Upgrading of Tin in Kudedu Cassiterite (Tin Ore) Deposit Using Air Floating and 3 D-Magnetic Beneficiations Techniques

This work upgraded Tin in the tin ore deposit in Kudedu, Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria with the aid of air floating gravity and 3 D-magnetic separations techniques. The ore was sampled by using cone and quartering method before size reduction through crushing and grinding using the Denver jaw crusher and Denver cone crusher. The sample obtained was subjected to sieve analysis to determine the liberation size. The chemical composition of the crude tin ore was analyzed with the aid of Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (ED-XRFS). 10 kg of the crude ore at the liberation size was subjected to air floating gravity in order to separate the tailing and concentrate. The resulting concentrate was transferred into the 3-Disc magnetic separator to further add value to the mineral of interest before subjecting it to ED-XRFS to determine the chemical composition. It was observed from the sieve size analysis result and the plot of the cumulative weight percent retained against the cumulative weight percent passing that the liberation size of the ore is at -500+355 μm given an assay of 45.63% SnO 2 . The ED-XRFS analysis of the crude ore reveals that the ore contains 15.75% SnO 2 with other associated minerals in different proportions while the value obtained after the value addition is 65.86% SnO 2 which implies that the value of the Kudedu cassiterit ore has been upgraded to meet the standard require as charge in the furnace to produce tin metal.