The role of microtexture and mesotexture in the separation performance of an ore

• The scale at which ore texture is measured needs to be carefully considered. • Microtexture can be used to estimate and rank flotation separability of ores. • Mesotexture analysis aids in better interpretation of the origin of liberation. • Simulation aids in understanding textural features influencing separation performance. This paper presents the role of microtexture and mesotexture in the separation performance of an ore. Microtexture analysis highlighted the influence of mineral grain size distribution in mineral liberation and separation recovery. Mesotexture analysis highlighted the contribution of vein structures in mineral liberation and provided insights of the origin of liberated particles observed during microtexture analysis. The work demonstrates the importance of the scale at which ore texture is measured and points to the way drill cores are prepared for textural analysis. Selection of the most appropriate scale of analysis also provides an effective means of acquiring textural information relevant to mineral processing for the entire deposit and consequently improving deposit characterisation.