Abstract

Mineral processing usually utilizes multi-unit separations because complete separation is seldom achieved in one unit. The analysis and design of these circuits have been an active area of research in the exploration for improvements in mineral processing. Linear circuit analysis (LCA) has been proposed as a simple tool for the analysis of mineral processing circuits. Clearly, LCA is a tool with several advantages, but it does have its limitations and disadvantages. This paper presents an analysis of some limitations and disadvantages of LCA. The results show that LCA must be used carefully because the application of LCA can introduce errors and incomplete analysis.