Gold Mine
Placer gold mining differs from lode gold mining. It typically occurs in river, beach, or ancient riverbed sediments, characterized by high material viscosity and highly uneven particle size distribution. Traditional mining processes often face three major challenges: low crushing efficiency, insufficient metal recovery, and rapid equipment wear.
As an equipment manufacturer with years of experience in the mining crushing field, we have developed an integrated "crushing + screening + grinding + beneficiation" solution specifically for placer gold mining. This article will provide a comprehensive analysis of how to improve placer gold recovery and economic benefits through specialized equipment, covering equipment selection, process advantages, practical cases, and common misconceptions.
1. Overview of the Entire Placer Gold Mining Process
1.1 Coarse Crushing Stage: Vibrating Feeder + Jaw Crusher
Jaw Crusher
Placer gold ore often contains large-diameter pebbles or cemented mud lumps. The ZSW series vibrating feeder can uniformly convey materials while screening out fine powder, reducing the load on the jaw crusher. The PE series jaw crusher serves as the core of coarse crushing, with a feed size of up to 1200mm and flexible discharge port adjustment, adapting to highly abrasive materials.
1.2 Medium and Fine Crushing Stage: Cone Crusher or Impact Crusher
symons cone crusher
After coarse crushing, placer gold ore needs further crushing to below -20mm. For hard surrounding rock, the hydraulic cone crusher is recommended; for medium-hardness ore, the PFW impact crusher has a larger crushing ratio and can improve particle shape, reducing over-grinding.
1.3 Screening and Washing
Drum screening
A circular vibrating screen combined with a drum washer is the standard configuration for placer gold ore. The former classifies the ore, while the latter powerfully scrubs and deslims it, ensuring sufficient liberation of gold particles and creating conditions for subsequent gravity separation.
1.4 Grinding and Beneficiation
gold ball mill
An energy-saving ball mill combined with a classifier forms a closed-circuit grinding system, grinding the ore to the fineness required for gold beneficiation. It then enters a jig, spiral chute, or Nelson concentrator for enrichment. We can provide gravity separation, flotation, amalgamation, and other process packages, customized to your needs.
2. Our Core Advantages
2.1 Customized Crushing Chamber Type
Placer gold ore has a high mud content and is prone to clogging. We optimized the tooth profile curves of the moving and fixed jaws, developed an anti-sticking cavity design, and equipped both jaw crushers and cone crushers with a cleaning auxiliary system, significantly reducing the frequency of downtime for cleaning.
2.2 Upgraded Wear-Resistant Materials
High-chromium cast iron and manganese steel composite liners are used, extending jaw plate life by more than 30% compared to ordinary materials, making them particularly suitable for highly abrasive components such as quartz and feldspar associated in placer gold mines.
2.3 Superior Energy Consumption and Environmental Protection
Through lightweight design and intelligent frequency conversion control, the entire series of equipment reduces power consumption per ton of ore by 12%~18%; equipped with pulse bag dust collectors and enclosed dust corridors, dust emissions are below national standards.
2.4 Rapid Delivery and Localized Service
We have multiple spare parts warehouses both domestically and internationally, ensuring that easily worn parts for crushers are shipped within 24 hours. We provide full-cycle services from process design and equipment selection to installation, commissioning, and personnel training.
3. Typical Application Cases
Case A: A riverine placer gold deposit in the Democratic Republic of Congo
• Ore conditions: 25% mud content, maximum particle size 300mm, gold mainly exists in a free state.
• Configuration: ZSW feeder + PE400×600 jaw crusher + 2YK1545 circular vibrating screen + drum washer + jig + shaking table.
• Operational results: Processing capacity 45t/h, gold recovery rate increased from 67% in the original process to 86%, annual profit increased by over 1.5 million yuan.
Case B: A coastal placer gold project in Sulawesi, Indonesia
• Challenges: The ore contains a large amount of shells and coral fragments, causing extreme wear on the crushing equipment.
• Solutions: Use a high-manganese steel-lined jaw crusher + anti-clogging screen, and increase the water gun pressure in the washing section.
• Customer feedback: The equipment operated continuously for 3000 hours without major malfunctions, and the cost of vulnerable parts decreased by 23%.
4. Recommended Related Products
| Product Series | Applicable Stage | Core Parameters | Recommended Model |
| Jaw Crusher | Coarse Crushing | Feed ≤800mm, Processing Capacity 15~800t/h | PE-600×900 |
| Cone Crusher | Medium and Fine Crushing | Closed-Circuit Crushing Fineness ≤12mm | HPC100/HPC160 |
| Drum Washer | Washing and Desliming | Speed 8~15rpm, Processing Capacity 10~200t/h | GTS1540 |
| Jig | Gravity Separation | Stroke 6~25mm, Strokes 200~350 times/min | JT-1.0/2.0 |
| Mineral Processing Machine | Fine Gold Recovery | Enrichment Ratio Up to 1000 Times | NL-40/60 |
5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Is crushing necessary for placer gold ore? Can't direct screening work?
If the gold particles in the raw ore are completely liberated and large in size, screening and gravity separation are sufficient. However, most placer gold deposits contain encapsulated gold or are associated with iron and manganese oxides, requiring crushing and grinding to expose the gold; otherwise, the recovery rate is extremely low. We recommend at least one stage of coarse crushing to break up clay lumps.
Q2: How to reduce the operating cost of a placer gold crushing line?
① Equipment using the principle of layered crushing (such as a multi-cylinder hydraulic cone crusher) consumes less energy than impact crushers;
② Equip with an online lubricating oil filtration system to extend bearing life;
③ Use an intelligent feeding control system to prevent overload. Our experience shows that these measures can reduce the processing cost per ton by 15%.
Q3: Can the equipment adapt to high temperature and high humidity environments overseas?
Absolutely. Our motors offer IP55/IP65 protection ratings, the electrical control cabinet comes standard with a moisture-proof heater, and the machine body uses marine-grade anti-rust paint. More than 20 sets of equipment have been successfully operated in mines in equatorial regions, and their weather resistance has been verified.
About of Baichy Heavy Industry
Baichy Heavy Industry is a high-tech mining equipment company integrating R&D, manufacturing, sales, and after-sales service. Focusing on crushing, grinding, and mineral processing equipment, we provide professional solutions to our customers. We are ISO9001:2015 、certified, and our products include mobile crushing palnts, crawler crushing plant, construction waste crushing plants, jaw crushers, sand making machines, cone crushers, fine crushers, grinding mills, ball mills, etc., all with reliable performance to meet diverse project needs.
Our advantages:
• Professional pre-sales support: Free project design and comprehensive solutions to help you accurately select the right equipment;
• Comprehensive on-site service: Providing installation guidance and worker training to ensure smooth equipment commissioning;
• Reliable after-sales guarantee: A complete after-sales system, timely response to technical inquiries and equipment maintenance, ensuring long-term stable operation.
To protect your rights, please contact us through the following official channels for professional service:
Official Website Customer Service
WhatsApp: 0086-15093222637
Email: [email protected]
We are committed to providing high-quality equipment and full-cycle services to deliver comprehensive intelligent solutions for the global mining industry!
