XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 3613
As can be seen from Table 1, the main valuable ele-
ments in the ores are lead and zinc with content of 0.84%
and 3.56%, respectively. The barite content as (BaSO4) is
17.09%.
Tailing Removal
A XRT sorting machine and dense medium cyclone
were used for the tailing rejection. The ore samples were
screened at +15–60 mm, +0.5–15 mm and –0.5 mm par-
ticle size fractions, of which the +15–60 mm fraction was
used as XRT feed. XRT sorting tests were conducted to
obtain sorted tailings and concentrates. The sorted tail-
ings consisted of dolomite. The sorting concentrates were
then crushed and screened to collect the +0.5–15 mm and
–0.5 mm particle size fractions. The +0.5–15 mm fractions
from mine sample and sorting concentrates were used as
Dense Media Separation (DMS) test feed. The DMS test
was carried out using a dense medium cyclone produced
by Haiwang Company, using ferrosilicon powder as the
heavy medium. A suspension density test was carried out
to obtain the optimal conditions for the DMS tests. Under
the determined optimal suspension density, all the samples
were separated into light and heavy fractions. The light and
heavy fractions were collected for weighing and analysis to
calculate the Pb, Zn and barite recovery.
Flotation
Flotation was used to recover the lead and zinc sulphide
minerals from the ore and to reject sulphide minerals from
barite rougher concentrates. All the DMS concentrates
were crushed to –2 mm and were used for milling and flo-
tation tests, combined with all the –0.5 mm fractions from
head sample and XRT concentrates. Milling tests were con-
ducted using an XMQ ball mill at a solids concentration
of 50% to obtain appropriate milling fineness. Flotation
was carried out using a XFD flotation cell. The impeller
speed was maintained at 1750 rpm and the aeration rate
at 2.5 l/min. Sodium butyl xanthate (SBX) was obtained
from Qixia, Shandong Province, diethyl dithiocarbamate
(DDTC) was obtained from Qingdao, Shandong Province,
and oil No.2 was obtained from BGRIMM. Lime and cop-
per sulfate were obtained from Sinopharm Group.
Gravity Separation
Gravity separation tests were carried out to recover Barite
from Zn flotation tailings. A reflux classifier produced by
Central South University was used to reject light gangue
minerals. The reflux classifier concentrates were cleaned to
obtain a suitable barite grade using a shaking table after
sulphide flotation.
TAILING DISCARDING TESTS
XRT Sorting Tests
XRT sorting is a sensor-based sorting technology. In the
process of XRT separation, the particles are detected by the
X-ray system, analyzed and classified in the sorter control
algorithm, and rejected depending on the classification of
each individual particles (Robben and de Korte et al., 2014
Robben and Condori et al., 2020).
The –60+15 mm fraction accounts for about 50.83%
of the mass of the head sample, and this fraction was used
as XRT sorting feed. The results of XRT sorting test are
shown in Table 2.
The results indicate that under the optimal conditions,
the operational yield of dolomite product generated by
XRT sorting is 46.57%, with a Pb grade of 0.05%, and a
Zn grade of 0.24%. The recovery of Pb and Zn in dolomite
products is 3.10% and 3.14% respectively.
The dolomite product produced by XRT sorting had a
yield of 23.67%, while the recovery of both Pb and Zn was
less than 2%. In addition, the particle size of the dolomite
Table 2. Results of XRT sorting of –60+15 mm ore samples
Products
Operation
yield, %
Grade, %
Operation
Recovery, %
Pb Zn Pb Zn
XRT
concentrates
53.43 1.36 6.45 96.90 96.86
Dolomite
product
46.57 0.05 0.24 3.10 3.14
Feed 100.00 0.75 3.56 100.00 100.00
Table 1. Analysis of main chemical components of raw ores
Component Pb Zn BaSO
4 Fe S Cu Ag* SiO
2 Mn Loss on
ignition
Content, %0.84 3.56 17.09 3.72 8.80 0.005 9 4.31 0.31 25.53
Component Na2O Al2O3 CaO MgO K2O C As P Cd
Content, %0.32 1.17 18.70 12.37 0.34 7.47 0.083 0.014 0.012
As can be seen from Table 1, the main valuable ele-
ments in the ores are lead and zinc with content of 0.84%
and 3.56%, respectively. The barite content as (BaSO4) is
17.09%.
