Yunnan Copper Iron Ore Beneficiation Pilot Study

With the gradual development of mining economy and the reduction of the copper ores easy to process and iron ores difficult to process, nowadays, dealing with the difficult-to-handle delafossite becomes an inevitable trend. The fine-grained delafossite in low grade is a primary source of the copper and iron ore resources in our country, therefore, it is tremendously significant to comprehensively utilize such resources and transform the resources superiority to economic superiority.The experimental research on mineral processing technology for a delafossite ore in Yunnan has been described based on ore characteristics. This ore has common delafossite characteristics of fine disseminated grain size, low copper-grade just only 0.61%, high oxidation rate up to 78.33% and high content of combined copper oxide as high as 18.33%. For that reason this ores belongs to complicated copper ore with high oxidation rate and associative property. The iron grade of raw ore is 42.24%, including less 1.60% ferromagnetic magnetite,77.26% weakly magnetic hematite and limonite, and 14.78% non-available ferric metasilicate. Moreover, the content of quartz in gangue minerals is up to 20.10%. Much secondary slime is easily produced in the crushing and grinding process, disturbing the experiments, affecting the flotation target. The content of sulfur in the flotation tailings is out of limit, which adds to the hardship of beneficiation.The flowsheet of flotation- magnetic separation is applied to recycle the copper and iron minerals. Firstly, the copper sulfide flotation is studied; secondly, regulators, activating agents and collectors in the copper oxide flotation are discussed in view of the copper oxide characteristics. Last but not least, The tests on iron ore are consist of gravity separation, magnetizing roast- low intensity magnetic separation, reverse flotation, high intensity magnetic separation etc. the processing flowsheet of recycling delafossite is confirmed ultimately by the series of above-mentioned tests.The grade and recovery of copper sulfide concentration is up to 20.56%,21.05% separately through one rouger- one scavenger- two cleaners flotation, meanwhile, that of copper oxide concentration is respectively as high as 24.23%,32.02% through one rouger- two scavengers- two cleaners flotation. The total recovery of copper concentration is 53.07%. The iron concentration with a gade of 63.03%, a recovery of 86.40%, a sulfur content low in 0.08% can be obtained by the flowsheet of desulfurization from flotation tailings- magnetizing roast- low intensity magnetic separation. This technology can cast new light on the similar mines and its promotional value is significant.Besides, the mechanisms of adsorption of xanthate on chalcopyrite and magnetizing roast are studied to provide academic proofs of this paper.