Flowsheet Design of Pilot Beneficiation Plant for Melka Arba Iron and some Essential Minerals in Ethiopia Using METSIM

Flowsheet Design of Pilot Beneficiation Plant for Melka Arba Iron and some Essential Minerals in Ethiopia Using METSIM | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Flowsheet Design of Pilot Beneficiation Plant for Melka Arba Iron and some Essential Minerals in Ethiopia Using METSIM Asmamaw Mulugeta, Mulugeta Sisay, Ijara Tesfaye This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7970880/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Ethiopia possesses abundant mineral resources, including coal, iron, lithium, niobium, chromium, gold, and tantalum, yet faces challenges in efficiently utilizing these for economic development. A lack of dedicated pilot-scale beneficiation simulation flowsheets has hindered research and optimization of extraction techniques. This study proposes a common pilot beneficiation plant flowsheet using METSIM software, tested through simulation of Melka Arba iron ore magnetic separation. Equipment selection was guided by mineralogical analysis and literature review to suit Ethiopian ores, integrating industry-standard crushers, mills, and separation methods (magnetic, gravity, flotation) to streamline operations and reduce redundancy. METSIM simulations demonstrated nearly 86% magnetite recovery, validating magnetic separation’s effectiveness. Mass balance confirmed successful separation of magnetite from gangue minerals. These results provide a solid foundation for process optimization, enhancing recovery, efficiency, and economic viability. The proposed pilot design offers a scalable framework to modernize Ethiopia’s mineral processing industry and address the lack of standardized beneficiation approaches. Flowsheet Design METSIM Simulation Software Common Pilot Beneficiation Plant Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 26 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 25 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 12 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 27 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 27 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Nov, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 25 Nov, 2025 Editor invited by journal 23 Nov, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 15 Nov, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 07 Nov, 2025 First submitted to journal 07 Nov, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7970880","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":551651587,"identity":"6cba0b27-a4d8-46fe-8936-e199b6a26dff","order_by":0,"name":"Asmamaw 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