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By K. Chandrasekaran

Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) is conventionally used in gold processing operations when preg robbing components are present in the ore. CIL process is becoming attractive even in other situations when preg robbing is not a factor. This paper discusses the situations in which the CIL circuit can be applied. The results of Leach/CIP and CIL circuits at Newmont's Mill No.2, 4 and 5 are presented for comparison. Newmont's Mill No. 4 was initially designed for a throughput of 4500 tons per day. The mill is presently operating at an average throughput of 7300 tons per day without significant changes to the original design. The design considerations of the Mill No.4 CIL circuit are discussed.

Jan 1, 1991

By R. Owens, C. Roos, B. Hill, S. Rosenthal

It is common practice, and even legally required in many jurisdictions, to design two-lane haul roads in open pit mines to three and a half times the widest dimension of the haul trucks operating on the road. In open pit gold mines with high strip ratios, the road width has a significant impact on the economics of a design. It is possible to minimize the flattening of the highwall if the road width is reduced, assuming the width used is not needed to flatten the slopes for geotechnical purposes. With the use of autonomous haulage and pullouts, it may be possible to operate safely and efficiently on a reduced road width of two times the width of the hauling equipment.

Mar 2, 2022

By R. H. Mozley

It is not my intention in this paper to review recent developments in the mineral processing industry which might fall under the above heading, but to refer to some of the research that I have done over the past 25 years or so. To begin with then, my student days at the Camborne School of Mines, the year 1952. Equipment from the last century was still in everyday use at the local tin mines. At South Crofty Ltd a steam beam engine 100 years old was pumping mine water from 2000 feet, the motive force being conveyed from surface to the pump at the bottom of the mine by a 14 inch square pitch pine rod joined with forged iron straps, steam winders were still in use, and in the mills, stamps ground the ore, and the cassiterite was recovered by equipment with exotic names like "buddies, kievs, and round frames." And to equip us students for the brave new world, we included in our practical mineral dressing a day's test programme with a Californian stamp -- experience that I am still waiting to put to good use!

Jan 1, 1984

By AJIT SWAIN, SUNATI MOHANTY

The ability to predict the dewatering performance of an industrial hydrocyclone from a laboratory-model hydrocyclone is of great importance. In this study, laboratory-scale hydrocyclone experiments were conducted using silica sand samples at 10 percent solid concentration for dewatering with Mozley hydrocyclones with diameters of 2 in. and 4 in. The objective is to predict the design parameters for an industrial dewatering cyclone to achieve higher solid concentration in the underflow. A model was developed based on the Nageswararao hydrocyclone model with the help of a commercial simulator for a hydrocyclone operating at 100 t/h and 20 percent solid concentration to achieve 80 percent solid recovery at 45 percent solid concentration in the underflow.

