Yong Jun Xian

Efficient Utilization of Copper Sulfide Ore in Chile by Flotation

The valuable minerals of a copper sulfide ore in Chile, mainly consist of chalcopyrite and chalcocite as well as contain small amounts of cuprite. Gangue minerals are mainly chlorite, quartz, calcite, arsenopyrite, etc. Most are coarse-grained disseminated minerals, while some are fine-grained disseminated minerals. Flotation has been used for processing these ores. The grinding fineness, lime dosage, collector type and dosage all have influences on flotation results. In the present work, the best condition of grinding fineness, lime, and collector dosage was used to separate the copper sulfide and other minerals in the ores. The results showed that, in the grinding fineness of −74 μm accounting for 80%, the vast majority of copper minerals were to monomer dissociation. The flowsheet of one stage roughing, two stage scavenging, and two stage cleaning was adopted. The ideal results of 27.58% and 96.89% for the copper concentrate grade and copper recovery, respectively, were obtained.

Recovery of Copper from Flotation Tailings by Leaching

A technology route of Reverse flotation of acid-consuming gangue mineralsAcid leaching for copperExtractingElectrodepositing is proposed for recovery copper from a tailings with high content of calcium oxide and magnesium oxide and high content of combined copper oxide. The effect of H2SO4 concentration, leaching time and stirring speed on copper leaching was investigated. The leaching solution obtained under the optimal copper leaching conditions, was used to be proceeded for extracting and electrodepositing test. The best leaching conditions are stirring speed of 30 m/min, H2SO4 concentration of 150 Kg/t ore, leaching time of 30 minutes. Under the best conditions, the acid leaching test presented that the production of per ton copper consumes sulfuric acid of 17.31 t, and Cu leaching rate is 84.70%.

Influence of Flotation Reagents on Utilization of Complex and Refractory Lead Oxide Ores

The study aimed to explore appropriate flotation reagents to utilize lead minerals from complex and refractory lead oxide ores in Yunnan. Based on the research on the properties of the material, the reagent regime was investigated and a technological flowsheet consisting of one roughing flotation, two scavenging flotation and two concentrate flotation was adopted to perform the closed circuit flotation experiment. The optimum regulator of flotation experiment was determined as sodium silicate, sulfidizing agent as Na2S and collector as isoamyl xanthogenate. Under such a condition of reagent types and their appropriate reagent dosages, a lead recovery of 76.55% with a concentrate grade of 58.67% was obtained, which effectively improved utilization of lead resource.

Recovery Copper from a Low Grade and Ultra-Fine-Grained Dissemination Mixed Copper Ore by Flotation

The present study aims to characterize the copper ore from east area of Yunnan province. The results indicate that the ores is a representative low grade and and ultra-fine-grained ore. As a result, a suitable flotation flow i.e. “ultrafine grinding- sulphidizing and dispersing - bulk flotation with low dosage collector” was presented for processing of eligible copper concentrate with high recovery and the main factors i.e. grinding fineness, regulators types and dosage and collector dosage affecting the indexes of roughing concentration was investigated. As a result, a close-circuit flotation test scheme was proceeded, which obtained a high quality copper concentrate with Cu grade of 25.12%, copper recovery of 87.63%. This index is successful in the aim of recovery copper for such mixed copper ore.

Study on the Bulk Flotation of a Low Grade Copper-Molybdenum Ore of Yunnan Province

Based on the analysis of the properties of the copper-molybdenum ore from Yunnan province, a suitable technical route was presented for processing of eligible molybdenum and copper concentrate with a high recovery. Moreover, the main factors i.e. grinding fineness and collector dosage, affecting the quality of roughing concentration was investigated. The optimum condition of bulk flotatuon were obtained.

Recovery of Iron from Tailings of Yangla Copper Ore by Magnetic Separation

Against the dwindling status of mineral resources at present, effective recycling of tailings resources is an effective way to alleviate the shortage of resources, and to improve enterprise efficiency. This study was aimed to recover iron from tailings of Yangla copper ore, Fe content of which was 15.31%, and the content of strong magnetic iron mineral was about 11%. Considering low content of weak magnetic iron mineral and its complex and costly recovery process, weak magnetic iron mineral did not be recovered, so strong magnetic iron mineral was only recovered in this study. Under no grinding condition, Fe recovery of 6.47% with iron grade of 60.87% was obtained. It effectively recovered strong magnetic minerals from tailings, and got enterprise increase additional revenue with good economic benefits.

Investigation on Removing Acid-Consuming Gangue from a Copper Tailings by Reverse Flotation

A technology route of “Reverse flotation of acid-consuming gangue minerals–Acid leaching for copper–Extracting–Electrodepositing” is proposed for recovery copper from tailings with high content of calcium oxide and high content of combined copper oxide. The effect of the main factors involving regulator dosage, collector type and dosage was investigated. On this regard, a open-circuit flotation test scheme was proceeded, by which a concentrate was obtained with 3.84% of CaO grade, 71.57% of CaO recovery, 0.82% of Cu grade and 79.76% of Cu recovery. This concentrate can be directly used for the production of sulfuric acid leaching and preparation of electrolytic copper. This technology can be used to fully utilize Cu from tailings, which will help to extend raw material sourcing for Chinese Cu industry.

Efficiently Produce Iron Concentrate from High-Purity Pyrite

The study attempts to produce iron concentrate from a high-purity pyrite concentrate using oxidizing roasting at industry scale. The effect of key parameters, i.e., roasting temperature, excess air coefficient and roasting intensity on the Fe and S content in the pyrite cinder was fully investigated. The results indicate that the roasting temperature plays a key role in decrease the S content in the pyrite cinder; an increase in the roasting temperature from 800°C to 950°C decreased the S content in the pyrite cinder remarkably from 0.43% to 0.18%. The optimum conditions for produce a high quality iron concentrate from the high-purity pyrite concentrate were identified as roasting temperature around 900 ~ 950°C, excess air coefficient at 1.20 and roasting intensity at 4.36 ~ 5.61 t / m2•day. Under such a condition, high-quality iron concentrate containing 65.11% Fe and 0.21% S was achieved from the pyrite concentrate.

Investigation on Improving the Recovery of Molybdenum in Bulk Flotation of Mo-Copper Sulphide Ore

Improving the recovery of molybdenum is a research hotspot in the bulk flotation of Mo-copper sulphide ore. In this paper, the optimum flotation parameters for a kind of molybdenite ore obtained form Yunnan province, involving the grinding fineness, pulp concentration, dosages of kerosene and butyl xanthate, were determined in order to improve the recovery of Mo in the bulk Mo-copper flotation. In addition, a close-circuit flotation test was also conducted to simulate the practical process. A Mo-copper concentrate with Mo grade of 3.02% and recovery of 93.46% was obtained through the close-circuit flotation test, which satisfy the requirement for the bulk flotation of Mo-copper ore.

Processing of Sulphur Concentrate with High Quality by Flotation

Based on the analysis of the properties of the ore from Weixin area in Yunnan province, a suitable technical route was presented for the processing of sulphur concentrate with high quality. The main factors i.e. grinding fineness, pH, collector type and dosage, affecting the quality of roughing concentrate was investigated. On this basis, a close-circuit flotation test scheme was proceeded, which obtained a high quality sulphur concentrate with sulphur grade of 51.58%, sulphur recovery of 99.22%, iron grade of 45.14% and impurities content of 3.28%. In addition, a decrease of slurry concentration of cleaning further increase the quality of sulphur concentrate, which contained 52.82% sulphur, 45.29% iron and 1.89% impurities.