Hand Panning

Vincent T. Cui
METE 128: MINERAL PROCESSING LABORATORY

ABSTRACT
Panning is a simple method of separating particles of greater specific gravity (especially gold) from
soil or gravels by washing in a pan with water. It is one of the principal techniques of the individual prospector
for recovering gold and diamonds in placer (alluvial) deposits. The use of vanning pan as a means for
separating heavy mineral from the gangue has been a practice which dates back to the 15 th century. During
those days, it has been found that minerals of copper and lead tended to separate from the invaluable portions
of an ore by using a shallow pan with a slight indentation in the center. Up to this time, this procedure is still
being used, especially by the small scale miners in the various provinces in the Philippines.

INTRODUCTION A better understanding on the basic

Hand panning is most commonly used to
locate a richer paying area by sampling, so that
larger production equipment can be brought into
that location to work the ground to recover more
minerals especially gold. The typical pan is a light
but rugged circular metal dish with a flat bottom
and sides that slope out at about 45. Its inner
surface must be smooth and free from grease and
rust. In panning for gold from streams, the pan is
first filled halfway or so with gravel, soil, and rocks
from places where the current is slower (such as
downstream of boulders or on the inner side of
bends in the stream). The pan is then immersed in
the water, and the mixture is thoroughly wetted and
stirred.
Lumps of clay are broken up, and large
stones are picked out. The pan, still under water, is
then given a combination shaking and gyratory
motion. This allows the heavy particles to settle and
brings the lighter material to the surface. At
intervals the pan is tilted, and the light surface
material is washed off. This process is continued
until only heavy black sands (such
as limonite, magnetite, and pyrite) and gold remain.
The material is dried and the gold removed
(perhaps after using a magnet to remove some of
the black sand). Panning is slow, backbreaking
work, but in experienced hands there is little or no
loss of gold.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This experiment aims to familiarize with
the use hand panning method in the separation of
valuable mineral from gangue material.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
concepts of panning is an essential element for the
future development of improved gravity
concentration processes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Materials and Equipment:
Mineral sample Weighing balance
70 mesh sieve Pycnometer
Basin Distilled water
Procedure:
Using 70 mesh, the sample was carefully
sieved. After sieving, the undersize was weighed
and used as the sample for hand panning. Putting a
little amount of water just dilute the sample, it was
placed into the basin and was mixed thoroughly.
The pan was rotated clockwise, the unwanted
minerals are expected float and the water was then
poured into another container. The steps was
repeated until the water started to clear. At this
stage, water was added to the sample and panned
slowly to let the concentrate flow to the side. The
concentrate was collected in an aluminum pan and
started to dry.
After all the drying and weighing, specific
gravity was determined by using pycnometer. The
pycnometer was weighed, empty and clean. After
recording the data, it was filled up to the brim and
covered and weighed as mass of pycnometer plus
distilled water. From that amount water, half of it
from the pycnometer was taken out. Approximately
one gram of the sample was poured into the
pycnometer and mixed for 1 minute. Pycnometer
was filled again with water up to the brim but this
time with the sample in it, covered and weighed as
the pycnometer with water and sample.

Hand Panning. Submitted to Engr. Myra V. Cabatingan, Instructor. Page 1 of 3

The specific gravity was calculated by the formula
below: = 210.827g 98.51g
= 112.317g
Wo
SpecificGravity = (eqn The mass of tails is equal to 112.317g
Wo+(WaWb )
1)
For the percent recovery of the percent recovery for
the concentrate in hand panning was calculated
Where Wo is the mass of sample, Wa is the mass of
below:
pycnometer with water and Wb is the mass of
C
pycnometer with water and sample. R= x 100
Figure 1: Flow sheet of Hand Panning Process. F
98.51
R= x 100
210.827
Seiving weighing
R=46.73

Wt. sample 1.050 g

Wt. of empty Pycnometer 23. 272 g
Wt. of pycnometer with water 48.521 g
panning drying Wt. of pycnometer with water and 49.313 g
sample.

Table 2: The specific gravity was calculated using

determinati these data and the equation below:
on of data
specific gathering Wo
gravity SpecificGravity =
Wo+(WaWb )

1.050 g
= = 4.07
analysis 1.050 g+(48.52149.313)
The specific gravity of the concentrate sample was
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4.07.

Wt. of ore sample 502.176g CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Wt. undersize 70 mesh sample 210.827g
(feed) Hand Panning is similar in theoretical
Wt. after panning and drying 98.51g operation to a jig. The factors that would greatly
(concentrate) affect the settling of heavy minerals are the size,
Wt. of waste (tails) 112.317g specific gravity and density of the sample. The
largest and lightest grains concentrate at the
Table 1: Data Gathered from hand panning surface; and the smallest and heaviest grains, at the
base of the sample. The minerals present in the ore
The ore sample was sieved by a 70 mesh sieve. could not be obtained since the course of
Undersized sample has a mass of 210.827 grams. experiment were only limited to the hand panning
The undersized sample was used as feed for hand stage. No further analysis were made to the sample,
panning. thus minerals present in the ore sample was not
obtained. Hand panning provides a cheaper, yet less
Concentrate has a mass of 98.51g. Since feed is efficient method in gravity separation and is
equal to concentrate and tails, the value for tails suitable for separating minerals with large density
was calculated below: differences. The specific gravity for the concentrate
is 4.07.
F=C+T
REFERENCES
Where F is the feed, C is the concentrate and T is
the tails. http://www.goldgold.com/gold-prospectinggold-
T=FC panning-instructions.html

Hand Panning. Submitted to Engr. Myra V. Cabatingan, Instructor. Page 2 of 3

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/44141 Wills, B. et. al. 2006. Gravity Concentration. Wills
8/panning Mineral Processing Technology. Elsevier Science
and Technology Books
http://nevada-outback-
gems.com/basic_prospecting/commercial_equip.ht
m

Hand Panning. Submitted to Engr. Myra V. Cabatingan, Instructor. Page 3 of 3