A METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE PARTITION CURVE OF A COAL WASHING PROCESS

Special Research Report SR-70 In order to perform theoretical, operational or economical sensitivity evaluations of a mineral dressing system, it is usually necessary to develop a mathematical model depicting a separation process and generating a measure of effectiveness for it. The partition curve-- a response function predicting the fractional recovery, P, of raw material with property, e, in one of the two separated products--is such a model. The curve was originated by K. E. Tromp and is used mainly to describe coal beneficiation gravity separations where the specific gravity of the raw material is the property, e. Unfortunately, there is no rigorous, theoretically sound methodology for determining the functional form of the curve. This work presents an adaptation of Probit Analysis, a statistical analysis procedure developed by D. J. Finney, as such a methodology.