CONCENTRATION OF A TITANIFERROUS ORE BY A HIGH-TENSION ROLL SEPARATOR: EMPIRICAL MODELLING, INSIGHT FROM BOOLEAN ALGEBRA AND OPTIMIZATION

The effect of temperature, voltage, roll speed on grade, recovery and separation efficiency for a titanium ore was experimentally investigated using a laboratory rolltype electrostatic separator. The objective was to determine the optimal conditions for achieving the highest grade, recovery and efficiency while describing in clear terms the effect of the input variables on the studied responses. A three-level Box-Behnken factorial design was combined with response surface methodology (RSM) to model and optimise the process. The quadratic models derived for grade, recovery and separation efficiency were consistent with experimental results reported in this study (R2 values were 0.83, 0.94 and 0.95 for Grade, Recovery and Efficiency, respectively). Furthermore, Boolean algebra was successfully used as a practical tool for better describing the complex interactions between process factors as they affect the responses. The latter were simultaneously optimised to obtain the following values: 45.89 %, 91.85 % and 61.22 %, for grade, recovery and separation efficiency respectively. Optimal input variables were 17.73 kV (voltage), 205.24 RPM (roll speed) and 108.97 oC (temperature)