4
The major elements composing CT were Si, Fe, Al, Sb, Ti
Sn, and S with a grade of 47.34 wt.%, 22.12 wt.%, 17.80
wt.%, 5.60 wt.%, 2.72 wt.%, 1.98 wt.%, and 1.11 wt.%.
The XRF composition of the CT samples is shown in
Table 3.
Automated Mineralogy of Copper Tailings
TESCAN’s Integrated Mineral Analysis (TIMA) showed a
particle size distribution analysis (PSD) of P80 of 135 µm
and a median size of 42 µm CT samples. TIMA was used to
identify the major mineral classes as 91.1% silicates (16.8%
are phyllosilicates), 3.91% sulfides (0.09% are Cusulfides),
2.25% carbonates, 1.83% oxides and hydroxides, and
0.83% phosphates. Furthermore, the modal distribution
of the major minerals in CT were gangue minerals with
36.5% quartz, 23.6% K-
Feldspar, 14.2% biotite, 5.13% albite, 2.23% calcite,
2.17% plagioclase, 2.0% Ca-Mg pyroxenes, 2.03% anor-
thoclase, 1.86% andradite, 1.55% muscovite and 1.53%
hematite/magnetite. Pyrite was the primary sulfide at
3.82%, followed by chalcopyrite at 0.08% in CT.
However, the scan of the as-received samples did not
detect any of the Te, Au, and Ag minerals therefore, a
gravity concentration step was performed using a Mozley
Laboratory Mineral Separator using approximately 50
grams of material with particles less than 100 µm to con-
centrate Te-Au-Ag phases. The concentrates from the grav-
ity-separated CT were analyzed using TIMA bright phase
analysis, and minerals of interest were identified as native
gold, electrum, petzite, hessite/argentite, goldfieldite, and
tetradymite. The major mineralogical composition of the
CT Mozley concentrates was 84.75% pyrite, 2.06% hema-
tite/magnetite, and 1.67% galena. Table 4 presents the
mineralogical distribution of the Mozley concentrates of
CT using TIMA bright-phase analysis, excluding silicates,
phosphates, and carbonates.
As determined by TIMA, elemental distribution for Te
by mineral phase in CT showed that tetradymite contained
the largest Te abundance of 75.3% Te. Tellurium was dis-
tributed into the other mineral phases: 15% petzite, 9.2%
hessite, and 0.5% hessite. Gold elemental distribution, as
Table 2. ICP-MS of valuable elements in CT samples, where
the values are the average of 3 as received CT batches.
Valuable Elements Assays
Te 0.40 ppm
Au 61.70 ppb
Ag 0.66 ppm
Cu 494.50 ppm
Mo 40.43 ppm
Pb 33.32 ppm
Ni 39.18 ppm
Zn 40.77 ppm
S 1.50 %
As 12.85 ppm
Bi 1.08 ppm
Co 17.03 ppm
Fe 4.12 %
Ga 18.23 ppm
Ge 0.10 ppm
Se 2.13 ppm
Table 3. XRF elemental composition of CT samples, where
the values are the average of 3 as received CT batches.
Element Grade (wt. %)
Al 17.80
Si 47.34
P 0.32
S 1.11
Ti 2.72
V 0.12
Mn 0.15
Fe 22.12
Co 0.04
Ni 0.03
Cu 0.29
As 0.01
Zr 0.33
Mo 0.02
Sn 1.98
Sb 5.60
Pb 0.03
Table 4. Bright-phase analysis of the Mozley concentrates
using TIMA. ND =not detected.
Mineral Formula
Mozley Conc. CT
(wt.%)
Pyrite FeS2 84.75
Galena PbS 1.67
Chalcopyrite CuFeS
2 0.14
Hematite /
Magnetite
Fe2O3/Fe3O4 2.055
Tennantite (Cu,Fe,Zn)12As4S13 0.27
Tetradymite Bi
2 Te
2 S 0.065
Hodrushite Cu4Bi6S11 0.01
Petzite Ag3AuTe2 0.03
Hessite Ag2Te 0.02
Goldfieldite Cu
12 (Sb,Te)
4 S
13 0.01
Gold Au 0.009
CuNi Sulfides CuxNiySz 0.01
Tetrahedrite (Cu,Fe,Zn)12(Sb,As)4S13 0.009
Electrum Au
0.8 Ag
0.2 ND
Laitakarite Bi
4 (Se,S)
3 ND
The major elements composing CT were Si, Fe, Al, Sb, Ti
Sn, and S with a grade of 47.34 wt.%, 22.12 wt.%, 17.80
wt.%, 5.60 wt.%, 2.72 wt.%, 1.98 wt.%, and 1.11 wt.%.