Mar 1, 2023

By George B. Rice

In a recent speech in Pittsburgh, Dr. George Keyworth, the President's Science Advisor, made a statement which I believe deserves our very careful consideration. Dr. Keyworth said that there is no energy crisis. The crisis, he explained, is simply that people refuse to accept the solution. The solution which Dr. Keyworth has in mind is increased utilization of our abundant supplies of solid fuels and, in particular, uranium. I share his view concerning the solution to our energy needs. The use of uranium fuel is a safe, clean, and dependable means to generate our electric power. It is time that we addressed the real energy crisis: the refusal to accept the nuclear solution. The reason for the refusal is not difficult to find. It is nihilistic thinking about risk. Under this thinking, we assume the worst possible case and act accordingly, simply because we cannot prove to a total certainty that nuclear energy is perfectly safe. If this absolutist approach were generally applied throughout our society, there is no doubt all of us would soon be sitting around our campfires fearfully holding the wild animals at bay with our trusty spears. Today I am here to enlist your support in reversing the regulatory trend that threatens the very extistence of the nuclear power industry. As distinguished scientists, engineers and businessmen, you can use your influence to help bring rational regulation to the industry. Our industry supports strong safety and environmental protection programs. We understand the need for and do not object to reasonable regulation. Many anti-pollution measures can be practical to implement, cost effective and highly successful in minimizing environmental impacts. However, it is a fact of life that in the field of health and safety regulation, the law of diminishing returns operates with a vengeance. Absolute or near-absolute safety is impossible and any attempt to achieve it is intolerably costly. Fixation on absolute safety is particularly acute in the regulation of the nuclear power industry. Government Agencies, overly anxious to allay the irrational fears of those opposed to nuclear power, are literally regulating the industry to death - exactly the result sought by the anti-nuclear groups. Dr. Robert L. DuPont wrote in a recent issue of [Business Week]: "The nuclear power industry has been virtually stopped in the U.S. [because of fear]. This is true despite the fact that for more than 20 years the commercial nuclear industry has operated under unprecedented public health scrutiny and that to date there have been no radiation-related injuries, let alone deaths, suffered by any member of the public."1 I believe a useful way to convey the nature of the problem faced by the nuclear industry is to review an example of [unreasonable] regulation. While the example relates to our domestic industry, I am certain there are similar situations in other countries. For the example I will use the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's recently issued regulations governing the stabilization of uranium mill tailings.2 These regulations, known as the Uranium Mill Licensing Requirements, specify, among other things, that radon emanation from uranium mill tailings be limited to no more than 2 pCi/m2-sec. First, one must understand that this standard will have virtually no impact on the total amount of radon to which the public is exposed. Radon emitted from even completely unstabilized tailings piles is a tiny fraction--much less than 1%--of the amount of radon released from natural soils in the United States.3 In fact, it is far outweighed by natural variations in the background flux. For example, changes in the level of the Great Salt Lake in recent years have had [eight times] as much effect on the amount of radon released into the Salt Lake City regional air than the annual release from the Vitro Mill tailings pile located in that city.4 Nevertheless, NRC claims that the standard is required to protect the public. The Commission admits, however, that there are no studies which establish that exposure to radon at the low levels associated with uranium mill tailings will result in any adverse health effects.5 In the absence of actual evidence, the Commission assumes that some such effects will occur on the basis of the linear, non-threshold model.6 Employing this model, NRC calculates that the maximum hypothetical risk for the average member of the population is only about 1 in 70,000,000 from the radon that would be emitted from [three times] the number of mills now in existence, even if the tailings produced through the year 2000 are left unstabilized.7 NRC has elsewhere explained that this level of risk would be equivalent to the risk posed by "a few puffs on a cigarette, a few sips of wine, driving the family car about 6 blocks, flying about 2 miles, canoeing for 3 seconds, or being a man age 60 for 11 seconds." This level of risk is [de minimis] in comparison to other risks commonly and readily incurred in our society.9 Moreover, even this remote risk is overstated. A group of prominent health physicists, including experts from the Department of Energy, The Environmental Protection Agency, Britain, Canada and Germany recently published a study indicating that the risk to the public per unit exposure to radon can be no greater than one-third that suggested by the Commission, and [may in fact be zero].l0 Regulators routinely rationalize the need for their regulations. For example, NRC attempts to justify the radon flux standard because it is necessary to reduce the risk to someone who builds a house on top of a tailings pile. This possibility, however, is totally unrealistic because the Mill Tailings Act requires that stabilized tailings be transferred to

Jan 1, 1981

By Larry Diaz

A single stage ball mill-cyclone circuit was extensively tested for its reactions to step changes in three controllable variables: feed rate, water to cyclones, and water to the ball mill. A series of carefully designed tests are to be carried out in order to determine relationships between the various ball mill and cyclone parameters. Cyclone overflow particle size distribution is to be continuously monitored during the tests using an ultrasonic device. Other circuit variables that are to be measured and recorded are feed rate, ball mill mass flow, cyclone feed and overflow densities, cyclone feed sump level, water flows, etc. Once the circuit performance is defined, two types of grinding circuit control systems will be evaluated: (a) mass flow-based; (b) particle size- based. Results obtained by each approach in terms of feed rate and cyclone overflow size distributions are discussed. The high sensitivity of continuous particle size measurements to grinding circuit disturbances is emphasized.

Jan 1, 1971

By J. B. Hiskey, P. H. Qi

Activated carbon loaded with gold from different halide solutions was characterized by thermal analysis (TA) techniques. The mechanism of gold uptake by carbon varies from predominately adsorption for gold iodide to predominately reduction for gold chloride. Thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) measurements confirm the existence of adsorbed gold-halide species within the micropore structure of carbon. These results suggest that the ratio of reduced to adsorbed gold increases for gold halides in the following order: Au-I < Au-Br < Au-Cl. In the case of Au-I, TA results for the loaded carbon were compared with pure compounds of 12, Aul and Aul3.

