Applying One-Stage Grinding and Flotation to Improving Copper Recovery of a Fine-Grained Cu-Mo Sulphide Ore

Abstract

This paper introduces the mineralogy of a fine-grained Cu-Mo sulphide ore, and the relationship between grinding fineness and flotation performance. Results show that the grinding fineness is a key factor affecting the recovery of copper and molybdenum. The result of one stage grinding and flotation is much better than that of grinding and flotation by stages, because an over grinding of chalcopyrite caused by regrinding of Cu-Mo bulk concentrate can be avoided. Finally, a simple flowsheet has been developed, that is, one-stage fine grinding of raw ore to 90% −0.074 mm, and a bulk flotation to produce a bulk concentrate by one-stage roughing, two stages of cleaning and one-stage scavenging, followed by three times of Cu-Mo flotation separation. When the feed contains 0.50% Cu and 0.19% Mo, the obtained copper and molybdenum concentrates assay 19.23% Cu and 48.53% Mo with the recoveries of 85.5% and 90.96%, respectively.

Keywords:

• Cu-Mo sulphide ore
• flotation separation
• mineralogy
• one-stage fine grinding

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks are given to the financial support of Applied Fundamental Research if Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Department (No. 2013FZ023).