Ukucubungula amaminerali nge-gravity yindlela entsha esebenzisa amandla emvelo e-gravity ukuhlukanisa amaminerali ngokusekelwe kumazinga awo ahlukene e-specific gravity. Le ndlela iyaziwa kabanzi ngezinzuzo zayo zemvelo uma iqhathaniswa nezindlela zokukhipha amaminerali ezivamile ezisebenzisa amakhemikhali. Ngokunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kwezinto eziyingozi nokunciphisa ukukhiqizwa kukadoti, ukucubungula nge-gravity kunikeza indlela esimeme ehambisana nokugcizelelwa komhlaba okukhulayo ezindleleni zokumba ezinganakile imvelo. Ukukhipha amaminerali ngendlela esimeme kubalulekile, hhayi nje ukuvikela imvelo kodwa futhi nokusekela ukuphathwa kwezinsiza ngokuziphendulela ezizukulwaneni ezizayo.

Izindlela zendabuko zokucubungula amaminerali zihlanganisa izindlela zamakhemikhali njengokuhlanganisa (flotation) nokukhipha (leaching), ezingadala izinselele ezinkulu zemvelo ezihlanganisa ukungcola kwamanzi, ukungcola komhlabathi, kanye nokukhiqizwa kukadoti oyingozi. Imisebenzi yokumba izinsimbi ibe nomthelela omubi emphakathini wasendaweni, ibangele ukwehla kwezinto zemvelo kanye nezinkinga zempilo ngenxa yemikhiqizo engemihle yamakhhemikhali enobuthi. Njengoba isidingo samaminerali sikhula, ingcindezi ezimayini yokwamukela izindlela ezihambisana nemvelo iyanda. Ukusebenzisa izixazululo ezihambisana nemvelo zokucubungula amaminerali ngokusebenzisa amandla omzimba (gravity) kungaxazulula lezi zinselele ngokunciphisa ukuncika kumakhemikhali nokukhuthaza izindlela zokukhipha ezihlanzekile ezivikela imvelo futhi zithuthukise inhlalakahle yomphakathi.

I-Alicoco Mineral Technology Co., Limited isihamba phambili ekuthuthukiseni izixazululo eziphambili zokucubungula amaminerali ngokusebenzisa amandla omfutho, eziklanyelwe amaminerali anezinhlamvu ezincane, okunzima ukuzihlukanisa ngezindlela ezijwayelekile. Izikhalu zabo ezine-patent nezinye izinto zokusebenza zokuhlukanisa ngokusebenzisa amandla omfutho zisebenzisa imiklamo emisha ukuthuthukisa amazinga okubuyisa amaminerali ngenkathi kuncishiswa umthelela emvelweni. Ubuchwepheshe be-Alicoco bugxila ekwandiseni ukusebenza kahle ngokusebenzisa izimiso zokuhlukanisa ngokusebenzisa amandla omfutho, okuholela ekunciphisweni kokusetshenziswa kwamandla nokukhiqizwa kukadoti. Izifundo zamacala ezivela kumaphrojekthi ahlukahlukene ezimayini zikhombisa ikhono le-Alicoco lokusebenzisa lezi zixazululo ngempumelelo, zigqamise ukuthuthuka okubalulekile ekuhlanzekeni kwamaminerali nasekuqhubekeni komsebenzi.

Ukucubungula amaminerali nge-gravity kunikeza izinzuzo eziningi uma kuqhathaniswa nezindlela ezisekelwe emakhemikhali. Okokuqala, kugwema noma kunciphisa kakhulu ukusetshenziswa kwamakhemikhali, ngaleyo ndlela kunciphisa ingozi yokungcoliswa kwemvelo. Okwesibili, ukuhlukanisa nge-gravity kusebenza kakhulu ekutholeni amaminerali anezinhlamvu ezinhle, okuyinselele kwezinye izindlela zakudala. Le ndlela ithuthukisa ukusebenza kahle ngokwenza lula izigaba zokucubungula nokunciphisa izindleko zezinto ezisetshenziswayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukucubungula nge-gravity kukhiqiza amatshe amancane kanye nemfucuza, okufaka isandla ekutholakaleni okuhlanzekile kwezimayini. Lezi zinzuzo ziyenza ibe yindlela ekhethwayo yezinkampani zezimayini ezihlose ukuthobela imithetho eqinile yemvelo nokuthuthukisa izithombe zazo zenhlalo.

