Tantalum Niobium Ore Mining Process

Tantalum and niobium ore mining and processing equipment are generally divided into roughing and concentrate equipment. The roughing process often involves washing and gravity separation, which helps enrich the ore by discarding waste rock. Once the ore is prepared, various separation methods such as magnetic separation, flotation, and electric separation can be used.

The specific mining process for tantalum and niobium ore will depend on the composition and nature of the ore.

Ore washing: Tantalum and niobium ore with a high mud content and viscosity requires washing. A large cylindrical washing machine, known as a rotary scrubber, is commonly used for washing and desliming the ore.

Crushing & Grinding: The mined ore is crushed by a hammer crusher to achieve a suitable fineness and then ground in a ball mill. This process prepares the ore for subsequent operations.

Gravity separation: Gravity separation is used to separate valuable minerals like niobite, cassiterite, zircon sand, ilmenite, and tantalite from waste rock. The low-grade ore with high monomer dissociation degree and significant specific gravity difference can be effectively processed using techniques such as jig separators and shaking tables.

Magnetic separation: Magnetic separation exploits the different magnetic susceptibility coefficients of minerals. When the washed and classified tantalum-niobium ore mixture passes through a magnetic separator, magnetic and non-magnetic substances are mechanically and magnetically separated.

It is important to customize the mining and processing equipment based on the specific characteristics of the tantalum and niobium ore being processed.

Tantalum Niobium Ore Processing Plant

This 200TPH tantalum niobium tin processing plant consists of the following equipment:

• 2 sets of vibrating feeders
• 1 set of trommel screens
• 1 set of vibrating screens
• 8 sets of jig separators
• 8 sets of shaking tables
• 1 set of primary jaw crusher
• 1 set of secondary fine jaw crusher
• 2 sets of third hammer crusher
• 4 sets of slurry pump
• 1 set of three discs magnetic separator
• 4 sets of belt conveyors

The flow of operations and how these equipment are used in the processing plant depend on the specific requirements and characteristics of the tantalum, niobium, and tin ore being processed.

1. Feeding:
   The raw material is loaded into the first vibrating feeder equipped with a 70mm mesh screen. Any material larger than 70mm is transported via the first conveyor and sent to the transfer bin.
2. Screening:
   The 0-70mm materials undergo screening using trommel screens with 8mm and 15mm screens for washing and separation. The material within the 0-8mm range is further separated using a vibrating screen with a 2mm sieve. The 8-15mm material is processed in two separate jig separators. Additionally, the 15-70mm material is directed to the transfer silo.
3. Gravity separation:
   After the initial screening, the 0-2mm material is sent to two jigs, each of which is equipped with two shaking tables for further separation. The 2-8mm material is processed in two separate jig separators. The resulting concentrates from both stages (2-8mm and 8-15mm) are then sent directly to the drying field.
4. Crushing & Drying:
   The material stored in the transfer bin is fed into the primary jaw crusher via a second vibrating feeder located underneath the bin. The primary jaw crusher output is then sent for secondary crushing, reducing the particle size to 0-20mm. The secondary crushed material is further processed in a hammer crusher. The 0-2mm fraction is stored in a water-filled pool and subsequently pumped to the remaining two jigs, which are equipped with two vibrating tables for additional separation. All the concentrates obtained from the shaking tables are transferred to the drying field for drying, either through exposure to sunlight or using a rotary dryer.
5. Magnetic separation:
   The dried 0-2mm concentrate undergoes separation using a three-disc magnetic separator. This process effectively separates magnetite, ilmenite or hematite, tantalum-niobium concentrate, and non-magnetic materials.

As a provider with over 35 years of mineral processing experience, we specialize in offering custom complete solutions for tantalum and niobium ore processing plants. Our approach involves adopting beneficiation methods and equipment that ensure good selectivity and provide maximum economic benefits, tailored to meet the specific needs of our customers.