Ukucubungula amaminerali kuwumsebenzi obalulekile wezimboni ohilela ukukhipha nokuhlanganisa amaminerali anenani ezimithonjeni. Noma kunjalo, le nqubo ivame ukubangela izinselele ezinkulu zemvelo, ikakhulukazi ngenxa yokukhipha insimbi, ithusi, namanye amaminerali. Izindlela zokucubungula amaminerali ezindala zingaholela ekonakaleni okukhulu kwemvelo, okuhlanganisa ukungcola kwamanzi, ukubhujiswa kwezindawo zokuhlala, nokusetshenziswa kwamandla okweqile. Amaminerali amahle, ikakhulukazi, ayinselele ngoba ukuhlukaniswa kwawo kuvame ukudinga izindlela eziqinile zamakhemikhali nezinqubo zemishini ezisebenzisa amandla amaningi. Njengoba isidingo samagolide emhlabeni sikhula, imboni yokucubungula amaminerali ibhekene nengcindezi eyandayo yokuthuthukisa izindlela eziphephile zemvelo ezinciphisa umthelela wezemvelo ngaphandle kokudela ukusebenza kahle.

Ukuqothulwa kwethusi nensimbi, amanye amametali asetshenziswa kakhulu ezimbonini, kubonisa izinselelo ezibhekene nazo. Lamametal ngokuvamile atholakala emadwaleni adinga izinyathelo eziyinkimbinkimbi zokuhlanganisa nokuhlukanisa. Ukuphatha kabi nokulahla izinsalela nezinto ezingasetshenziswa kulezi zinqubo kungaholela ekungcolisweni komhlabathi nemifula. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izindlela ezijwayelekile zokuhlanganisa amadwala zingakhipha inani elikhulu lezinto ezikhiqiza ukushisa komhlaba, okufaka isandla ekuguquguqukeni kwesimo sezulu. Ukubhekana nale mthelela yezemvelo kubalulekile ukuqinisekisa intuthuko eqhubekayo emkhakheni wezimayini. Izinkampani ezifana ne-Alicoco Mineral Technology Co., Limited, zihamba phambili ekuthuthukiseni izixazululo ezintsha eziqondiswe ekwehliseni lezi zingozi zemvelo.

Ukwamukelwa kwezixazululo ezinobungani nemvelo ekucubunguleni amaminerali akusona isinqumo; kuyisidingo sokusimama kwezimayini emhlabeni wonke esikhathini esizayo. Lezi zixazululo zigxile ekwehliseni umthelela omubi emvelweni ngokuthuthukisa ukusetshenziswa kahle kwezinsiza, ukwehlisa ukusetshenziswa kwamandla, nokunciphisa ukukhiqizwa kukadoti. Izindlela zokucubungula amaminerali ezisimeme zisiza ukuvikela imvelo, ukonga izinsiza zamanzi, nokwehlisa ukukhishwa kwezinto eziyingozi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, imithetho emazweni amaningi ifuna ngokuqhubekayo ukuthobela amazinga aphezulu emvelweni, iphoqa izinkampani ukuthi zisebenzise ubuchwepheshe obuluhlaza.

Ukucubungula amaminerali ngokwemvelo nakho kunikeza izinzuzo zezomnotho. Ukusetshenziswa kahle kwezinsiza namandla kunganciphisa izindleko zokusebenza, ngenkathi kunciphisa izindleko zokulahla udoti. Izinto ezintsha ezithuthukisiwe ezindaweni zokuhlukanisa amaminerali amancane zingathuthukisa amazinga okubuyisa, okuholela ekukhiqizeni okwengeziwe kwamaminerali anenani elikhulu njengethusi nensimbi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukwamukela izindlela ezisimeme kuthuthukisa isithunzi senkampani futhi kuvula amathuba ezinkampani ezisebenzisana nazo kanye nokutshalwa kwezimali okugxile kubuchwepheshe obuluhlaza. I-Alicoco Mineral Technology Co., Limited, igcizelela lezi zinzuzo ngokuhlanganisa imiklamo ye-spiral chute enelungelo lobunikazi ekhuthaza izixazululo eziluhlaza zokucubungula amaminerali.

Amaminerali amahle kakhulu (fine-grained minerals) adalula izinselelo ezikhethekile ekucubunguleni amaminerali ngenxa yobukhulu bawo obuncane kanye nobuchwepheshe obuyinkimbinkimbi. Izindlela ezijwayelekile ezifana nokuhlanganisa (flotation) nokuhlukanisa ngamandla omzimba (gravity separation) ngokuvamile azisebenzi kahle noma zidinga imikhiqizo eminingi yamakhemikhali. Ukuze kuxazululwe lezi zinkinga, kuye kwathuthukiswa ubuchwepheshe obusha ukuthuthukisa ukusebenza kahle kanye nomthelela wezemvelo wezinqubo zokuhlukanisa amaminerali.

Okunye okuthuthukisiwe okubalulekile ukusetshenziswa kwama-concentrator ayimfihlo anelungelo lobunikazi akhiqizwa yi-Alicoco Mineral Technology Co., Limited. Lezi zinsiza zisebenzisa izimiso zokuhlukanisa ngamandla omzimba ukuhlanganisa izimbiwa ezinhle ezinezinga eliphezulu lokutholwa nokusetshenziswa kwamandla okuphansi. Umklamo we-spiral chute uthuthukisa ukuhlukaniswa kwezimbiwa ezifana ne-hematite nezimbiwa zethusi ngaphandle kokuncika kakhulu kumakhemikhali, ngaleyo ndlela kunciphisa ubungozi bokungcoliswa kwamanzi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izindlela ezintsha ezifana nezinto ezithuthukisiwe zokuhlanganisa, ukuhlukaniswa ngamandla omagnetic, nokuhlungwa kwezimbiwa okusekelwe kuzinzwa kunomthelela ekuhlanganisweni kwezimbiwa okukhethekayo futhi okungcono kwemvelo.

