Process optimization of a chrome ore gravity concentration plant for sustainable development

India has limited resources of chromite. To optimally exploit this valuable and strategic raw material, numerous chrome ore beneficiation plants have been established. Most of these plants suffer chromite losses into the tailing. Decreasing these losses would not only improve the plant performance but also make the economics of the operations more attractive. Accurate data collection and interpretation, followed by making an implementable change in an operating plant, plays a critical role in the performance of the circuit. In this article, the performance of an operating chromite beneficiation plant is evaluated based on mineralogical characterization of samples from around the circuit. This innovative methodology has brought insight into the behaviour of certain species (chromite and silicates) of minerals in the circuit. This approach has not only resulted in the reduction of chrome losses (<12% Cr₂O₃) but also the concentrator achieved a stringent target SiO₂grade of 3.27% in the concentrate. The approach adopted and practical problems encountered during the study are reported in this paper.