XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 2219
On the other hand, Na2S promotes pyrite flotation by
forming hydrophobic Sn 2–/S° species (Cao et al., 2018).
IMPORTANCE OF PYRITE FLOTATION
PROCESS FOR TE ENRICHMENT
Te is highly valued for its intriguing and unique proper-
ties, earning it the nickname “vitamin of modern indus-
try, national defense, and cutting-edge technology.” It has
continued to grow in importance as its applications spans
from being an ingredient in ceramics, an additive in steel,
to enhancing glass optical fibers’ reflectance, to being used
as a catalyst in the manufacturing of certain chemicals.
However, its most popular use is in manufacturing of cad-
mium telluride semiconductors in solar panels. Tellurium
alloys maximize the efficiency of solar cell electrical genera-
tion, enabling cost-effective power production. (Li et al.,
2022 Makuei &Senanayake, 2018).
Te abundance in the earth’s crust is around 0.002 g/t
compared to the crustal abundance of platinum and gold
which are higher with approximate amounts of 0.037g/t
and 0.0031g/t respectively (Ramos-Ruiz et al., 2017
Makuei &Senanayake, 2018). Tellurium is found asso-
ciated with gold and silver forming minerals/tellurides
such as calaverite (AuTe2) and silvanite (AgAuTe4), hessite
(Ag2Te), tetradymite (Bi2Te2S), petzite (Ag3AuTe2), stütz-
ite (Ag5−xTe3), Au-Ag ditellurides (Au1−xAgxTe2), telluro-
bismuthite (Bi2Te3) and altaite (PbTe) (Plotinskaya et al.,
2018 Ramos-Ruiz et al., 2017 Nakhaei et al., 2024).
Confidential information limits our knowledge of
domestic Te production but estimates indicate that roughly
half of the tellurium consumed in the United States is
brought in from other countries (Tellurium, 2022). China
and Canada contribute approximately 75 percent of the
imported Te, while smaller quantities originate from refin-
eries located in the Philippines and Belgium (Tellurium,
2022). The primary global producers of Te consist of China,
Russia, Japan, Canada, Sweden, Peru, and United states.
Concerning Te reserves, the United States possesses about
15 percent of the worldwide total, equivalent to 24,000
metric tons—approximately eight times the annual global
production of 450 metric tons (Tellurium, 2022).
Figure 8 illustrates a copper supply chain in which only
10% of the Te found in the copper feed ore transitions to
the concentrate, while the rest is directed to the tailings.
Subsequent examination of the copper supply chain within
the smelting furnace reveals that 55% of the initially pres-
ent Te in the copper concentrate moves to the copper matte.
Additionally, 90% of the Te in the copper matte proceeds
to the electrolytic refining plant, resulting in a recovery rate
of only 29%, with the remaining 71% residing in anode
slimes. Since Te is usually a byproduct of copper refinery
anode slimes its reserves and yield are very low, which
makes it difficult to produce in large amounts and hence
restricting use of Te and production of other Te products.
This implies that it is very important to understand and
explore Te extraction and recovery techniques coupled with
assessing their pros and cons which can aid the develop-
ment of efficient, high-quality, energy-efficient, and sus-
tainable recovery technologies (Li et al., 2022). Given the
significant volume of tailings produced in a copper process-
ing plant, an effective approach involves Te recovery from
these tailings.
Recent mineralogical investigations done by Corchado-
Albelo et al., (2024) of flotation tailings using the Scanning
Electron Microscope (SEM) have revealed that pyrite is
the main host of Te which is associated with Au and Ag in
Mining Concentration
10%
Smelting
Furnace
55%
Converter &
anode furnace
90%
Electrolytic
refinery
29%
By products
plant
90%
34,740
LossesofTeto
Tailings
38,600 Te
content of
Cu ore
mined
3,860 Te
content of Cu
concentrates
2,123 Te
content of
Cu matte
1,158 Te
lossesto
gas dust
cleaning
579 Te lossesto
slag
1,930 Te
content in
anodes
558 Te anode
slimes sent
for recovery
193 Te losses
to gas
cleaning
1,372 Te in
anodes not
sent for
recovery or
unreported
production
503 Te
reported
production
1.3% overall
recovery
56 Te losses
to baghouse
and scrubber
Figure 8. A schematic of copper supply chain showing potential streams for Te recovery (metric tons of contained Te).
regenerated from (Nassar et al., 2022)
On the other hand, Na2S promotes pyrite flotation by
forming hydrophobic Sn 2–/S° species (Cao et al., 2018).
