Tromp curve in determining the best number of hydrocyclone for the process.
The result of this study is that the 2 hydrocyclone openings, with 14,5 psi in avarage operating
pressure, gave P80 circuit nearest to the target with 79 micron (P80 overflow 45,7 micron). While
3 hydrocyclone openings gave P80 circuit 83,5 micron. (P80 overflow 48,1 micron). As for 1 and
4 hydrocyclone openings, P80 circuit were too high (102,9 and 102,5 micron). This can be
explained by the fact that the overflow product size also raise on each condition (55,4 and 53,7
micron). Moreover, splitting ratio of the feed to underflow (which is higher due to more
hydrocyclone openings) contributes to the coarseness of product.
The best classification performance is shown also by the 2 hydrocyclone openings. Eventhough
it gave similar steepness on its Tromp curve with 3 hydrocyclone openings, the bypass fraction
was the smallest, with 13% bypass. The Tromp curve of 1 and 4 hydrocyclone openings
condition showed the least ideal form. This can be seen from their steepless curve. In addition, a
fish-hook phenomenom appear on 4 hydrocyclone openings. Fish-hook can only be appeared
if the classification process is not good enough. The existence of hump on the Tromp curve for
every hydrocyclone openings apparently proved that there were more than one type of mineral
on the concentrate that are dominant enough, which are bornite and chalcopyrite.

Keywords: Hydrocyclone, P80, classification performance, Tromp Curve