How to Process Placer Tantalum Niobium Ore in Mozambique?

Tantalum and niobium are two high-value metals used in electronics, aerospace, and many modern industries. Mozambique is rich in placer Ta-Nb ore, and many miners are looking for the best way to process this kind of raw material. In this article, we will share a real case from Mozambique and show you the key machines needed to get high-grade Ta-Nb concentrate.

Raw Ore Situation in Mozambique

Recently, one of our customers from Mozambique sent us details about his Ta-Nb ore. Here is the basic information:

Ore type: Mostly placer ore, mixed with a small amount of rock ore
Testing method: Only XRF device data, no lab report yet
Ta2O5 grade: 20–35% PPM
Nb2O5 grade: 10–20% PPM

Because the customer has only XRF data, our engineers suggest sending an ore sample to a lab for a full test report. A lab test can give exact mineral composition, which helps us design the best flow sheet. Still, based on our past projects in Africa, we can already plan a workable processing line for this kind of placer ore.

What Does the Customer Need?

The customer has clear requirements for the project:

A full processing line, from washing to final concentrate
Main machines include: mobile trommel washing screen, gravity separator, and magnetic separator
Quick installation and quick production start
High recovery rate of Ta and Nb

These requests are very common for miners who want fast returns from their mine site. A modular and mobile plant is often the best choice for placer ore.

Basic Processing Flow for Placer Ta-Nb Ore

For placer tantalum niobium ore, the processing flow usually has three main steps.

Step 1: Washing and Screening

The first step is to wash the raw ore and remove clay, mud, and oversize stones. A mobile trommel washing screen is the best machine for this job. It can wash and screen at the same time, and it is easy to move around the mine site. This step prepares clean ore for the next stage.

Step 2: Gravity Separation

After washing, the ore goes to gravity separators such as jig machines and shaking tables. Tantalum and niobium minerals have high density, so gravity separation can remove most of the light waste rock. This step gives a rough concentrate with much higher Ta-Nb grade.

Step 3: Magnetic Separation

The rough concentrate still contains iron minerals and other magnetic impurities. A magnetic separator is used to remove these unwanted minerals and further raise the grade of the Ta-Nb concentrate.

Why Is the 3-Disc Electromagnetic Separator So Important?

For all Ta-Nb ore projects, if you want to get a high-grade final product, there is one machine you cannot skip — the 3-disc electromagnetic separator.

This machine uses three magnetic discs with different magnetic strengths. It can separate tantalum and niobium minerals from other minerals like iron, tin, tungsten, and garnet with high efficiency. Without this machine, the final concentrate grade will stay low, and the selling price will also be low.

Key benefits of the 3-disc electromagnetic separator:

High separation accuracy for fine minerals
Can handle dry ore with low water use
Produces high-grade Ta-Nb final product
Stable running with low cost

Advantages of Our Mozambique Ta-Nb Plant Design

Based on the customer’s needs, our engineers are working on a plant with these features:

Mobile and modular design for fast installation
Short building time, so the customer can start production soon
High recovery rate thanks to the combined gravity + magnetic flow
Low operation cost, suitable for small and medium mines

Once our engineer finishes the full flow chart, we will share more details in the next article.

Contact Us for Your Ta-Nb Ore Project

If you are also mining tantalum niobium ore in Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, or other countries, and you want a reliable processing plant, feel free to contact Dasen Mining. Please send us the following details so we can give you a fast quote:

Raw ore type (placer or rock)
Ore test report (if available)
Daily capacity you need
Mine site location
Raw ore size
Your budget

Whatsapp:+86 133 1927 7356
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