Abstract
The Bilmat program has been used for more than two decades to balance the data collected from the sampling of mineral processing circuits. Initially developped to balance chemical assays in order to estimate the solid distribution within the streams of a circuit, Bilmat provides reliable estimates for the metal recoveries. However with the increasing complexity of the ores that should be processed, it became obvious that tracking the metal distribution within the streams of a circuit may not be sufficient to diagnose an operating problem. Indeed, a mineral processing plant does not separate metals but minerals. When sufficient elementary analyses are available, it is possible to combine the Bilmat mass balance features with an estimation of the mineral composition and distribution within the streams of a circuit. The poster presentation will show the results of the application of a the modified Bilmat method to production data provided by the iron ore concentrator of Minerai de Fer Quebec, that processses a complicated ore consisting of various iron oxides and silicate minerals.