The XRF composition of the CT samples is shown in
Table 3.
Automated Mineralogy of Copper Tailings
TESCAN’s Integrated Mineral Analysis (TIMA) showed a
particle size distribution analysis (PSD) of P80 of 135 µm
and a median size of 42 µm CT samples. TIMA was used to
identify the major mineral classes as 91.1% silicates (16.8%
are phyllosilicates), 3.91% sulfides (0.09% are Cusulfides),
2.25% carbonates, 1.83% oxides and hydroxides, and
0.83% phosphates. Furthermore, the modal distribution
of the major minerals in CT were gangue minerals with
36.5% quartz, 23.6% K-
Feldspar, 14.2% biotite, 5.13% albite, 2.23% calcite,
2.17% plagioclase, 2.0% Ca-Mg pyroxenes, 2.03% anor-
thoclase, 1.86% andradite, 1.55% muscovite and 1.53%
hematite/magnetite. Pyrite was the primary sulfide at
3.82%, followed by chalcopyrite at 0.08% in CT.
However, the scan of the as-received samples did not
detect any of the Te, Au, and Ag minerals therefore, a
gravity concentration step was performed using a Mozley
Laboratory Mineral Separator using approximately 50
grams of material with particles less than 100 µm to con-
centrate Te-Au-Ag phases. The concentrates from the grav-
ity-separated CT were analyzed using TIMA bright phase
analysis, and minerals of interest were identified as native
gold, electrum, petzite, hessite/argentite, goldfieldite, and
tetradymite. The major mineralogical composition of the
CT Mozley concentrates was 84.75% pyrite, 2.06% hema-
tite/magnetite, and 1.67% galena. Table 4 presents the
mineralogical distribution of the Mozley concentrates of
CT using TIMA bright-phase analysis, excluding silicates,
phosphates, and carbonates.
As determined by TIMA, elemental distribution for Te
by mineral phase in CT showed that tetradymite contained
the largest Te abundance of 75.3% Te. Tellurium was dis-
tributed into the other mineral phases: 15% petzite, 9.2%
hessite, and 0.5% hessite. Gold elemental distribution, as
Table 2. ICP-MS of valuable elements in CT samples, where
the values are the average of 3 as received CT batches.
Valuable Elements Assays
Te 0.40 ppm
Au 61.70 ppb
Ag 0.66 ppm
Cu 494.50 ppm
Mo 40.43 ppm
Pb 33.32 ppm
Ni 39.18 ppm
Zn 40.77 ppm
S 1.50 %
As 12.85 ppm
Bi 1.08 ppm
Co 17.03 ppm
Fe 4.12 %
Ga 18.23 ppm
Ge 0.10 ppm
Se 2.13 ppm
Table 3. XRF elemental composition of CT samples, where
the values are the average of 3 as received CT batches.
Element Grade (wt. %)
Al 17.80
Si 47.34
P 0.32
S 1.11
Ti 2.72
V 0.12
Mn 0.15
Fe 22.12
Co 0.04
Ni 0.03
Cu 0.29
As 0.01
Zr 0.33
Mo 0.02
Sn 1.98
Sb 5.60
Pb 0.03
Table 4. Bright-phase analysis of the Mozley concentrates
using TIMA. ND =not detected.
Mineral Formula
Mozley Conc. CT
(wt.%)
Pyrite FeS2 84.75
Galena PbS 1.67
Chalcopyrite CuFeS
2 0.14
Hematite /
Magnetite
Fe2O3/Fe3O4 2.055
Tennantite (Cu,Fe,Zn)12As4S13 0.27
Tetradymite Bi
2 Te
2 S 0.065
Hodrushite Cu4Bi6S11 0.01
Petzite Ag3AuTe2 0.03
Hessite Ag2Te 0.02
Goldfieldite Cu
12 (Sb,Te)
4 S
13 0.01
Gold Au 0.009
CuNi Sulfides CuxNiySz 0.01
Tetrahedrite (Cu,Fe,Zn)12(Sb,As)4S13 0.009
Electrum Au
0.8 Ag
0.2 ND
Laitakarite Bi
4 (Se,S)
3 ND