Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia):

Dvoychenkova G. P., Leading Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, e-mail: dvoigp@mail.ru

Minenko V. G., Leading Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, e-mail: vladi200@mail.ru

“ALROSA” JSC (Mirnyy, Russia):

Kovalchuk O. E., Head of Laboratory, e-mail: oleg.kovalchuk@mail.ru

«Yakutniproalmaz» Institute (Mirnyy, Russia):

Ostrovskaya G. Kh., Head of Laboratory

Mirnyy Mining & Processing Division (Mirnyy, Russia):

Kovalenko E. G., Chief Dresser, e-mail: KovalenkoEG@alrosa.ru

As usually, the processing plants of «ALROSA» JSC use the foam separation for the extraction of diamond crystals with 2 mm of coarseness. The efficiency of such separation is explained by the difference in hydrophobic grade of the surface of diamonds and associated minerals. The technogenic raw materials and kimberlites, which were under the active secondary alteration, are being involved into the industrial processing, which makes it possible to reduce the technogenic indices of foam separation. For the purpose of this problem solving, there was held the experimental checking of intensification methods of foam separation, for the processing of the currently extracted diamond-containing raw materials on the processing plant No. 3 of Mirnyy Mining & Processing Division, with the estimation of technological efficiency of their application. The following facts were established on the basis of the researches:

-the mineral impurities, in the form of the thin layer of fine-dispersed clay minerals (less than 10 μm), were fixated on the surface of the diamonds, extracted from the secondary changed kimberlites;
-using various methods, there were established the basic differences of elemental and phase structures of nano-formations (on the depth to 180 nm) on the natural diamonds with various hydrophilic and lipophile surface condition;
-the usage of the product of diaphragmless electrochemical processing of circulating water, in the foam separation process, makes it possible to provide the increasing of the average 17% of diamonds extraction into the concentrate.
This research work was held with the financial support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russian Federation, within the project No. 2010-218-01-001 “Creation of complex innovation environmentallysafe technology of extraction and processing of diamondiferous ores in the North”, which is being held with the participation of North-Eastern Federal University named after M. K. Ammosov and “ALROSA” JSC.

1. Dyukarev V. P., Kalitin V. T., Makhrachev A. F., Zuev A. V., Chanturiya V. A., Dvoychenkova G. P., Trofimova E. A., Bychkova G. M. Gornyi Zhurnal — Mining Journal, 2000, No. 7, pp. 65–68.
2. Chanturiya V. A., Trofimova E. A., Dikov Yu. P., Bogachev V. I., Dvoychenkova G. P. Gornyi Zhurnal — Mining Journal, 1998, No. 11-12, pp. 52–56.
3. Chanturiya V. A., Trofimova E. A., Dikov Yu. P., Bogachev V. I., Dvoychenkova G. P., Minenko V. G. Obogashchenie Rud — Mineral processing, 1999, No. 3, pp. 36–39.
4. Chanturiya V., Zuev A., Trofimova E., Dikov Y., Bogachev V., Dvoichenkova G. Surface properties of diamonds in kimberlites processing. XXI International Mineral Processing Congress. Edited by Paolo Massacci. Rome, Italy : Univesity of Rome “La Sapienza”; Department of Chemical, Raw Material and Metallurgical Engineering, 2000, Vol. B, pp. 9–16.