World Placer Journal - 2001 - Volume 2, pages 14-35. | ||
Tests showed an IHC wash plant using trapezoidal sawtooth jigs recovered 50% more gold than conventional sluices in a placer gold mine... | ABSTRACT Gold production from jigs in Mongolia commenced on 30th August 1998 at the Ikh Alt Mine in the Zaamar Goldfield. The first gold was from an IHC 2-Cell Trapezoidal Sawtooth Jig (40m³/hour) with mechanical-hydraulic drive, fed by slurry pumped from an IHC Conical Screen ("scrubber") with 35x12mm slots. Next, the IHC 2-Cell Jig was joined by an IHC 1-Cell Jig (20m³/hour) with mechanical drive - infamous in having been claimed by Java Gold, a Canadian public corporation (JVAG on CDN), to have operated at its Toson Terrace Mine in 1997 but was never used! The pair of trapezoidal jigs were fed by a Warman slurry pump from a Promin Slurry Tank beneath a Euroclass Single-Deck Vibrating Screen with 25mm holes, a third stage being a 7.5-inch KNELSON centrifugal concentrator. The final set-up consisted of an IHC 3-Cell Jig (60m³/hour) with full-hydraulic drive fed with slurry via the Warman pump from the Promin Slurry Tank beneath the Euroclass Single-Deck Vibrating Screen. During 1999 and 2000, 5 tests were conducted on the performance of the Vibrating Screen and IHC 3-Cell Sawtooth Jig. Results indicated recovery exceeded 95%, based on zero gold being detected in the tailings. In contrast, a Russian-style sluice recovered at best only 63% of the gold content. Difficulties arose in testing the jigs due to Ikh Alt Zaamar Ltd. failing to supply adequate power, placer or water, destroying the advantage of IHC sawtooth jigs. The tests ended when the tailings' dam broke, discharging muddy water into the Tuul River due to poor environmental management by Ikh Alt Zaamar Ltd. | |
 | CAT IN THE MUD... | |
 | IHC 2-CELL JIG UNDER TEST... | |
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