Jan 1, 1998

By Robert E. Ennis

The somewhat misnomered "continuous" face section is in most mines today still far from perfect continuity. Achieving uninterrupted flow of coal from the mining machine to the outside has been a long sought for goal. Clearly, the largest problem to be solved in continuous mining today is one of increasing the cutting time of the miner. Full machine utilization can never be achieved with the new high capacity miners, as long as their performance is tied to that of the shuttle car. Figure No. I illustrates the point at which shuttle car haulage distance determines unit productivity rather than the productive capacity of the miner. Continuous mining is never realized. A recent development has proven, however, that truly continuous mining and haulage is possible. The Bell & Zoller Coal Company working with the Research and Development Department of Hewitt-Robins Inc. developed and perfected a new mining system which offers advantages in terms of increased productivity at reduced mining costs and enhances the safety of personnel at the face. This new system involves the use of two pieces of equipment that form a unbroken link, at all times, between the mining machine and the mine belt haulage system. These pieces are a Mobile Bridge Conveyor, and an extensible panel conveyor. The following areas of discussion will be covered during the review of this development. I. The design and operating features of the new system. 2. Its application in underground mining 3. The performance of the system to date 4. Operation and maintenance cost considerations 5. Safety features of the system

Jan 1, 1965

By J. O. Costello

Marble is a preferred surfacing material in up-scale buildings. Its use increased in the 1870&apos;s with rising national wealth and declined in the 1950&apos;s when synthetic materials for these applications were developed. Natural marble is now limited to high-end domestic and commercial structures. Cultured marble is a paste of white marble dust and polyester resin cured in molds yielding fixtures of specific finished dimensions. Dyes incorporated at different stages in the mixing cycle mimic shades and veining of natural marble. This paper discusses the filler requirements for cultured marble production and reviews new techniques to cut and finish natural marble.

Jan 1, 1999

By G. A. Rowell, T. M. Barczak, J. C. Zelanko

The US Bureau of Mines conducted a multifaceted geomechanics research project at a bump-prone longwall coal mine in eastern Kentucky. This mine presented a unique opportunity to study coal mine bumps because the problem appeared to be confined to areas beneath a sandstone channel of limited areal extent. The Bureau&apos;s research plan sought to exploit the uniqueness of the site by monitoring strata behavior and longwall support reactions as the longwall face approached and passed beneath a sandstone channel. The study incorporated static pillar stress and strata deformation measurements, shield support leg pressure measurements and microseismic monitoring, as well as geologic mapping and the collection of observational data. Data collection was underway when a major coal bump occurred on the longwall face at the mine. Pillar behavior (load and deformation), shield loading and microseismic activity were monitored prior to, during and after the bump. Observations in the tailgate indicated that these pillars were failing prior to and following the face bump. Shield load data, evaluated in an effort to identify trends that could be used to forecast coal bumps, appear to provide a measure of the effectiveness of destressing operations conducted on the face (e.g. shot firing). Analyses of microseismic data revealed anomalous values associated with microseismic "energy" prior to the face bump. In addition, microseismic source-location data and underground observations provided some insight as to the sequence of pillar and face bumps.

Jan 1, 1992

By S. J. Aparo

Phosphate mining and beneficiation in the State of Florida are presently being carried on by 12 different mining companies with a total of 21 mining and flotation plant locations. Their combined production of both washer rock and flotation concentrate was approximately 28,000,000 long tons in 1968. This accounted for 70-72% of the total U. S. production and close to 30% of the world&apos;s output of this mineral. From this extensive activity in the Florida phosphate field, one basic flow sheet for beneficiation of the ore has developed over the years as the most commonly employed. In fact, all of these plants with the exception of two beneficiate Florida pebble phosphate using a basic operation as illustrated in Figure I. The two plants which differ from this general approach are not using raw matrix as feed. In one instance, +14 mesh pebble is ground in a rod mill to release free silica which is subsequently removed in a cationic froth flotation circuit using an amine acetate blend and kerosene. This technique generally results in a 4-7 BPL unit upgrading of the feed pebble. The other exception to the standard flow sheet illustrated in Figure I is an operation which is beneficiating tailing piles. In this case, the material is first subjected to cationic froth flotation in order to upgrade the feed to a point comparable to normal matrix. Thereafter, after, the phosphate is floated in an anionic rougher circuit followed by cationic flotation of the silica in a cleaner circuit.

