Welcome to Metal Mine! Today is Share:
×

扫码分享

Metal Mine ›› 2020, Vol. 50 ›› Issue (05): 197-204.

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Beneficiation Tests of a Refractory High Sulfur Copper-zinc Sulfide Ore in Africa

Jia Kaikai   

  1. Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd., Longyan 364200, China
  • Online:2020-05-15 Published:2020-06-12

Abstract: The grade of Cu and Zn in a high sulfur copper-zinc sulfide ore in Africa is 1.30% and 2.97%, respectively. The copper ore in the raw ore is of fine grain size, disseminated closely with the zinc ore, and the oxidization of secondary copper ore releases the copper ions to activate sphalerite, resulting in mixture of the concentrate and poor production indexes finally. A systematic process optimization test was carried out based on the characteristics of the ore. The results showed that:①The main copper ore in the ores is chalcopyrite with fine grain size, mainly distributed between 10 and 35 μm. The zinc mineral is marmatite with a particle size of 10~75 μm. The harmful element As mainly exists in the form of arsenopyrite, and a small amount exists in enargite. Other sulfides ore includes pyrite and the gangue minerals mainly include calcite, dolomite, siderite, quartz and so on. ②When the grinding fineness is -75 μm accounting for 80%, the ore was processed with a closed-circuit flowsheet including "regringding of roughing concentrate+one roughing three cleaning one scavenging" for the copper and zinc flotation. Finally, the copper concentrate with Cu grade of 26.03%, Zn content of 1.72%, Cu recovery rate of 84.02% and Zn loss rate of 3.29%, and the zinc concentrate with Zn grade of 44.16%, Cu content of 2.84%, Zn recovery of 90.63% and Cu loss rate of 9.80% were obtained, which well realized the separation and recovery of the copper and zinc resources. ③Sodium pyrosulfite was used as an effective inhibitor of zinc to reduce the activation of sphalerite caused by unavoidable ions.For some copper-zinc minerals with dense symbiosis and extremely fine grain size, the ultrafine grinding technology further promoted the monomer dissociation of copper and zinc minerals, which helps to realize the efficient separation of copper and zinc.

Key words: High sulfur copper-zinc sulfide ore, Zinc inhibition and copper flotation, Sodium pyrosulfite, Comprehensive recovery