Test work decides the plant, so it comes first
Every Xinhai flowsheet starts in the laboratory. Analysis, bench tests, pilot runs and site commissioning are handled by one team, which is why the plant behaves like the test report said it would.
Four stages, one report chain
Analysis
Sampling, sample preparation, detection and analysis, data consolidation and reporting. Element, spectral and phase analysis identify what the orebody actually contains and in what mineral form.
Bench test work
Exploratory tests, verification tests and flowsheet tests. Sample preparation, scheme design, separation testing, product evaluation, flowsheet selection, report.
Pilot trials
Semi-continuous industrial trials in the pilot centre confirm the bench result at scale, including gravity, washing, flotation, chemical, magnetic and electrostatic circuits.
Commissioning
Commissioning engineers work with installation, electrical and automation teams on site until the plant reaches design output and grade.
Test methods and the parameters that matter
| Test | Suited to | Key parameters |
|---|---|---|
| Flotation | Base metals, rare metals, ferrous metals, industrial minerals | Grind size, pulp density, pH, reagent regime |
| Magnetic separation | Magnetite, hematite, manganese ore, quartz purification | Field intensity, feed size, throughput |
| Gravity separation | Gold, tungsten, tin, zircon and titanium | Feed rate, size range, medium density |
| Roasting and magnetic separation | Refractory iron ores | Roasting atmosphere, temperature, time |
| Electrostatic separation | Zircon, rutile, ilmenite | Feed size, throughput |
Inside the laboratory and pilot centre
Reference test programmes
The results below are the ones reported in the Xinhai research and test service brochure. They describe those specific ore samples and cannot be extrapolated to another deposit.
Kazakhstan, 1.5 Mt/a copper flotation
Closed circuit conditions at a grind of 50% passing 200 mesh, one rougher, two scavenger and three cleaner stages. Copper concentrate at 3.50% yield, 16.23% Cu grade and 66.23% recovery.
Pakistan, phosphate extended continuous test
Direct flotation with two rougher and two scavenger and two cleaner stages, acid conditioning, then three stage reverse flotation. Phosphate concentrate at 62.10% yield, 22.43% P2O5 and 56.10% recovery.
Canada, integrated recovery from tailings
Lithium, rubidium and caesium recovered from tailings assaying 0.46% Cs2O, 1.2% Li2O and 0.5% Rb2O. The recommended route was spodumene flotation, then mica flotation, then pollucite flotation, producing a lithium concentrate at 3.83% Li2O and 57.92% recovery alongside mica, caesium, feldspar and quartz products.
Zimbabwe, 2 Mt/a spodumene dense medium separation
Petalite did not respond to flotation, so dense medium separation was tested with tetrabromoethane heavy liquid in the laboratory and ferrosilicon medium at pilot scale. The recommended flowsheet was crushing and screening, DMS to recover petalite, grinding and classification, gravity recovery of tantalum and niobium, desliming, mica flotation and spodumene flotation.
Common questions
What can the Xinhai laboratory analyse?
How far can testing go before construction?
Which separation methods are covered?
Who uses the test results afterwards?
Send an ore sample brief and we will scope the test programme.