Professional Metallurgical Engineer

Mining companies are recognizing the metallurgical performance may depend of the aptitude of the professional metallurgical engineer in a mineral processing plant. Senior executives recognize that a metallurgy must be properly measured for the output is managed effectively. Metallurgists are used to effectively manage risk in a project evaluation, plant design, forecasting and optimization. During the last years, mining companies has been actively engaged in applying metallurgist with the only idea of improving the metallurgical results.

Whether the goal is to design a new grinding circuit or flotation process, optimize an existing circuit or forecast production, a lot of money is most the time invested and the metallurgist’s opinion has an important part of the results. It is worthwhile to state that any team engaged in these important activities work very hard and invariably with the best of intentions to be successful. Nevertheless, mining companies often chooses approaches that are mired in the past. We often constrain ourselves by what has happened before, are suspicious of anything new, and suffer from ignorance of successful problem solving techniques that sister disciplines have been engaged in for years. People are slow to change and accept suggestions. That’s perhaps one of the challenges that a metallurgist has to face every day.

When it is necessary to define the limits of the ore body and calculate reserves many samples are taken. A metallurgist must create a relation between the results obtained and the expectations of the shareholders. Some times is not easy, because there are several parameters to be considered such as assays and geology which are used in process modeling for design, optimization and forecasting purposes. On one hand there is an industry that recognizes that metal values are highly variable and require both intensive sampling and method for creating assay model of the deposit. On the other hand, exist the temptation to link processing characteristics to the available exploration data and engage in a targeted and comprehensive sampling campaign to obtain grinding and flotation parameters.

The metallurgist is involved to design, optimize, and forecast the production of any mining deposit by using rigorous technical criteria and analyzing his experiences is other situations. If there is a big mistake or error, the responsibility is enormous and critics are waiting on the corner. The criteria or model used to choose a decision must match with the requirements of the mining operations.

Sometimes, the metallurgist must be able to make use of many tools because he can be tented of comparing a lot of good data versus a little excellent data. The slightest change in the mineral processing cycle, which includes crushing, milling, leeching and smelting, can adversely affect the rate of production, and reduce the quality of a product. Mineral processing operators, in consultation with plant metallurgists, make sure that the cycle occurs under the correct conditions, so that the rate of production, along with quality is maintained.

It is important to remember that a number of processes are needed to turn mined rock into a glittering piece of silver, gold, nickel or copper. Metallurgists Professional Engineers ensure that the plants where these ores are processed run smoothly.