Jan 1, 1969

By P. K. Hopke, A. Hubbard, K. H. Leong, J. J. Stukel, K. Nourmohammadi

INTRODUCTION In order to understand the transport and deposition of radon daughters in mine atmospheres, it is necessary to know the variation in the attachment of the daughter atoms to particles as a function of particle size, composition, number density, relative humidity, temperature, and radon concentration, the free gaseous diffusion coefficients of the daughters, and the variation in the mass transfer of the activity, both free and attached to particles, to mine surfaces as a function of particle size distribution, surface roughness of the mine walls, and the flow conditions. If all of these parameters are known in a model system, it should be possible to understand the transport and fate of the airborne radioactivity in real mines under certain well-defined flow conditions. There have been a number of recent investigations of the attachment of radon decay products to particles 1-4, but there are still a number of unanswered questions regarding the process. However, it is clear that for most real mine atmospheres, the vast majority of the activity is attached to particles. The size distributions for the activity-bearing airborne particles have been studied 5,6, and it has been found that most of the activity resides on particles with diameters in the range of 0.05 µm to 0.3 µm with an average mass median diameter between 0.1 and 0.2 µm. The behavior of the unattached radon daughter species has also been recently studied[ 7], and many of the previous problems regarding the value of the diffusion coefficient for Po-218 have been resolved. A major problem in the understanding of the airborne transport of radioactivity in mines is the lack of detailed knowledge of mass tranfer to and fluid flow over rough walls under fully developed turbulent flow conditions. This paper will report the progress on a project that is designed to obtained that information. MATHEMATICAL MODEL DEVELOPMENT Deposition of particles on smooth surfaces in turbulent flow has been extensively studied. A comprehensive review of these results has been prepared by Sehmel 8. There has not been such a comprehensive study of particle deposition on rough walls under such flow conditions. In recent years, only a single model has been proposed to explain such deposition 9,10 and in both of these papers the flow structure in the rough walled pipe was not taken fully into account. As part of the work being conducted on this project, a more complete model was outlined in a previous report [11]. The basic theory will be reviewed to provide a context for the flow measurements to be reported. The flux of particle deposited on the walls of a pipe in a turbulent flow is derived from the one dimensional form of Fick&apos;s law as given by [N = Dpdpp/dr (1) where N is the flux of particles deposited per unit area per unit time, D is the total eddy diffusivity of the particles, p is the airborne concentration of particles, and pr is the distance measured from the center of the pipe. The rate of deposition is best expressed by a deposition velocity Vp = NIP pb (2) where P b is the mean particle concentration in the sulk flow. The shear radius, V/ut and the shear velocity, u , are used to calculate a nondimensional distance, and velocity, respectively, where v is the kinematic viscosity of the fluid. The nondimensional form of equation 1 is given by Vd = DP dpp(3) V dr+ where Pp = Pp/ Ppb(4) By integrating equation 3 from the rough wall stopping distance, S , to the center of the pipe, the deposition velocity can be obtained. In order to make this calculation, it is necessary to have accurate descriptions for the particle eddy diffusivity, stopping distance, and shear velocity in order to insure that the influence of the flow structure has been properly accounted for. The shear velocity can be determined experimentally from the shear stress evaluated at the wall, Tw, and the fluid density, ut =VT w/p = ub V f/2 (5) where ub is the mean bulk axial velocity. The wall shear stress for a given pressure drop, dP/dL, and hydraulic diameter, Dh, is]

Jan 1, 1981

By W. B. Collingwood, D. Misra, T. Ghosh, S. Bandopadhyay

Understanding the variability of sulfur and calorific value in coal seams is critical to planning mining operations and marketing the mined coal. In this study, statistical and geostatistical techniques were used to explore the underlying spatial trends present in a large coal deposit. Eight prediction models for the sulfur content of the coal seam were developed. Six of the models were created using geostatistical techniques, while the remaining two models were created using other techniques. The performance of each model was examined by conducting cross validation exercises. The results of the study showed that very pronounced trends and anisotropies were present in the sample data, which had to be accounted for in the modeling. The study found that a cokriging model using sulfur and ash is the best prediction model for predicting sulfur content in this coal reserve.