Ukuhlanganiswa kwezinhlelo zokuzenzakalela kanye nokuqapha ngesikhathi sangempela nakho kusiza ukwenza kahle imingcele yokucubungula, kunciphisa ukumosha nokusetshenziswa kwamandla. Izindlela ezintsha ezinjalo zibalulekile ekubhekaneni nobunzima bokucubungula amaminerali amahle, ziqinisekisa ukukhishwa okuhlanzekile nokusimeme kwamaminerali.

Amaphrojekthi amaningana wangempela abonisa ukusetshenziswa ngempumelelo kobuchwepheshe bokucubungula amaminerali obungazilimazi imvelo. Ngokwesibonelo, i-Alicoco ibe yingxenye yamaphrojekthi ezimayini agxile ekukhiqizeni insimbi nethusi lapho izihlukanisi eziyimfihlo zaba nendima enkulu. Lawa maphrojekthi athole ukuthuthuka okukhulu ezingeni lokubuyisa amaminerali ngenkathi kuncishiswa kakhulu ukusetshenziswa kwamanzi namandla.

Emsebenzini wokumba ithusi, ukusetshenziswa kobuchwepheshe be-spiral chute be-Alicoco kwavumela ukuhlukaniswa kahle kwezinsimbi ezinhle zethusi, kwanciphisa ukuncika ekukhanyeni kwamakhemikhali kanye nokunciphisa ukulahlwa kwezinsalela. Ngokufanayo, amaphrojekthi okuhlanganisa insimbi asebenzisa lezi zinsimbi ezihlonipha imvelo abike ukuthuthukiswa kobumsulwa bezinto ezihlanganisiwe kanye nokuncishiswa kwezibopho zemvelo. Lezi zifundo zibonisa ukuthi ukwamukela izixazululo ezintsha, eziluhlaza zokucubungula imaminerali kuholela kuzinzuzo zemvelo nezomnotho.

Abafundi abanesifiso bangahlola izibonelo ezinemininingwane eyengeziwe nemiphumela yamaphrojekthi ku-Amacala ikhasi lewebhusayithi ye-Alicoco Mineral Technology Co., Limited.

Ukukhetha izindlela zokucubungula amaminerali ezihambisana nemvelo kunikeza izinzuzo eziningi ezindabeni zemvelo, zezomnotho, kanye nezenhlalo. Ngokwemvelo, lezi zindlela zinciphisa ukukhiqizwa kukadoti oyingozi, kunciphisa ukungcola kwamanzi nomoya, futhi kunciphisa ukukhishwa kwegesi elibangela umthelela wokushisa komhlaba. Lokhu kunomthelela ekugcineni kwezinto eziphilayo ezahlukene nasekulondolozweni kwezindawo eziphilayo ezinempilo eduze kwezindawo zezimayini.

Ngokomnotho, ukucubungula okusimeme kuthuthukisa ukusebenza kahle kwezinto ngokuthuthukisa ukugxilisa amaminerali (ore concentration) kanye nokunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kwamandla nemikhiqizo yamakhemikhali. Lokhu kuholela ekongeni izindleko kanye nekhwalithi ephezulu yomkhiqizo, okubalulekile ezimakethe ezinamazinga aphezulu ekhwalithi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinkampani ezibonisa umthwalo wezemvelo zingathola inzuzo yokuncintisana kanye nokufinyelela okungcono ezimakethe zamazwe ngamazwe.

Ngokomphakathi, ukucubungula amaminerali anobungani nemvelo kusekela inhlalakahle yomphakathi ngokunciphisa ubungozi bezempilo obuhlobene nokungcola kanye nokukhuthaza ukuthuthukiswa okuzinzile. Izinkampani ezimayelana ezamukela izixazululo ezinjalo zivame ukuba nobudlelwano obuthuthukisiwe nemiphakathi yendawo nababambiqhaza.

Ezinkampanini ezithanda ukuhlola izixazululo ezihambisana nemvelo kanye nobuchwepheshe obunelungelo lobunikazi bokucubungula amaminerali, i-Alicoco Mineral Technology Co., Limited inikeza imikhiqizo namasevisi aphelele achazwe ku-Imikhiqizo ikhasi.

Njengoba isidingo semigodi emhlabeni wonke siqhubeka nokwanda, imboni yokucubungula amaminerali kufanele ibeke phambili izindlela ezizinzile nezinganqamuli imvelo. Izinto ezintsha ekuhlukaniseni amaminerali amahle, njengezidalwe futhi zaqaliswa yi-Alicoco Mineral Technology Co., Limited, zibonisa ukuthi kungenzeka ukufeza amazinga aphezulu okutholwa ngenkathi kuncishiswa imithelela emvelweni. Ngokwamukela lezi zindlela, umkhakha wezimayini ungakwazi ukuqinisekisa ukukhiqizwa kwezinsiza ngokuziphendulela okusekela ukuphathwa kwezemvelo, ukwenzeka kwezomnotho, kanye nesibopho somphakathi.

Ukufunda kabanzi mayelana nokuzibophezela kwe-Alicoco ekuqeqesheni, ubuchwepheshe obuthuthukisiwe bokuhlukanisa amandla adonsela phansi, nendlela yabo esebenza ngendlela esimeme, vakashela i-Ikhaya ikhasi. Ukuze uthole imibuzo nokusekelwa kwamakhasimende, i-Oxhumana Nabo-1 ikhasi kuyisixazululo esihle kakhulu.