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Metal Mine ›› 2020, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (09): 111-117.

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Experimental Study on Flotation of a Low-grade Copper-zinc Sulphide Ore in Abroad

ZOU Qin,LONG Bing,LEI Xiaoming,YANG Chang'an,LIU Cheng   

  1. 1. Hunan Shizhuyuan Nonferrous Metals Co., Ltd., Chenzhou 423037, China; 2. School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
  • Online:2020-09-15 Published:2020-10-16

Abstract: A low grade overseas copper-zinc sulfide ores belong to skarn type. In order to determine the feasibility of the development and utilization of valuable metals in the ore, the dressing experiment was carried out. The reasearch showed that the copper and zinc grade in the ore is 0.38% and 1.26%, respectively. According to the composition properties of the ore sample, the process was established to select the copper minerals first, and then the zinc minerals. In the condition of grinding fineness of -0.074 mm accounting for 74.60%, copper sulfide precedence flotation was conducted using lime as the pulp pH regulators, zinc sulfate and sodium sulfite as mixed depressant and Z-200 as collector. Then, zinc minerals were floated from the copper flotation tailings using lime as pH adjustor, copper sulfate as activator and butyl xanthate as collector. By the closed-circuit flotation test of "two roughing and two cleaning" for copper, “one roughing, three cleaning and two scavenging” for zinc, the Cu grade and recovery rate was 22.55% and 85.19%, respectively in copper concentrate, and Zn grade and recovery rate was 44.83% and 74.36%, respectively in zinc concentrate, which achieved the separation and recovery of copper and zinc sulphide minerals effectively and provided a reference for the development and utilization of overseas sulphide ore.

Key words: copper sulfide, zinc sulfide, preferential flotation, comprehensive recovery