IMPORTANCE OF PYRITE FLOTATION
PROCESS FOR TE ENRICHMENT
Te is highly valued for its intriguing and unique proper-
ties, earning it the nickname “vitamin of modern indus-
try, national defense, and cutting-edge technology.” It has
continued to grow in importance as its applications spans
from being an ingredient in ceramics, an additive in steel,
to enhancing glass optical fibers’ reflectance, to being used
as a catalyst in the manufacturing of certain chemicals.
However, its most popular use is in manufacturing of cad-
mium telluride semiconductors in solar panels. Tellurium
alloys maximize the efficiency of solar cell electrical genera-
tion, enabling cost-effective power production. (Li et al.,
2022 Makuei &Senanayake, 2018).
Te abundance in the earth’s crust is around 0.002 g/t
compared to the crustal abundance of platinum and gold
which are higher with approximate amounts of 0.037g/t
and 0.0031g/t respectively (Ramos-Ruiz et al., 2017
Makuei &Senanayake, 2018). Tellurium is found asso-
ciated with gold and silver forming minerals/tellurides
such as calaverite (AuTe2) and silvanite (AgAuTe4), hessite
(Ag2Te), tetradymite (Bi2Te2S), petzite (Ag3AuTe2), stütz-
ite (Ag5−xTe3), Au-Ag ditellurides (Au1−xAgxTe2), telluro-
bismuthite (Bi2Te3) and altaite (PbTe) (Plotinskaya et al.,
2018 Ramos-Ruiz et al., 2017 Nakhaei et al., 2024).
Confidential information limits our knowledge of
domestic Te production but estimates indicate that roughly
half of the tellurium consumed in the United States is
brought in from other countries (Tellurium, 2022). China
and Canada contribute approximately 75 percent of the
imported Te, while smaller quantities originate from refin-
eries located in the Philippines and Belgium (Tellurium,
2022). The primary global producers of Te consist of China,
Russia, Japan, Canada, Sweden, Peru, and United states.
Concerning Te reserves, the United States possesses about
15 percent of the worldwide total, equivalent to 24,000
metric tons—approximately eight times the annual global
production of 450 metric tons (Tellurium, 2022).
Figure 8 illustrates a copper supply chain in which only
10% of the Te found in the copper feed ore transitions to
the concentrate, while the rest is directed to the tailings.
Subsequent examination of the copper supply chain within
the smelting furnace reveals that 55% of the initially pres-
ent Te in the copper concentrate moves to the copper matte.
Additionally, 90% of the Te in the copper matte proceeds
to the electrolytic refining plant, resulting in a recovery rate
of only 29%, with the remaining 71% residing in anode
slimes. Since Te is usually a byproduct of copper refinery
anode slimes its reserves and yield are very low, which
makes it difficult to produce in large amounts and hence
restricting use of Te and production of other Te products.
This implies that it is very important to understand and
explore Te extraction and recovery techniques coupled with
assessing their pros and cons which can aid the develop-
ment of efficient, high-quality, energy-efficient, and sus-
tainable recovery technologies (Li et al., 2022). Given the
significant volume of tailings produced in a copper process-
ing plant, an effective approach involves Te recovery from
these tailings.
Recent mineralogical investigations done by Corchado-
Albelo et al., (2024) of flotation tailings using the Scanning
Electron Microscope (SEM) have revealed that pyrite is
the main host of Te which is associated with Au and Ag in
Mining Concentration
10%
Smelting
Furnace
55%
Converter &
anode furnace
90%
Electrolytic
refinery
29%
By products
plant
90%
34,740
LossesofTeto
Tailings
38,600 Te
content of
Cu ore
mined
3,860 Te
content of Cu
concentrates
2,123 Te
content of
Cu matte
1,158 Te
lossesto
gas dust
cleaning
579 Te lossesto
slag
1,930 Te
content in
anodes
558 Te anode
slimes sent
for recovery
193 Te losses
to gas
cleaning
1,372 Te in
anodes not
sent for
recovery or
unreported
production
503 Te
reported
production
1.3% overall
recovery
56 Te losses
to baghouse
and scrubber
Figure 8. A schematic of copper supply chain showing potential streams for Te recovery (metric tons of contained Te).
regenerated from (Nassar et al., 2022)