Classification of the Major Copper Sulphides into semiconductor types, and associated flotation characteristics

Lotter, N.O.; Bradshaw, Dee; Barnes, A.R.

doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2016.05.016

Cited by 60 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Of the secondary copper sulphides, bornite has the highest recoveries in the sulphide circuit with similar behaviour to chalcopyrite, whereas chalcocite has the highest recoveries in the mixed and oxide circuits. This is consistent with observations in the literature that the Eh ranges for optimal flotation of chalcopyrite and chalcocite differ due to the difference in semiconductor types, with chalcocite floating better at more negative Eh (Lotter, Bradshaw, and Barnes, 2016). Additional CPS stages are likely responsible for higher recoveries of chalcocite, native copper, and copper oxides and carbonates in the mixed circuit (Pacquot and Ngulube, 2015), and this reasoning has motivated CPS projects for the oxide and sulphide circuit to further improve flotation recoveries.…”

supporting

confidence: 88%

“…Key factors identified that could influence the chalcopyrite grain surfaces include the stream's bulk mineralogy (affecting iron and copper species in solution), the grinding environment (different quality steel media used), and the pulp potential (modified by addition of NaHS) (Heyes and Trahar, 1979;Bruckard, Sparrow, and Woodcock, 2011;Chen, Peng, and Bradshaw, 2014;Greet et al, 2004;Whiteman. Lotter, and Amos, 2016;Lotter, Bradshaw, and Barnes, 2016).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Relationship between ore mineralogy and copper recovery across different processing circuits at Kansanshi mine

Little¹,

Mclennan²,

Prinsloo³

et al. 2018

J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall.

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Kansanshi is a copper and gold mine located in the Northwestern Province of Zambia, with an annual production in the region of 250 000 t of copper and 160 000 ounces of gold. Ore mined from the epigenetic vein-hosted deposit is classified into three ore types based on the extent of oxidation and supergene enrichment. Sulphide, oxide, and mixed ore are fed to separate mineral processing circuits tailored for recovery of the dominant copper minerals in each. After comminution to a target grind size of 80% passing 150 μm, each ore type is subjected to flotation to recover the copper sulphide minerals (chalcopyrite, bornite, chalcocite, covellite). The oxide float tails and a large proportion of the mixed float tails are then treated by atmospheric leaching to extract copper from the remaining copper-hosting minerals, which include cuprite, malachite, chrysocolla, and delafossite. Some native copper is recovered by flotation and some of it is recovered by leaching. A small portion of the combined concentrate from all circuits is subjected to high-pressure leaching and the rest is sent to the smelter. Sulphuric acid produced during smelting is used for the atmospheric leach. With assistance from Dr Will Goodall and colleagues from MinAssist and iMinSolutions, Kansanshi set up an on-site mineralogical section within its processing department in 2015 to provide applied mineralogy services for continuous plant performance improvement. Most features of the setup that Goodall outlined in 2015 have been maintained to date, with the Zeiss MinSCAN being used for automated mineralogical analysis of weekly composite samples of the key streams for each circuit. In this work, sulphide, mixed, and oxide flotation are considered as three separate circuits, and the atmospheric leach that processes oxide and mixed flotation tails is considered as a fourth circuit. Detailed weekly mineralogy reports for each circuit have helped to explain variation in performance, and have underpinned a number of successful recovery and grade improvement projects. Kalichini et al., (2017) described some of the key successes of the Kansanshi mineralogy programme, focusing on the value delivered by the programme in the sulphide circuit. Work involving Kansanshi ore mineralogy that has been reported to date has typically focused on mineralogy or processing associated with a particular circuit at Kansanshi (

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confidence: 88%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between ore mineralogy and copper recovery across different processing circuits at Kansanshi mine

Little¹,

Mclennan²,

Prinsloo³

et al. 2018

J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall.

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“…The presence of gangue sulphide minerals such as pyrite and non-sulphide minerals reduce the quality of concentrates [10]. It is the only naturally floatable copper mineral, for other sulphide copper minerals thiol collectors are added to create the hydrophobic surface needed for flotation [11]. Chalcopyrite floats well with moderate amounts of xanthate collectors over a wide pH range [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Utilization of Flotation in Copper Extraction From Polymetallic Ore