Tailing Removal
A XRT sorting machine and dense medium cyclone
were used for the tailing rejection. The ore samples were
screened at +15–60 mm, +0.5–15 mm and –0.5 mm par-
ticle size fractions, of which the +15–60 mm fraction was
used as XRT feed. XRT sorting tests were conducted to
obtain sorted tailings and concentrates. The sorted tail-
ings consisted of dolomite. The sorting concentrates were
then crushed and screened to collect the +0.5–15 mm and
–0.5 mm particle size fractions. The +0.5–15 mm fractions
from mine sample and sorting concentrates were used as
Dense Media Separation (DMS) test feed. The DMS test
was carried out using a dense medium cyclone produced
by Haiwang Company, using ferrosilicon powder as the
heavy medium. A suspension density test was carried out
to obtain the optimal conditions for the DMS tests. Under
the determined optimal suspension density, all the samples
were separated into light and heavy fractions. The light and
heavy fractions were collected for weighing and analysis to
calculate the Pb, Zn and barite recovery.
Flotation
Flotation was used to recover the lead and zinc sulphide
minerals from the ore and to reject sulphide minerals from
barite rougher concentrates. All the DMS concentrates
were crushed to –2 mm and were used for milling and flo-
tation tests, combined with all the –0.5 mm fractions from
head sample and XRT concentrates. Milling tests were con-
ducted using an XMQ ball mill at a solids concentration
of 50% to obtain appropriate milling fineness. Flotation
was carried out using a XFD flotation cell. The impeller
speed was maintained at 1750 rpm and the aeration rate
at 2.5 l/min. Sodium butyl xanthate (SBX) was obtained
from Qixia, Shandong Province, diethyl dithiocarbamate
(DDTC) was obtained from Qingdao, Shandong Province,
and oil No.2 was obtained from BGRIMM. Lime and cop-
per sulfate were obtained from Sinopharm Group.
Gravity Separation
Gravity separation tests were carried out to recover Barite
from Zn flotation tailings. A reflux classifier produced by
Central South University was used to reject light gangue
minerals. The reflux classifier concentrates were cleaned to
obtain a suitable barite grade using a shaking table after
sulphide flotation.
TAILING DISCARDING TESTS
XRT Sorting Tests
XRT sorting is a sensor-based sorting technology. In the
process of XRT separation, the particles are detected by the
X-ray system, analyzed and classified in the sorter control
algorithm, and rejected depending on the classification of
each individual particles (Robben and de Korte et al., 2014
Robben and Condori et al., 2020).
The –60+15 mm fraction accounts for about 50.83%
of the mass of the head sample, and this fraction was used
as XRT sorting feed. The results of XRT sorting test are
shown in Table 2.
The results indicate that under the optimal conditions,
the operational yield of dolomite product generated by
XRT sorting is 46.57%, with a Pb grade of 0.05%, and a
Zn grade of 0.24%. The recovery of Pb and Zn in dolomite
products is 3.10% and 3.14% respectively.
The dolomite product produced by XRT sorting had a
yield of 23.67%, while the recovery of both Pb and Zn was
less than 2%. In addition, the particle size of the dolomite
Table 2. Results of XRT sorting of –60+15 mm ore samples
Products
Operation
yield, %
Grade, %
Operation
Recovery, %
Pb Zn Pb Zn
XRT
concentrates
53.43 1.36 6.45 96.90 96.86
Dolomite
product
46.57 0.05 0.24 3.10 3.14
Feed 100.00 0.75 3.56 100.00 100.00
Table 1. Analysis of main chemical components of raw ores
Component Pb Zn BaSO
4 Fe S Cu Ag* SiO
2 Mn Loss on
ignition
Content, %0.84 3.56 17.09 3.72 8.80 0.005 9 4.31 0.31 25.53
Component Na2O Al2O3 CaO MgO K2O C As P Cd
Content, %0.32 1.17 18.70 12.37 0.34 7.47 0.083 0.014 0.012