Separation efficiency
The feed of any concentration method is the milled product. The milled product is a mixture of particles of different Sizes, shapes and with different proportion of valuable mineral and gangue minerals. We have to separate particles containing valuable minerals for the maximum recovery. At the sametime metal grade should also be maximum of the concentrate.
In the following the valuable mineral in the concentrate is defined as metallic value of the valuable mineral.
Thus a concentrate is composed of metal in the valuable mineral +gangue. Let m is the metal grade of pure mineral and c is the metal grade of the concentrate.
f is the metal grade of the feed .If  is mass of feed and  is mass of concentrate
Recovery of gangue in concentrate 
Recovery of gangue in concentrate 
(SE) Separation efficiency 
Illustration of separation efficiency
Consider concentration of  mineral in cassetrite ore. It is possible to produce concentrate of the following grade and recovery
Concentrate |
Tin Grade |
Recovery |
1 |
63% |
62% |
2 |
42% |
72% |
3 |
21% |
78% |
|
Tin grade in feed is 1% and tin grade of pure mineral is 78.76% calculate separation efficiency (SE)
Concentrate |
Separation efficiency |
1 |
61.8% |
2 |
71.18% |
3 |
75.24% |
|
Note separation efficiency in concentrate 3 is high but tin grade is very low as compared to concentrate 1. But tin grade of concentrate is very high.
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