Amaminerali e-gravity abhekisa emamineralini anokwehlukana okubalulekile kwesisindo esithile uma kuqhathaniswa nezinto ezingadingekile ezizungezile, okwenza afanele ukuhlukaniswa kusetshenziswa izindlela ezisekelwe ku-gravity. Le ndlela ibalulekile embonini yokucubungula amaminerali ngoba ivumela ukutholwa kahle futhi okonga izindleko kwamaminerali anenani njengeg olide, i-tin, i-tungsten, namaminerali ensimbi. Ukuqonda amaminerali e-gravity kanye nokuziphatha kwawo emifuleni yokucubungula kubalulekile ukwenza kahle ukuhlukaniswa futhi kwandise amazinga okutholwa. Ukubaluleka kokucubungula amaminerali e-gravity akugcini nje ngokusebenza kwawo kodwa futhi nasekuthinteni kwawo okungaphansi kwemvelo uma kuqhathaniswa nezindlela ezisebenzisa amakhemikhali kakhulu.

Njengoba isidingo sezindlela zokumba ezisimeme siyanda, ukuhlukaniswa ngamandla adonsayo kuthola ukubaluleka njengendlela eyinhloko yokuthola amaminerali amahle futhi anzima ukuwahlukanisa. I-Alicoco Mineral Technology Co., Limited, umholi ekucubunguleni amaminerali ngendlela entsha, igcizelela izixazululo zokuhlukanisa ngamandla adonsayo ezithobisa imvelo ezithuthukisa ukutholwa kwamaminerali ngenkathi kuncishiswa umthelela emvelweni. Ubuchwepheshe babo obunelungelo lobunikazi be-spiral chute buveza ubuchwepheshe besimanje bokucubungula amaminerali ngamandla adonsayo, bukhombisa amandla okuguqula izinqubo zokuthuthukisa amaminerali ezindala.

Amasu okuhlukanisa ngokusekelwe emandleni omzimba (gravity separation) asebenzisa umehluko ekuqinekeni kwezimbiwa ukuze kufezeke ukuhlukaniswa okusebenzayo. Izindlela ezisetshenziswa kakhulu zihlanganisa izinto zokuhlanganisa ezijikelezayo (spiral concentrators), imisele (sluices), imishini yokugubha (jigs), amatafula ayanqikiza (shaking tables), kanye nokuhlukanisa ngemidiya eqinile (dense media separation). Phakathi kwalezi, izinto zokuhlanganisa ezijikelezayo (spiral concentrators) zithandwa kakhulu ekucubunguleni izimbiwa ezinhlayiyana ngenxa yobulula bazo, ukusetshenziswa kwamandla okuphansi, kanye nezinga eliphezulu lokuthola izinto ezifunwayo.

Izinto zokuhlanganisa ezijikelezayo (spiral concentrators) zisebenza ngokudlulisela uketshezi (slurry) esiteshini esiyisimo sephephambadzi lapho amandla omzimba (gravitational forces) kanye namandla ajikelezayo (centrifugal forces) abangela izimbiwa ezisindayo ukuba zincibilike futhi zihlukaniswe nezinto ezilula (gangue material). I-Alicoco Mineral Technology yenza ngokukhethekile ekuklameni nasekukhiqizeni iziteshi eziyizimvume eziklanyelwe izinhlobo ezahlukene zezimbiwa kanye nosayizi bezinhlayiyana. Imishini yabo ibhekana nezinselelo ezihlobene nokucubungula izimbiwa ezinhlayiyana nezixakile, iqinisekisa ukusebenza kahle kokuhlukanisa kanye nokuhlanzeka komkhiqizo.

Izindlela zokucubungula amaminerali ezindala zivame ukubhekana nobunzima ekutholeni amaminerali amancane ngempumelelo, okuholela ekulahlekelweni okukhulu kwezinsiza kanye nokwanda kwezindleko zokucubungula. Ukuhlukaniswa ngamandla omzimba (gravity separation) kunikeza izinzuzo eziningana ekuthuthukiseni amaminerali amancane, njengezinga eliphezulu lokutholwa, ukusetshenziswa kwamakhemikhali okuncishisiwe, kanye nezindleko zokusebenza eziphansi. Lezi zinzuzo ziba zinkulu lapho kusetshenziswa ubuchwepheshe obuthuthukisiwe njengama-spiral concentrators akwa-Alicoco, alungisa ukuhlukaniswa kwezinhlayiya futhi anciphise ukulahleka kokuhlukaniswa.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuhlukaniswa ngamandla okudonsa kugcina izici zomzimba zamaminerali, okwenza kube ukukhetha okuhle kwezimbiwa ezibucayi emaphutheni amakhemikhali. Imvelo enobungani bokuhlukaniswa ngamandla okudonsa ihambisana nemizamo yomhlaba wonke yokunciphisa umthelela wemvelo emisebenzini yokumba, kukhuthazwa ukusetshenziswa kwezinsiza ezisimeme. Ukuzibophezela kwe-Alicoco ekwenzeni izinto ezintsha kuqinisekisa ukuthi izixazululo zabo zihlala zibhekana nalezi zinselelo ngenkathi zihambisa ukusebenza okuphezulu.