Izingxenye ezahlukahlukene embonini yezimayini zithathe izindlela zokucubungula amaminerali ngokusebenzisa amandla omfutho, ikakhulukazi emamineralini afana negolide, i-hematite, i-cobalt, namanye amaminerali anezinsimbi nawangenawo. Izinsika zika-Alicoco zibe nomthelela omkhulu ekuthuthukiseni ukuhlukaniswa kwamaminerali anezinhlayiya ezincane kulezi zimboni. Ngokwesibonelo, imisebenzi yezimayini zegolide ibike ukwanda kwezinga lokutholwa ngomthelela omncane kwezemvelo kusetshenziswa imishini ka-Alicoco. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izixazululo zenkampani ziye zabonakala zisebenza ekucubunguleni izimayini eziyinkimbinkimbi ezazidinga ukwelashwa okuningi ngamakhemikhali. Le misebenzi ephumelelayo ibonisa ukuthi ukucubungula amaminerali ngokusebenzisa amandla omfutho okungelona ubuthi obungakwazi ukubhubhisa imvelo kuguqula ukukhiqizwa kwamaminerali kube umkhuba oqhubekayo futhi onenzuzo kwezomnotho.

Ikakhwezi lokucubungula amaminerali lihlobene kakhulu nokuqanjwa kwezobuchwepheshe nokusimama. Izindlela ezintsha zihlanganisa ukuhlanganiswa kwezinsimbi ezihlakaniphile nokuzenzakalela ezintweni zokuhlukanisa nge-gravity ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukusebenza nokunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kwamandla kakhudlwana. Abacwaningi bahlola nezinye izinhlelo ezihlanganisa ukucubungula nge-gravity nezinye ubuchwepheshe obunobungani nemvelo ukuze kuthuthukiswe amazinga okubuyisa amaminerali amahle kakhulu. Izibikezelo zemayini esimeme zigcizelela indima eyandayo yezinkampani ezifana ne-Alicoco ekushayeleni phambili ukwamukelwa kobuchwepheshe obuluhlaza kulo lonke ibhizinisi. Ukuqhubeka kokuthuthukiswa nokusetshenziswa kwezixazululo zokucubungula nge-gravity ezibhekele imvelo kuyoba kubalulekile ukufeza izidingo zomnotho kanye nemigomo yokulondolozwa kwemvelo.

Ukucubungula amaminerali nge-gravity kubonisa ushintsho olubalulekile olubheke ezindleleni zokumbiwa kwezimbiwa ezisimeme ngokuhlinzeka ngezixazululo eziphumelelayo, ezingenamakhemikhali ezivikela imvelo futhi zisekele impilo yomphakathi. I-Alicoco Mineral Technology Co., Limited igqama njengomdlali oyinhloko ohlinzeka ngobuchwepheshe obunelungelo lobunikazi bokuhlukanisa nge-gravity obubhekana nezinselelo zokucubungula amaminerali anezinhlamvu ezinhle kakhulu ngomthelela omncane emvelweni. Ababambiqhaza bemboni bayakhuthazwa ukuthi bahlole futhi bamukele lezi zixazululo ezihambisana nemvelo ukuze kuthuthukiswe ikusasa eliluhlaza lokukhipha amaminerali, kuqinisekiswe ukutholakala kwezinsiza nokugadwa kwemvelo ezizukulwaneni ezizayo.

Ukuze uthole imininingwane eyengeziwe kanye nezifundo ezinemininingwane mayelana nokucubungula amaminerali ngamandla okudonsa anobungani nemvelo, abafundi abanentshisekelo bayamenywa ukuthi bavakashele ikhasi le-Alicoco elithiIzibonelo ikhasi, eliveza ukuphumelela kwezinhlelo ezimpumelelayo. Hlala unolwazi ngezinto ezintsha zakamuva kanye nezindaba zenkampani nge-Izindaba isigaba. Ukuthola ulwazi oluphelele lomkhiqizo kanye nemibuzo, iImikhiqizoikhasi linikeza izincazelo ezinemininingwane ngezihlanganisi zabo eziyimfihlo zemishiza kanye nemishini yokucubungula amandla okudonsa. Ukufunda kabanzi ngokuqiniseka kuka-Alicoco ngekhwalithi kanye nenkonzo yamakhasimende, vakashela ikhasi le-Ikhaya noma thintana nethimba labo lokusekela nge-Oxhumana Nabo-1 ikhasi.