An Advanced Approach for Geometallurgical Modeling Applied to Bauxite Mines

Geometallurgy is an approach that integrates geology, mining, processing, and environmental areas, aiming to increase knowledge of the deposit and reduce risks in mining projects and/or operations. Growing changes in economic and operational scenarios require the development of robust models for metallurgical responses. Typically, the population of geometallurgical variables is small, and there are restrictions on applying geostatistical techniques, such as Ordinary Kriging, since recoveries are considered non-additive variables. This study used multiple linear regression to develop a geometallurgical model for a bauxite mine. The developed models enabled reconciliation with real results, and this application for bauxite mining represents a novelty in the literature. The model estimated the mass recovery in the coarse fraction with an accuracy greater than 97%. Additionally, the geometallurgical model developed for Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN) allows predictability and mapping potential product quality deviations.