Conglomerado

Tipo
Sedimentary rock (clastic)

Composición
Rounded clasts (pebbles, cobbles) + matrix (sand, silt, clay)

Common Minerals
Gold (Au), diamonds (C), cassiterite (SnO₂), ilmenite (FeTiO₃), quartz (SiO₂)

Clasificación de los minerales
Polymictic (mixed clasts) / Oligomictic (single dominant clast)

Hardness (Mohs)
Variable (4–7, depends on clasts: quartz = 7, gold = 2.5–3)

Grain Size
Clasts: >2 mm (pebbles to boulders); Matrix: sand/silt (<2 mm)

Color
Multicolored (clast-dependent), often gray, brown, or reddish

Lustre
Clasts: vitreous (quartz), metallic (gold); Matrix: dull

Fractura
Irregular (clasts may break conchoidally)

The conglomerate is a sedimentary rock made of rounded pebbles and sand that is usually held together (cemented) by silica, calcite, or iron oxide. It is a stone similar to sandstone, but the rock particles are rounded or angular gravel rather than sand.

El conglomerado es una roca de grano grueso que suele formarse en los cauces de los ríos. Los guijarros y la arena pueden estar compuestos por muchos minerales diferentes, pero suelen ser minerales a base de cuarzo.

El conglomerado tiene una dureza variable y a menudo parece hormigón. Suele encontrarse en capas gruesas y toscamente estratificadas. Los lechos de conglomerado suelen ser depósitos subterráneos de agua y petróleo. Los conglomerados se utilizan en la industria de la construcción como piedra decorativa.

Conglomerates (sedimentary rocks with rounded clasts in a finer matrix) often host gold, diamonds, tin, or heavy minerals (e.g., zircon, rutile). Their processing depends on ore type, grain size, and liberation characteristics.

1.Crushing & Scrubbing (Deagglomeration)

• Trituración gruesa (Jaw → Cone crusher) if clasts are >50 mm.
• Rotary scrubbers o depuradores de desgaste remove clay and break loosely cemented matrix.
  → Prevents “slime blinding” in later gravity separation.

2. Screening & Classification

• Trommel screens separate oversized waste (+50 mm).
• Hydrocyclones o cribas vibratorias classify finer fractions for gravity concentration.

3. Gravity Separation (Primary Method)

1. Plantillas (for coarse gold/heavy minerals).
2. Concentradores espirales (for medium sand-sized particles).
3. Mesas vibratorias (for fine gold/mixed concentrates).
4. Concentradores centrífugos (Knelson/Falcon – high recovery of micron gold).

✓ Best for: Alluvial-type conglomerates (e.g., Witwatersrand gold, Namibian diamonds).

4. Flotation or Leaching (If Needed)

• Flotación: Useful for sulfide minerals in the matrix (e.g., pyrite-associated gold).
• Cyanidation (CIL/CIP): If gold is liberated but too fine for gravity.
• Dense Media Separation (DMS): For diamond/tin-bearing conglomerates (using ferrosilicon slurry).

5. Tailings Management & Final Recovery

• Slime treatment: If the clay content is high, use thickeners or filter presses.
• Re-processing: Scavenger circuits (e.g., secondary centrifugal concentrators).