Jigging is one of the most important methods of gravity concentration. It is widely used for beneficiation of ores of ferrous metaIs (iron and manganese), dispersed deposits of tin, titanium and zirconium, gold-bearing sands, coal, etc. Jigging is also on of the oldest forms of mineral processing, but the existing theories of jigging have little practical use from design and operational standpoint. The empirical method, based on partition curves, it is until now the standard method for the calculation of coal washing unit performance.
In the last years, a great deal of effort has been expended by many researchers to model the jigging mechanism. The main difficulties are the kinetic (dynamic) description of the process and the description of the separation based on size difference.
In this context, it seems pertinent to develop a kinetic model, suitable for multicomponent jig beds, were the stratification takes place as a result of density and size differences. The model uses elements of the theory of mass transfer phenomena. Basically, the jigging mechanism is described as a segregation-dispersion multicomponent process. The model was fitted to experimental data. The data refers to the batch jigging of artificial mixtures of magnetite ore and limestone, with two and four components. The statistical treatment of the fitting results validates the model.