Autogenous Tumbling Media Assessment to Clean Weathered Surfaces of Waste-Rock Particles from a Basalt Quarry

• Main Author: Baran Tufan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2015-06-01
• Series: Minerals
• Subjects: basalt; weathered surfaces; autogenous tumbling; tumbling parameters; reflectance spectroscopy
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/5/2/346

In this study, the optimum feed composition in autogenous tumbling of basalt waste-rock particles to clean their weathered surface was determined. The weathered surfaces of basalt are generally cut out consequent to extraction of basalt columns in quarry operations. The inefficiently cut out portions of basalt cause formation of huge quarry waste dumps causing visual pollution on roadsides. Mixtures of different particle size fractions of basalt waste-rock particles were experimented to achieve the optimum feed material composition. The minimum loss of commercially available basalt particles and maximum clear surface was intended. The results were compared with respect to weight loss (%) and reflectance values of used and generated samples.