XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 3621
for preparing concrete. Barite concentrates with a yield of
7.30% have been recovered by a combination of gravity
and flotation separation, and can be used as a raw material
for drilling fluid and painting. In addition to the profit of
the new products, there are significant benefits caused by
the markedly decreased tailings yield which can be entirely
consumed by the filling operation of this mine, thus real-
izing zero discharge of tailings.
DISSCUSSION OF COST AND PROFIT
A brief technical and economic analysis was conducted
on the existing process of the beneficiation plant and the
suggested process in this article. The results are shown in
Tables 8 and 9.
Tables 8 and 9 indicate that a better economic benefit
could be get with the application of suggested process flow.
The existing process of the plant costs 46.13 Yuan(RMB)
for dressing per ton of ores, and our process reduces the
overall cost to 33.45 Yuan(RMB) by XRT and DMS whose
utilization means additional cost but meanwhile reduces
the amount of ore entering the grinding who is the high-
est energy consumption process in beneficiation plants(de
Bakker, 2014 Farjana and Huda et al., 2019 Nápoles
Alberro and González Rojas et al., 2019). A higher sale rev-
enue is achieved with addition of 2 new products, though
the decrease in profit of lead and zinc concentrate caused by
loss of metal recovery in dolomite is generated.
CONCLUSIONS
Aiming at the problem of insufficient storage capacity of
tailings ponds of a mine, a processing flowsheet based on
multi-stage tailing discarding technology has been devel-
oped with a full consideration of the occurrence state and
differences in natural properties such as specific gravity of
various minerals in the ores. By introducing XRT sorter,
dense medium cyclone, reflux classifier and other tailing
discarding equipment, combined with the classical lead-
zinc flotation process, qualified dolomite products, barite
products, lead concentrates and zinc concentrates have been
produced without affecting the lead-zinc recovery. The yield
of dolomite products is 47.19%, that of barite products is
7.30%, and tailings yield has been reduced from 92.50%
to 38.01%. Combined with tailings filling, the ores have
been completely utilize, so that the operation of the mine
can continue without tailing ponds. Moreover, 39.62% of
barite and 65.70% of dolomite (calculated by MgO) in the
ore can be recovered in a suitable form, and more products
have been produced for sale, which improves the economic
benefits of the mine.
Table 7. Whole Process Test Results
Products Yield, %
Grade, %Recovery, %
Pb Zn BaSO4 MgO Pb Zn BaSO4 MgO
Pb concentrate 1.02 52.66 9.33 1.41 0.70 63.47 2.66 0.09 0.05
Zn concentrate 6.48 1.76 48.75 4.35 2.40 13.57 88.73 1.65 1.26
Barite concentrate 7.30 0.01 0.03 92.75 0.15 0.11 0.07 39.62 0.09
Dolomite concentrate 47.19 0.06 0.31 1.00 17.22 3.08 4.10 2.75 65.70
Total tailings 38.01 0.44 0.42 25.13 10.71 19.77 4.44 55.89 32.90
Raw ores 100.00 0.84 3.56 17.09 12.37 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
Table 8. Cost comparison between the two beneficiation
technology option
Technology Steps
Cost
(CNY/t, head)
Milling and
flotation for
all the ore
Milling and flotation 34.13
Tailings storage 12
Total 46.13
The proposed
flowsheet of
this paper
XRT sorting 1.02
DMS 10.49
Milling and flotation 18.25
Reflux classifier 1.36
Barite cleaning 2.34
Total 33.45
Table 9. Profit comparison between the two beneficiation
technology option
Technology Products
Profit
(CNY/t. head)
Milling and
flotation for
all the ore
Pb conc 80.25
Zn conc 802.96
Total 883.21
The proposed
flowsheet of
this paper
Dolomite 14.16
Barite 29.2
Pb conc 80.15
Zn conc 790.32
Total 913.83
for preparing concrete. Barite concentrates with a yield of
7.30% have been recovered by a combination of gravity
and flotation separation, and can be used as a raw material
for drilling fluid and painting. In addition to the profit of
the new products, there are significant benefits caused by
the markedly decreased tailings yield which can be entirely
consumed by the filling operation of this mine, thus real-
izing zero discharge of tailings.
DISSCUSSION OF COST AND PROFIT
A brief technical and economic analysis was conducted
on the existing process of the beneficiation plant and the
suggested process in this article. The results are shown in
Tables 8 and 9.
Tables 8 and 9 indicate that a better economic benefit
could be get with the application of suggested process flow.
The existing process of the plant costs 46.13 Yuan(RMB)
for dressing per ton of ores, and our process reduces the
overall cost to 33.45 Yuan(RMB) by XRT and DMS whose
utilization means additional cost but meanwhile reduces
the amount of ore entering the grinding who is the high-
est energy consumption process in beneficiation plants(de
Bakker, 2014 Farjana and Huda et al., 2019 Nápoles
Alberro and González Rojas et al., 2019). A higher sale rev-
enue is achieved with addition of 2 new products, though
the decrease in profit of lead and zinc concentrate caused by
loss of metal recovery in dolomite is generated.
CONCLUSIONS
Aiming at the problem of insufficient storage capacity of
tailings ponds of a mine, a processing flowsheet based on
multi-stage tailing discarding technology has been devel-
oped with a full consideration of the occurrence state and
differences in natural properties such as specific gravity of
various minerals in the ores. By introducing XRT sorter,
dense medium cyclone, reflux classifier and other tailing
discarding equipment, combined with the classical lead-
zinc flotation process, qualified dolomite products, barite
products, lead concentrates and zinc concentrates have been
produced without affecting the lead-zinc recovery. The yield
of dolomite products is 47.19%, that of barite products is
7.30%, and tailings yield has been reduced from 92.50%
to 38.01%. Combined with tailings filling, the ores have
been completely utilize, so that the operation of the mine
can continue without tailing ponds. Moreover, 39.62% of
barite and 65.70% of dolomite (calculated by MgO) in the
ore can be recovered in a suitable form, and more products
have been produced for sale, which improves the economic
benefits of the mine.
Table 7. Whole Process Test Results
Products Yield, %
Grade, %Recovery, %
Pb Zn BaSO4 MgO Pb Zn BaSO4 MgO
Pb concentrate 1.02 52.66 9.33 1.41 0.70 63.47 2.66 0.09 0.05
Zn concentrate 6.48 1.76 48.75 4.35 2.40 13.57 88.73 1.65 1.26
Barite concentrate 7.30 0.01 0.03 92.75 0.15 0.11 0.07 39.62 0.09
Dolomite concentrate 47.19 0.06 0.31 1.00 17.22 3.08 4.10 2.75 65.70
Total tailings 38.01 0.44 0.42 25.13 10.71 19.77 4.44 55.89 32.90
Raw ores 100.00 0.84 3.56 17.09 12.37 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
Table 8. Cost comparison between the two beneficiation
technology option
Technology Steps
Cost
(CNY/t, head)
Milling and
flotation for
all the ore
Milling and flotation 34.13
Tailings storage 12
Total 46.13
The proposed
flowsheet of
this paper
XRT sorting 1.02
DMS 10.49
Milling and flotation 18.25
Reflux classifier 1.36
Barite cleaning 2.34
Total 33.45
Table 9. Profit comparison between the two beneficiation
technology option
Technology Products
Profit
(CNY/t. head)
Milling and
flotation for
all the ore
Pb conc 80.25
Zn conc 802.96
Total 883.21
The proposed
flowsheet of
this paper
Dolomite 14.16
Barite 29.2
Pb conc 80.15
Zn conc 790.32
Total 913.83