Arthur Delaporte - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Arthur Delaporte
Mines et Carrières, 2017
La complexification des gisements de ressources naturelles, et les procédés de traitement des min... more La complexification des gisements de ressources naturelles, et les procédés de traitement des minerais, contraint à trouver de nouvelles solutions de purification des éléments de valeur. Une analyse détaillée au Qemscan permet en amont, dès le plan minier, les calculs de rendement d'une exploitation et leur variation. Ces principes de géométallurgie sont aussi appliqués par l'industrie minérale, sur des opérations plus en aval de la mine
IMPC, 2018
Fe-Ti oxides concentrates produced from heavy mineral sand deposits are widely used for the produ... more Fe-Ti oxides concentrates produced from heavy mineral sand deposits are widely used for the production of titanium dioxide pigments that are critical components of white paint, plastics and paper. According to mining industry, the Fe-Ti concentrates mostly consists of three phases: ilmenite, leucoxene and rutile. However, a few mineralogical studies have shown that the variety of Fe-Ti oxides found in sand deposits is far more complex, mostly due to alteration processes. The aim of this contribution is to characterize in detail by means of Qemscan analyses the mineralogy of the three main concentrates (ilmenite, leucoxene and rutile) produced by the Grande Côte Operation (GCO) mineralurgical plant in Senegal. The ultimate goal is to characterize the different products and textures formed during the natural ilmenite alteration processes, to localize the phases carrying the main impurities (Cr and P), and finally to determine the physical properties of each mineral component to improve metal recoveries. Along alteration processes, Ti content increase. Ilmenite (FeTiO 3) is progressively transformed into pseudorutile (Fe 2 Ti 3 O 9) particles which could also be altered and transformed into hydroxylian pseudorutile [FeTi 6 O 12 (OH) 3 .3H 2 O] or complex blends of anatase microcrystals (TiO 2). These transformations are accompanied by significant changes in particle textures. Microporosity and fractures appear and the impurity content also increases. Anatase rich microcrystal assemblages, so far described as Leucoxene, could be identified to consist of grains with higher porosities, water contents and higher intrapore impurities. These particles are the main carriers of chromium and phosphorus. The observed mineral transition textures have a significant impact on the ore dressing processes. During these transformations, the physical properties of these phases change, the magnetic susceptibility as well as densities decreases, due to the increase in porosity. The separation of particles, especially those with high porosity will help improving the GCO mineralurgical plant performance and to reduce the impurity contents in finals products.
Conference Presentations by Arthur Delaporte
Ressources for Future Generations, 2018
Mabounié polymetallic deposit originates from a carbonatite intrusion intensively weathered in eq... more Mabounié polymetallic deposit originates from a carbonatite intrusion intensively weathered in equatorial climate conditions. The laterite profile, covering the carbonatite complex, is composed of a 15 m high phosphated horizon at the bottom overlain by 30 m of banded and superficial horizons. The mineralogical characterization of the Mabounié deposit led to the definition of these different mineralogically homogeneous layers. In this study, the use of QEMSCAN®'s quantitative and automatic mineralogical analysis method made it possible to compare the results obtained within each drill core, and to interpolate the results vertically in order to observe the mineralogical variations from the deepest horizons of the alteration profile to the surface. Mineral phases bearing valuable elements (niobium and rare earth elements) have been identified and localized. For niobium, these are mainly niobates, goethite and ferrihydrite, with two major changes along the profile: 1) appearance of ferrocolumbite by alteration of the other niobates (pyrochlore and aeschinite), and 2) alteration of niobates inducing niobium transfer into iron hydroxides (goethite and ferrihydrite). Granulometric repartition of niobates decreases from the phosphate horizon (d50 >30 µm), to the upper level of superficial horizon (d50 = 10 µm) For the rare earth elements, hosts are primarily carbonates, followed by phosphates (apatite and monazite), crandallite, iron hydroxides and niobates. The very large number of hosts indicates an increasing complexity of the remobilization history of the rare earth elements during alteration process. Furthermore, hosting minerals are major phases, concentrate them by beneficiation is therefore hardly possible. This geometallurgical modelling study brings new concepts for the treatment of this complex orebody. Rare earth elements are in high concentration but no route of concentration by beneficiation can be easily founded; niobium can be concentrated in phosphate and banded horizons, but not in superficial one.
