BENEFICIATION STUDY OF SKARN AND OXIDE PRIMARY TIN ORE FROM BATUBESI BELITUNG USING MAGNETIC SEPARATOR

• Main Author: Gilbert Turnip, Paulinus
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/72219
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The mining and processing of secondary tin ore by PT Timah Tbk. has been going on for more than half a century, resulting in depleted secondary tin ore reserves. The utilization of primary tin deposits needs to be carried out by PT Timah Tbk. to maintain the sustainability of tin metal production. One of the areas where there are primary tin deposits is the Batubesi area, Damar District, East Belitung Regency with iron-bearing minerals as the main mineral. To separate iron-bearing minerals, a magnetic separation process can be carried out, so it is necessary to conduct magnetic sepration studies to see the response of tin levels and recovery. The experiment was begun with the initial characterization of primary tin ore using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray Fluorescene (XRF) to find out the initial mineral composition of the ore. After that, the magnetic separation of primary tin ore was done using an Lift-type Induced Roll Magnetic Separator with variation of P80 feed size were 38, 75, 105, and 150 micron, the intensity of the magnet were 500, 2000, 3500, and 5000 Gauss, and roll speed were 60, 90, 120, and 150 rotation per minute (RPM). After obtaining the optimum variable, a multi-stage magnetic separation consisting of cleaning and scavanging stages was carried out. All product of the magentic separation were analyzed using XRF-Benchtop for seeing the tin’s assay in each product. The initial tin content in primary skarn and oxide tin ore is 0.79% and 0.29%, while the initial iron content in primary skarn and oxide tin ore is 29.02% and 34.36%, respectively. In the non-magnetic product from magnetic separation of skarn and oxide primary tin ore, the tin content tends to increase, and the tin recovery tends to decrease as the magnetic intensity increases. The tin content and recovery also tend to decrease as the feed size increases, and as the roll speed increases. In the magnetic product from magnetic separation of skarn and oxide primary tin ore, the iron content tends to increase, and the iron recovery tends to decrease as the magnetic intensity decreases. The iron content tends to increase, while the percentage of iron recovery tends to decrease as the feed size increases. However, the iron recovery tends to increase, while the iron content tends to decrease with increasing roll speed. The final results obtained in this study are 0.37% tin and 82.37% recovery in the non-magnetic product of oxide ore, and 39.97% iron and 27.63% recovery in the magnetic product of oxide ore. As for the skarn ore, the final results are 0.77% tin and 66.69% recovery in the non-magnetic product, and 58.52% iron and 53.55% recovery in the magnetic product.