Modern trends of improvement of chrysotile asbestos ore processing and enhancement of quality of minerals and marketable products

The current technology of chrysotile asbestos ore processing shows an upward trend of multipurpose utilization and a downward trend of losses of valuable components and consumption of resources for processing. It is required to continue perfection of chrysotile asbestos ore pretreatment and processing using the available theories and techniques approved on an industrial scale, and integrated procedures with introduction of modern and effective crushing and processing equipment. The aim of this study is to analyze the related research and to evaluate adaptability of the research findings to the further evolvement and improvement of the pretreatment and processing technologies for chrysotile asbestos ore. The research material offers the ways of improvement of chrysotile asbestos ore processing in terms of quality perfection, deep conversion, multipurpose utilization and resource saving of chrysotile fiber at chrysotile asbestos plants in Russia and in Kazakhstan. This article also addresses elaboration and betterment of a resource saving mechanism for the chrysotile industry. The article informs on the data of quality control of chrysotile asbestos fiber and on quality indicators for the chrysotile asbestos industry. The comparative analysis data are presented for the properties and compositions of marketable chrysotile fiber delivered to both domestic and foreign markets from different deposits. Also, the information on laboratory investigations, equipment and techniques for determining quantitative and qualitative evaluations of chrysotile fiber is given. The operation modes of laboratory equipment are discussed. The filtration property of chrysotile, the opening of asbestos fiber, its strength and other properties of chrysotile asbestos and chrysotile-bearing materials are characterized. The present-day quality of marketable chrysotile fiber delivered to the world market is described.

Keywords: serpentinite, ore, rock, chrysotile asbestos, grade, group, marketable product, technology, production, business processes, cost, profitability, competitiveness, control, modernization, optimization, resource saving, processability, content, fractional composition and sieve analysis, processing, drying, blast furnace, classification, sieving, centrifugal crushers, fiber opening, filtration time, wet volume, technological value, specific surface, monitoring equipment, pneumatic and hydraulic classifiers.

For citation:

Punenkov S. E., Kozlov Y. S., Matyukhin V. I., Punenkov N. S. Modern trends of improvement of chrysotile asbestos ore processing and enhancement of quality of minerals and marketable products. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2025;(7):127-143. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2025_7_0_127.

Acknowledgements:

About authors:

S.E. Punenkov¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Head of Chair; Chief Technologist of the Mining and Processing Plant of Kostanay Minerals JSC, PAO Uralasbest, Asbestos, Russia, e-mail: ore-dressing@control.uralasbest.ru,
Y.S. Kozlov, Student, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 101000, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: punse@uralasbest.ru,
V.I. Matyukhin, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, Senior Researcher, Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, 620062, Ekaterinburg, Russia e-mail: Matyhin53@mail.ru,
N.S. Punenkov¹, Student, e-mail: asukin792@gmail.com,
¹ Ural State Mining University, 620144, Ekaterinburg, Russia.

 

For contacts:

S.E. Punenkov, e-mail: ore-dressing@control.uralasbest.ru.

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