Mines et Carrières, 2017
La complexification des gisements de ressources naturelles, et les procédés de traitement des min... more La complexification des gisements de ressources naturelles, et les procédés de traitement des minerais, contraint à trouver de nouvelles solutions de purification des éléments de valeur. Une analyse détaillée au Qemscan permet en amont, dès le plan minier, les calculs de rendement d'une exploitation et leur variation. Ces principes de géométallurgie sont aussi appliqués par l'industrie minérale, sur des opérations plus en aval de la mine
IMPC, 2018
Fe-Ti oxides concentrates produced from heavy mineral sand deposits are widely used for the produ... more Fe-Ti oxides concentrates produced from heavy mineral sand deposits are widely used for the production of titanium dioxide pigments that are critical components of white paint, plastics and paper. According to mining industry, the Fe-Ti concentrates mostly consists of three phases: ilmenite, leucoxene and rutile. However, a few mineralogical studies have shown that the variety of Fe-Ti oxides found in sand deposits is far more complex, mostly due to alteration processes. The aim of this contribution is to characterize in detail by means of Qemscan analyses the mineralogy of the three main concentrates (ilmenite, leucoxene and rutile) produced by the Grande Côte Operation (GCO) mineralurgical plant in Senegal. The ultimate goal is to characterize the different products and textures formed during the natural ilmenite alteration processes, to localize the phases carrying the main impurities (Cr and P), and finally to determine the physical properties of each mineral component to improve metal recoveries. Along alteration processes, Ti content increase. Ilmenite (FeTiO 3) is progressively transformed into pseudorutile (Fe 2 Ti 3 O 9) particles which could also be altered and transformed into hydroxylian pseudorutile [FeTi 6 O 12 (OH) 3 .3H 2 O] or complex blends of anatase microcrystals (TiO 2). These transformations are accompanied by significant changes in particle textures. Microporosity and fractures appear and the impurity content also increases. Anatase rich microcrystal assemblages, so far described as Leucoxene, could be identified to consist of grains with higher porosities, water contents and higher intrapore impurities. These particles are the main carriers of chromium and phosphorus. The observed mineral transition textures have a significant impact on the ore dressing processes. During these transformations, the physical properties of these phases change, the magnetic susceptibility as well as densities decreases, due to the increase in porosity. The separation of particles, especially those with high porosity will help improving the GCO mineralurgical plant performance and to reduce the impurity contents in finals products.
Ressources for Future Generations, 2018
Mabounié polymetallic deposit originates from a carbonatite intrusion intensively weathered in eq... more Mabounié polymetallic deposit originates from a carbonatite intrusion intensively weathered in equatorial climate conditions. The laterite profile, covering the carbonatite complex, is composed of a 15 m high phosphated horizon at the bottom overlain by 30 m of banded and superficial horizons. The mineralogical characterization of the Mabounié deposit led to the definition of these different mineralogically homogeneous layers. In this study, the use of QEMSCAN®'s quantitative and automatic mineralogical analysis method made it possible to compare the results obtained within each drill core, and to interpolate the results vertically in order to observe the mineralogical variations from the deepest horizons of the alteration profile to the surface. Mineral phases bearing valuable elements (niobium and rare earth elements) have been identified and localized. For niobium, these are mainly niobates, goethite and ferrihydrite, with two major changes along the profile: 1) appearance of ferrocolumbite by alteration of the other niobates (pyrochlore and aeschinite), and 2) alteration of niobates inducing niobium transfer into iron hydroxides (goethite and ferrihydrite). Granulometric repartition of niobates decreases from the phosphate horizon (d50 >30 µm), to the upper level of superficial horizon (d50 = 10 µm) For the rare earth elements, hosts are primarily carbonates, followed by phosphates (apatite and monazite), crandallite, iron hydroxides and niobates. The very large number of hosts indicates an increasing complexity of the remobilization history of the rare earth elements during alteration process. Furthermore, hosting minerals are major phases, concentrate them by beneficiation is therefore hardly possible. This geometallurgical modelling study brings new concepts for the treatment of this complex orebody. Rare earth elements are in high concentration but no route of concentration by beneficiation can be easily founded; niobium can be concentrated in phosphate and banded horizons, but not in superficial one.