UTILIZATION OF FLOTATION IN COPPER EXTRACTION FROM POLYMETALLIC ORE

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine flotation of utility metals from poor polymetallic ores and verify the potential for profitable yields in connection with potentially economic deposits of non-ferrous metals. The paper describes results in flotation concentrate research to recover copper from polymetallic ore. The polymetallic ore from Zlate Hory deposit (Czech Republic) was subjected to crushing, grinding, and screening to prepare feed for separation with mesh size under 200 microns. The heavy medium separation was performed in tetrabromethane with a density of 2.967 g.cm-3. The float and sink products were obtained and tested for chemical composition. Next, the treated polymetallic ore sample was subjected to flotation. In flotation, various dosages of collector (PAX) and various pH were tested, at which pyrite was depressed. The recovery of metallic copper in the concentrate increased with the collector dose. As the pH of the medium increased, the pyrite content in the concentrate dropped. The lowest content of pyrite, i.e. 4.01 %, was obtained at pH 10. In the original polymetallic ore, the Cu content was 0.41 % after subsequent treatment and flotation tests, the Cu content increased to 1.38 % with Cu recovery 86.18 %.

Keywords

• copper
• flotation
• polymetallic ore
• potassium amylxanthate (pax)
• zlate hory