Jan 1, 2014

By John Wiebmer

Six industry trends will have significant effect on the way mining equipment is designed and supported in the years ahead: 1. MINING IS MIGRATING TO LESSER DEVELOPED PARTS OF THE WORLD The global recession of the early 1980's drove down commodity prices and intensified cost competition. This caused a fairly dramatic trend in mining away from higher cost operations in developed countries to richer, lower cost deposits in developing countries. Miners operating in lesser developed parts of the world will place higher value on rugged, durable designs that can live in more difficult and sometimes abusive conditions. They need engines and power train systems that are more tolerant of a wide variation in fuel quality and oil specifications. They'll require machines that are simpler to operate, simpler to maintain, simpler to troubleshoot and simpler to repair. And they'll require creative means of support in getting technical information, parts and components to remote operational sites. Mining equipment in the future will be more durable and simple than it is today, and product support will grow in importance as purchasing criterion. 2. THE MINING INDUSTRY IS CONSOLIDATING An intense amount of corporate acquisition and industry consolidation activity is occurring, to the point that today just 50 mining companies account for 55% of the western world non-fuel mineral production. Consolidation will continue, leading in the future to an industry structure weighted heavily toward a few key global mining houses.

Jan 1, 1993

By Stephen L. Chryssoulis

The detection and quantification of invisible gold by microbeam techniques is discussed. Ion probe microanalysis is used to quantify the gold content of individual sulphide, sulpharsenide and oxide particles with a detection limit of 0.2 ppmw (g/t). The proton microprobe is used to determine the gold concentration of gangue minerals with a detection limit of 2 - 4 ppm. Using these techniques complete mineralogical balances for gold are obtained to assist in the process selection and optimization. A total of twenty gold and gold-bearing ores have been examined. Selected examples are presented.

Jan 1, 1990

By Michael J. Taylor

Introduction A prime goal in the design and operation of uranium milling waste or tailing disposal systems is to mitigate adverse effects of tailing liquid on the adjacent groundwater. Adverse effects are often defined as modifying the groundwater quality in such a manner as to have detrimental health effects on downstream users. To accomplish this goal, the following three types of systems are employed with regard to the seepage and groundwater aspects of waste disposal: Type I Systems Seepage is allowed to occur unabated from the tailing disposal facility. Detrimental radionuclides and chemical elements are prevented from causing adverse downstream effects by natural purification actions in the subgrade geologic materials and the near zone groundwater. Monitoring is required to assure the predicted natural purification is occurring. The consequences of seepage loss is minimal since the m be predicted with current investigation and analytical techniques and can be evaluated as to effectiveness during operations. Type II Systems Seepage is partially retained in a waste impoundment or leakage from a designed retention system is anticipated. Natural purification is relied on for controlling migration of detrimental radionuclides or chemical elements, or contingency planning is employed to collect and return the tailing liquid to the impoundment. Installation efforts and concern for escape of tailing liquid are greater than for Type I systems, but extra precautions to preclude all seepage are not implemented. Monitoring is required to detect leakage and/or assure the natural purification of escaping tailing fluid. The consequence for accidential excusions are moderate, and will be excessive only if massive system failure occurs. Type III Systems Seepage is totally restricted by a costly system constructed and operated with extra care. Natural

Jan 1, 1980

By C. Sachanidis

From the surface mines of Ptolemais basin 48 samples of Pliocene lignite were collected. The samples were analysed using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INNA) and Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) for determining the concentrations of 39 trace elements. The contents of sulphur and ash and the loss of ignition were also determined. The chemical affinity of these trace elements was estimated based on 40 correlation diagrams between the elements concentrations and the ash content of the collected lignite samples. According to the obtained results, 18 elements have inorganic affinity (Co, Cr, Cs, Hf, Sc, Th, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Yb, Lu, ?n, Ba, ?, Sn, ?r) and 10 elements have inter-mediate affinity (As, U, ?r, Pb, Cu, Sb, Sr, S, Ni, V). The remaining 12 elements (Au, Ir, ??, Rb, Se, Ta, W, Tb, Ag, Cd, Bi, Be) exhibited concentrations below the detection limit. Thus, they were impossible to be classified in a specific affinity group. Based on the classification of these trace elements and sulphur in inorganic and intermediate affinity groups some useful conclusions are drawn regarding their behaviour during lignite combustion and lignite ash utilization and disposal processes.