Vrlíková¹,

Čablík²,

Janáková³

2020

GSE

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The aim of this study was to examine flotation of utility metals from poor polymetallic ores and verify the potential for profitable yields in connection with potentially economic deposits of non-ferrous metals. The paper describes results in flotation concentrate research to recover copper from polymetallic ore. The polymetallic ore from Zlate Hory deposit (Czech Republic) was subjected to crushing, grinding, and screening to prepare feed for separation with mesh size under 200 microns. The heavy medium separation was performed in tetrabromethane with a density of 2.967 g.cm -3 . The float and sink products were obtained and tested for chemical composition. Next, the treated polymetallic ore sample was subjected to flotation. In flotation, various dosages of collector (PAX) and various pH were tested, at which pyrite was depressed. The recovery of metallic copper in the concentrate increased with the collector dose. As the pH of the medium increased, the pyrite content in the concentrate dropped. The lowest content of pyrite, i.e. 4.01 %, was obtained at pH 10. In the original polymetallic ore, the Cu content was 0.41 % after subsequent treatment and flotation tests, the Cu content increased to 1.38 % with Cu recovery 86.18 %. Figure 4. Results of pyrite depression CONCLUSIONA sample of polymetallic ores from the Zlate Hory-East deposit was subjected to flotation. The sample was adjusted to a suitable grain size and subjected to X-ray and XRF analysis. On the basis of the obtained results, the separation of quartz in heavy medium separation and subsequent flotation was performed. First, the effect various dosages of collector on the flotation efficiency was observed. The second series of flotation was used to determine pH at which to achieve maximum depressing of pyrite. With increasing the dose of PAX collector, Cu recovery in individual concentrates increased. As a result, it turned out that the dose of 84 g/t PAX was the best dose for next flotation. As the pH of the medium increased, the pyrite content of the concentrate was reduced. The content pyrite in concentrate was 4.01 % for pH 10. Concurrently with increased pH, flotation efficiency increased. In the original polymetallic ore, the Cu content was 0.41 % after subsequent treatment and flotation tests, the Cu content was increased to 1.38 % with Cu recovery 86.18 %.

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“…Detailed reviews on the formulation and application of these mixed collector systems have been published by Lotter and Bradshaw (2010) and Lotter et al (2016) and those authors discuss some of the drivers behind the synergistic effects often observed.…”

Section: Flotation Additives (Reagents)mentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of mineral grain textures at particle surfaces on flotation response

Vos¹

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This research investigates the contribution of the spatial arrangement of hydrophobic mineral grains at particles surface towards their flotation response and its implications for forecasting flotation response. The approach taken was to estimate this grain textural characteristic from particle sections and to identify how it affected the overall rougher and scavenger copper mineral flotation recovery from two industrial copper flotation circuits.For the second circuit the overall rougher flotation kinetic parameters for the copper mineral were also evaluated.The first contribution of this work is the demonstration that a novel textural indicator is relevant to understanding the contribution of exposed mineral grain texture on the flotation process. It is the first mineral grain textural indicator that considers both the size of the grains and the degree to which they are dispersed at the particle surface. When the indicator was applied to particle sections from flotation feed, concentrate and tail samples from two industrial copper flotation circuits, it was shown, for the first time, with confidence that while particle size and perimeter composition affect particle flotation response the spatial arrangement of the copper mineral grains at the particle surface plays a key role.For the iron-oxide-copper-gold ore, copper mineral grains in complex texture classes produced statistically higher overall rougher recoveries for the 0-20% perimeter composition class. Chalcopyrite grains in complex texture classes in the copper porphyry ore produced higher overall rougher and scavenger recoveries for the 20-40% perimeter composition class. For the 0-20% perimeter composition class statistically meaningful differences were observed for the +106 m size class. It was shown that the higher overall recoveries for the complex texture classes in this case were due to increases in the overall rougher rate of flotation, the proportions of recoverable chalcopyrite in the feed or both. For both ores the largest proportions of copper mineral within complex perimeter texture classes were within coarse particles and complex textures were less common when particle perimeters comprised more than 40% of the copper minerals. This demonstrated that in order to study the impact of this textural characteristic for the two ores it must be done within well-defined particle size and perimeter composition classes, an important outcome that has not been reported in the current literature.The second contribution is a three-step method for evaluating the flotation response of copper minerals within different grain texture classes namely; particle perimeter texture II estimation, determining coefficients of variation in the mass proportions of the target mineral within perimeter texture-composition classes and mass reconciliation and recovery calculations. Another key contribution is in applying the bootstrap resampling technique to estimate these coefficients. This demonstrated the sensitivity of seemingly feasible perimeter texture-compos...

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Classification of the Major Copper Sulphides into semiconductor types, and associated flotation characteristics

Cited by 60 publications

References 28 publications

Relationship between ore mineralogy and copper recovery across different processing circuits at Kansanshi mine

Relationship between ore mineralogy and copper recovery across different processing circuits at Kansanshi mine

Utilization of Flotation in Copper Extraction From Polymetallic Ore

The effect of mineral grain textures at particle surfaces on flotation response

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