LU Meng-yu1, DAI Hui-xin1,2*, TANG Dong-dong1,2, GONG Zhi-hui1, ZHAO Ke-ke1, WU LI-wei1
(1. Faculty of Land Resource Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China;
2. State Key Laboratory of Complex Nonferrous Metals Resources Clean Utilization, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China)
Abstract:The mineral composnents, intergrowth characteristics of symbiotic minerals, and the distribution of copper and sulfur of copper sulfide ores from a deposit in Yunnan Province have been studied by using methods of the chemical multi-element analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), phase analysis, mineral dissociation analysis (MLA), and scanning electron microscope in order to determine properties of the copper sulfide ores for making a suitable beneficiation scheme. The results show that the raw ore contains 0.141% copper and 9.80% sulfur. Copper mainly occurred in the form of copper sulfide, and sulfur occurred mainly in the form of sulfide (pyrite). Chalcopyrite, occurred mostly in form of anhedral grain, is mainly associated with pyrite, pyrrhotite, limonite, siderite, quartz, and chlorite; Pyrite, occurred mostly in form of anhedral grain, is mainly associated with pyrrhotite, siderite, quartz, and andradite. The gangue minerals are mainly quartz and andradite. According to properties of the ore, with the application of the mineral processing flowsheet of "mixed flotation - copper sulfur separation", we have carried out a closed circuit test for copper and sulfur separation based on the optimum condition parameters, with the obtained copper concentrate having copper grade of 15.34% at recovery rate of 58.75%, and the obtained sulfur concentrate containing 30.44% sulfur and 39.13% iron at recovery rate of 55.04%. Compared with the on-site production indexes, the grade of our copper concentrate was increased by 5% and the recovery rate was increased by nearly 20%. This mineral processing test with remarkable separation effect of copper and sulfur has provided a reference for the recovery of low-grade copper sulfide ore.
Keywords: copper sulfide ore; process mineralogy; flotation
ACTA MINERALOGICA SINICA Vol.41, No.6, 2021, page 649-656
