Successful process analysis and metallurgical accounting depends not only on collecting accu- rate data and analysing it properly, but on doing so according to appropriate statistical protocols. Much has been written about the design and analysis of
experiments (Mason et al., 1989), and the clas- sical statistical methods are eminently applicable to mineral processing and should be applied both in the laboratory and in the concentrator itself.
A common form of experiment is the plant trial, often conducted to compare some new condition such as a new flotation reagent or piece of equip- ment against the current arrangement to determine whether a process improvement can be achieved.
It is essential that the correct protocol be followed in such cases. If not, the result will often be excessive time and costs in reaching a decision, or the wrong decision, or more often than not no decision at all. Several procedures are avail- able for the conduct and analysis of plant trials (Cavender, 1993; Napier-Munn, 1995, 1998; Bruey and Briggs, 1997).
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