Study On The Development And Application Of New Technology For Copper Mine

The Yangla deposit is an important representative of a large low-grade and complicated copper deposit, and it is hard-handle by using beneficiation method. Although it has been investigated by many years, however, there is no in good result for this ore. China already imports copper as high as75percent of the country’s copper due to a serious shortage of copper resources in our country, which results in a severe threat for the national resource security. Therefore, the development and investigation of a new technology for treatment of such a low-grade and hard-handle ore, and for enhancement of copper, sliver and gold recovery will aid in to relieve the tension of the serious shortage of copper resources in our country. The aim of the present study is to deep investigate the development and applications of new flotation technology for such copper ore, and it has very important practical significance.The results of mineralogy study for Yangla copper ore show that it contains0.91%Cu,0.32g/t Au,11.87g/t Ag and8.32%S. The percentages of copper oxidation and combination of total copper reach to9.67%and2.97%, respectively. The copper mineral mainly occurs as chalcopyrite with average dissemination size of about30μm; Gold and silver mainly exist in the form of isomorphism in other minerals, and small amounts of silver occurs as independent minerals. The average dissemination size of pyrite and pyrrhotite is approximately140μm and70μm, respectively. The chalcopyrite is mainly associated and paragenetic with garnet, pyroxene, feldspar, pyrite and pyrrhotite, or included in these minerals. These results indicate that the copper ore belongs to hard-liberated, hard Cu-S separated ore due to the copper minerals with extremely fine dissemination size.Based on the results of mineralogical properties of copper ore, a new technology of "iso rough flotation-rough concentrate regrinding-Cu-S separation" was proposed and investigated. In addition, the cleaning tailing was treated with two stage scavenging process, in which the activated carbon was added to removal the residual flotation reagents on cleaning tailing and the butyl dithiophosphate and DF-353was added as collector to improve the recovery of gold and silver minerals. The new technology results in good Cu-S separation. In comparison to conventional flotation process on site, the mini-test of new technology leads to the copper grade of sulfur concentration decrease0.62%, and copper flotation recovery increase6.68%.Based on the mini-test result of the new technology and industrial production fact on site, the industrial test of new technology as "iso rough flotation-rough concentrate regrinding by vertical mixing mill-Cu-S separation by flotation column" was conducted. In copper sulfide roughing, in order to increase the selectivity for copper, gold and silver minerals, while decrease the collection ability for iron sulfide, the DF-353and butyl dithiophosphate was added to replace partial butyl xanthate and form a new reagent system of DF-353-butyl dithiophosphate-butyl xanthate synergistic action for copper, gold and silver minerals collection, which would enhance the selective difference of copper, gold, silver and iron sulfide, and improve the efficacy of iso rough flotation new technology.The JM-1800vertical mixing mill was used to regrind the rough concentrate from iso rough flotation and the increase of chalcopyrite liberation degree was achieved in industrial test. Moreover, the CPT Φ3.0×10m and XPT Φ2.2×10m flotation column were used in cleaning Ⅰ and cleaning Ⅱ respectively for Cu-S separation. Meanwhile, a new combined reagent system of activated carbon reagent removal, lime depression and DF-341collection for scavenging stage of cleaning tailing was used to increase the scavenging recovery of copper, gold and silver minerals.The copper concentrate was obtained with Cu grade of17.71%and with Cu, Au and Ag recovery of82.47%,46.83%and57.21%respectively from industrial test result of the new technology. The copper concentrate production cost was9184.87Yuan/t. The new technology application results an economic and technical indexes.