Izindlela ezijwayelekile zokucubungula amaminerali zihlanganisa izinto zamakhemikhali ezifana ne-cyanide kanye nezinto zokuhlanganisa, ezibeka izingozi ezinkulu zemvelo. Lezi zinto zamakhemikhali zingangcolisa inhlabathi namanzi aseduze, okuholela ekulimaleni okuhlala njalo kwemvelo kanye nezingozi zezempilo emphakathini yasendaweni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinqubo zakudala zihlale zikhiqiza inani elikhulu lezinsalela nezinto ezingadingekile ezidinga ukuphathwa ngokucophelela.

Ukusebenzisa amandla amaningi kwezinye izindlela zokucubungula nakho kunomthelela ekwanda kokukhishwa kwegesi elibangela ukufudumala komhlaba, okwenza izinkinga zokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu zibe zimbi kakhulu. Ngokuphambene, izindlela zokuhlukanisa ngamandla omfutho zidinga amandla amancane futhi ziqede noma zinciphise kakhulu isidingo sezinto zamakhemikhali ezilimazayo. Ukugxila kwe-Alicoco Mineral Technology ezindabeni ezisimeme kubonisa ukwanda kwesibopho semboni yezimayini sokwamukela ubuchwepheshe obuluhlaza obunciphisa umthelela emvelweni ngenkathi kugcinwa ukusebenza kwezomnotho.

I-Alicoco Mineral Technology Co., Limited inikeza izixazululo ezisezingeni eliphezulu eziklanyelwe ukubhekana nezinselele zokucubungula amaminerali amahle ngendlela enobungani nemvelo. Amadivayisi abo esikhala esibhalisiwe asebenzisa i-fluid dynamics ethuthukisiwe nesayensi yezinto ukuze kukhushulwe ukubuyiswa kwamaminerali ngokusekelwe emandleni omfutho ngokusetshenziswa okuncane kwezinsiza. Lawa madivayisi enziwe ukuze aphathe izinto eziyinkimbinkimbi, aqinisekisa ukuthi ngisho namaminerali anzima ukuhlukaniswa acutshungulwa kahle.

Ngokuhlanganisa ubuchwepheshe be-Alicoco, imisebenzi yokumba inganciphisa ukuncika kumakhemikhali, yehlise ukusetshenziswa kwamandla, futhi inciphise ukukhiqizwa kukadoti. Le ndlela ebanzi ayigcini nje ngokuthuthukisa ukusebenza kahle kwenqubo kodwa futhi isekela ukuthobela imithetho nokwamukelwa komphakathi. I-Alicoco iqhubeka nokuqamba izinto ezintsha ukuze inikeze izixazululo zokuhlukanisa ngokusekelwe emandleni omfutho ezenzelwe izidingo ezihlukile zephrojekthi ngayinye yokumba.

Ama-concentrator we-spiral we-Alicoco ahlale esetshenziswe ngempumelelo emaphrojekthini amaningi ezimayini emhlabeni wonke, ebonisa ukusebenza kwawo ekutholeni igolide, i-hematite, i-cobalt, nezinye izimbiwa eziyigugu. I-case eyodwa evelele ibandakanya umsebenzi wokumba igolide lapho izindlela zokuhlanganisa ezivamile zehluleka ukuthola izinhlayiya ezinhle kahle. Ukusebenzisa ubuchwepheshe bokuhlukanisa nge-gravity be-Alicoco kwandise amazinga okuthola igolide ngaphezu kuka-20%, kwathuthukisa kakhulu inzuzo yephrojekthi.

Esinye isibonelo sihlanganisa ukuthuthukisa i-hematite, lapho ama-spiral chutes we-Alicoco athuthukise ukuhlanzeka kwe-concentrate ngenkathi kuncishiswa ukusetshenziswa kwamanzi namandla. Imiphumela eningiliziwe yephrojekthi kanye nobufakazi kungahlolwa ku-Izibonelo ikhasi, linikeza imininingwane ebalulekile ngezinzuzo ezisebenzayo zobuchwepheshe kanye nokwaziwa kwawo ezinhlotsheni ezahlukahlukene zamaminerali kanye nezindawo zokucubungula.

Ikusasa lokucubungula amaminerali ngokusebenzisa amandla omfutho (gravity) lisezintweni ezihlanganisa izixazululo ezinobungani nemvelo kanye nezithuthukisiwe zobuchwepheshe ezibhekana nezinselelo zokuthola amaminerali amahle kakhulu. I-Alicoco Mineral Technology Co., Limited ibonisa leli threndi ngokunikeza imishini ye-spiral chute enelungelo lobunikazi ehlanganisa ukusebenza kahle okuphezulu nokusimama kwemvelo. Njengoba izimboni zezimayela emhlabeni wonke zifuna ukunciphisa umthelela wazo emvelweni futhi zithuthukise ukusebenza kahle kwezinsiza, ubuchwepheshe bokuhlukanisa ngokusebenzisa amandla omfutho buzodlala indima ebaluleke kakhulu.

Ezinkampanini ezifuna ukwamukela izixazululo ezisimeme zokucubungula amaminerali, i-Alicoco ayinikezi nje kuphela imikhiqizo emisha kodwa futhi nokusekelwa kwezobuchwepheshe okuphelele kanye nezinsizakalo zokwenza ngokwezifiso. Abantu abanesithakazelo bangafunda kabanzi ngohlu lwazo oluphelele lwezinto ezitholakala ku-Ikhaya ikhasi noma baxhumane nge-Xhumana-1 ikhasi ukuze uthole olunye ulwazi.