Concentration Ratio
Compute the concentration ratio of a processing operation, CR = feed mass / concentrate mass, how many tonnes of raw ore are needed to produce one tonne of concentrate. It measures the degree of upgrade: high ratios indicate lean ores that require heavy processing. It is useful in the mass balance and plant sizing. Enter the feed mass and the concentrate mass.
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Concentration ratio (mineral processing)
The concentration ratio answers a plain question: how many tonnes of run-of-mine ore have to enter the plant for one tonne of concentrate to come out? RC = feed mass / concentrate mass. It measures the degree of upgrade the processing plant achieves: a lean ore, with little metal scattered through a lot of gangue, has a high concentration ratio (many tonnes processed per tonne of product); a rich ore has a low one. The number is essential to the mass balance of the plant — together with the feed, concentrate and tailings grades, it closes the accounts and lets engineers size the mills, the flotation cells and the tailings disposal. Enter the feed mass and the concentrate mass.
Related Tools
Mass Recovery
Calculate the mass recovery (mass yield) of a mineral processing operation, R = (concentrate mass ÷ feed mass) × 100%, dividing the concentrate mass produced by the ore feed mass. The result, in %, is the fraction of mass reporting to the concentrate — different from metallurgical recovery (which measures the fraction of metal recovered). Low mass recovery is typical of lean ores (little concentrate from much feed); high indicates rich ore or poorly selective concentration. Combined with the grades, it closes the plant's mass balance. Enter the concentrate and feed masses.
Pulp Dilution Water
Computes how much water must be added to take a pulp from one mass percent solids to a lower one, Water = M × (C₁/C₂ − 1), where M is the incoming pulp mass (or mass flow). It follows from the mass balance: the solids mass does not change on dilution, so the final pulp mass is M·C₁/C₂ and the difference is water. This is the most routine operation in a mineral processing plant — grinding, desliming, flotation and thickening each demand their own percent-solids range, and getting the dilution water wrong throws off residence time, viscosity and reagent consumption. Both percentages are by mass (weight of solids per weight of pulp), and the result comes out in the same unit entered for M. Enter the pulp mass or flow, the current percent solids and the target percent solids.
Sludge Recycle Ratio
Calculate the sludge recycle ratio (R) of an activated-sludge system by mass balance, R = X ÷ (X_r − X), from the mixed-liquor suspended solids (MLSS) and the return sludge concentration. The result (dimensionless, or ×100%) gives the fraction of influent flow that must be recycled from the secondary clarifier to keep the desired biomass in the reactor. Typical ratios range from 0.25 to 1.0. Enter the reactor MLSS and the return sludge concentration.
Metallurgical Recovery
Compute the metallurgical recovery of a processing plant, R = (metal in concentrate / metal in feed)·100%, the fraction of the metal contained in the ore that is actually recovered into the concentrate. It is the key measure of plant efficiency: the unrecovered metal is lost in the tailings. Small recovery gains represent large value in large-scale operations. Enter the mass of metal in the concentrate and in the feed.
Stripping Ratio (SR)
Compute the stripping ratio (SR) of an open-pit mine by dividing the amount of waste (worthless rock that must be removed) by the ore extracted. It is the central economic indicator of open-pit mining: the higher the SR, the more useless material is moved per tonne of ore, and the higher the cost. It defines the pit limit and the viability of the operation. Enter the waste and ore quantities.
Crushing Reduction Ratio
Calculate the reduction ratio of a crusher or mill, RR = F ÷ P, dividing the feed size F by the product size P (usually F₈₀/P₈₀ or crusher openings). The dimensionless result shows how many times the material was reduced in size in one stage. Each equipment type has a typical reduction ratio range: jaw crushers 4-7, cone crushers 5-8, ball mills up to 100 or more. Since each stage has a limited ratio, reducing large blocks to fine powder requires several stages in series, whose product of ratios gives the total reduction. Enter the feed and product sizes.
The results provided by this tool are for general informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute professional, financial, medical, legal, tax or accounting advice. Always confirm important decisions with a qualified professional and official sources.