Tin is an important strategic metal, widely used in electronics, metallurgy, chemical industry and other fields. Its deposit types are mainly primary vein deposits and sand tin deposits, and the mining and beneficiation processes need to be flexibly adjusted according to the properties of the ore. Modern tin mine development has formed a systematic technical system from mining to sorting, taking into account resource utilization and environmental benefits.

1. Mining methods and equipment configuration

Tin mining is mainly divided into two modes: open-pit mining and underground mining. Open-pit mining is suitable for shallow and large-scale ore bodies. It adopts a multi-step stripping method and is equipped with hydraulic excavators, mining dump trucks and other equipment. Underground mining targets deep veins, through vertical shafts or inclined shafts, and uses rock drilling trolleys for layered collapse. Regardless of the method, a ventilation and dust removal system must be configured to ensure operational safety.

Sand tin mine development mostly uses hydraulic mining technology, using high-pressure water guns to flush the ore layer, forming slurry and then transporting it to the beneficiation plant through pipelines. This method has strong adaptability to terrain, but requires a sedimentation tank to treat tailings water.

2. Ore dressing process

Ore dressing is the core link to improve the tin grade, which usually includes the following stages:

Crushing and screening: jaw crusher completes coarse crushing, cone crusher performs medium and fine crushing, and vibrating screen is used to classify by particle size. Sand ore can directly enter the ore washing process.

Gravity concentration: taking advantage of the high density of cassiterite (6.8-7.1g/cm³), spiral chute pre-selection and shaking table fine sorting are adopted. Jig can process coarse-grained ore, and centrifugal concentrator is suitable for fine particle recovery.

Combined process: for complex associated ores, the "gravity selection-flotation" combined process is adopted. Flotation can separate sulfides, and magnetic separation can remove ferromagnetic impurities. Electrostatic separation is often used for concentrate purification.

3. Production example analysis

A large-scale sand tin mine in Southeast Asia adopts a full-process gravity separation process with an annual processing capacity of 1.2 million tons. The raw ore contains 0.8% tin. After desludging by the three-stage hydrocyclone, the -2mm material enters the trapezoidal jig for rough selection, and a coarse concentrate containing 15% tin is obtained. Subsequently, a double-layer shaking table is used for three rounds of selection, and finally a concentrate containing 55% tin is obtained, with a recovery rate of 75%. The plant is equipped with an automated control system to monitor the feed concentration and equipment load in real time, reducing energy consumption by 18%.

The ore dressing wastewater is recycled after three-stage sedimentation treatment, and the tailings sand is used to prepare building materials to achieve comprehensive resource utilization. This case shows that through process optimization and equipment upgrades, the traditional gravity separation method can still meet environmental protection requirements while ensuring economic benefits.