Jan 1, 2006

By D. W. Scott, D. G. Minnes

Introduction Ontario&apos;s diverse industrial mineral resource base includes structural minerals such as sand and gravel, crushed stone, building stone, clay, shale, limestone, and dolostone. These resources are used to produce aggregates, brick, metallurgical stone, fillers, cement, lime, and other construction materials. The majority of the operations are in deposits of Palezoic and Quaternary age in southern Ontario, close to the major markets. Province-wide, there were more than 140 Mt (154 million st) of aggregates produced in 1985. About 115 Mt (128 million st) of that was produced in southern Ontario with the rest being largely from Crown land in northern Ontario. Structural industrial minerals account for more than 80% of the value of total industrial mineral production. The remaining 20% is accounted for by the nonstructural minerals, such as salt, which is produced in the southwestern part of the province. A host of other nonstructural industrial minerals are known. Production, though, is currently restricted to calcite, gypsum, quartz, talc, nepheline syenite, and byproduct metallurgical sulfur products (Fig. 1). Major production is close to the large markets of urbanized southern Ontario and the northeastern and northcentral US. With an abundant variety of industrial mineral resources and the large population within 650 km (400 miles) of most deposits, the market offers great potential. Ontario&apos;s nine million people accounted for about 35% of Canada&apos;s entire $476.3 billion gross domestic product in 1985. This equates to about one-third of the nation&apos;s buying power being within a 200-km (125-mile) radius of Toronto. This major concentration of industrial and economic activity has resulted in a well-developed industrial minerals industry that fulfills most of the structural industrial minerals demand in Ontario. Nonstructural industrial minerals are similarly well placed to compete in this high demand area. Although Ontario manufacturers still import some of these materials, Ontario products are achieving significant market share. And, they serve the needs of neighboring provinces and states. Present production and trends Ontario has traditionally produced significant amounts of industrial minerals. This produc¬tion had a value of $956 million in 1984 (Table 1). Structural materials production in 1985 and 1986 approached or exceeded levels not seen since the early 1970s. Many new products have been developed using these raw materials. The industry is becoming concentrated in the hands of several large companies, mainly four large cement com-

Jan 12, 1987

By W. D. Blackburn

If there is a single key to managing a mineral extraction company, it is the control of productivity. American labor costs, in general, tend to be in the range of 10%-15% of total costs. American coal mining labor costs, however, exhibit ranges of 30%-60% of total costs. Is it any wonder that the industry finds itself at a competitive disadvantage? When labor costs take as much as sixty cents of every dollar of revenue, there is little room for profitability. The American coal mining industry must set as a long range goal the reduction of labor costs to the 10%-15% range of total costs in order to be competitive.

Jan 1, 1986

By Chinmay Shingote, Robert Visintainer, Renjie Ke, Jaikrishnan R. Kadambi, John Furlan

Hydrocyclone separators are widely used in various industrial applications in the oil and mining industries to sort, classify, and separate solid particles or liquid droplets within liquid suspensions, which are considered to be multiphase systems. Numerous valuable studies have been conducted in recent years to investigate the flow fields inside hydrocyclones. However, much of the information regarding the performance of cyclones in the literature has limitations and much of it cannot be considered as completely applicable to most real-world applications; many of the studies investigated the flow fields within extremely simplified hydraulic designs that are not representative of the complex geometries or large sizes which are typical in industry. Therefore, in this study, the two-phase flow system inside the actual hydraulic geometry of a milling circuit hydrocyclone is explored with the aid of both computational and experimental techniques (particle image velocimetry (PIV)). More specifically, the flow field with an air core has been investigated. In addition, the air-liquid two phases flow in a hydrocyclone might cause some challenges on both the computational and experimental sides. Two turbulence models are utilized in the numerical calculations: the Reynolds stress model and large eddy simulation. The computational studies are mainly focused on the local flow behavior and the prediction of the dimensions and shape of the air core. Different section planes of hydrocyclone are selected as planes of interest and divided into several fields of view (FOV) for PIV measurements. Two-dimensional experimental velocity vector maps are obtained in each of the fields of view. The computational results are validated globally using pressure and flow rate readings at the boundaries and locally by comparison to the PIV velocity vector maps and profiles.