Abstract
Because of the presence of skillful operators, the severe requirements to the raw materials and the hightechnical level of the flotation process, the "Kyoei Chemical Industries" are producing a high grade fluorite concentrate (CaF2>98%). Unfortunately, these performances will worsen inevitably as the properties of the materials change perpetually and skillful analysts go missing every year. To identify the raw material's properties and grasp the optimum conditions for an efficient separation, a so-called timeless "checking" system has been established and tested on an operating grinding-classifying-flotation circuit. The system comprises four (4) operations: designation of the sampling points, preparation of samples, x-ray powder diffraction analysis and microscopic counting of particles. The results of the testing has revealed a great presence of gangue particles in the -420+149 im fraction of the Akins classifier and suggested reducing to 297 pm the cut off point of the classifying circuit.
