3640 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
these streams to polish the surface liberate the minerals of
interest and avoid these potential problems.
Improvements Based on GSA
One problem in analyzing integrated circuits is that changes
in one circuit will affect the other circuits. In other words,
these interconnected circuits result in more complex sys-
tems to analyze. For that reason, GSA is used in this work.
The results of the GSA analysis are shown in Figure 3,
which shows the effect of the recovery uncertainties of the
species under study, Cp, Ga, Sp, Py, and NSG, for each
flotation stage on the uncertainty of their global recovery in
each product obtained.
It can be seen that the stage recovery that most affects
the global recoveries of Cp, Ga, and Sp are the recover-
ies of those species in the rougher stages of their respective
circuits. Unfortunately, changes in the recoveries in these
rougher stages also affect the recoveries of the other spe-
cies. In the case of the Cu circuit, the rougher recovery is
the most influential for all species. Then, if the recovery is
increased with longer residence times or a stronger collector
is used, all species will improve their recovery in the Cu cir-
cuit. Therefore, in these cases, selective actions are required
to increase the recovery of Cp and decrease (or maintain) the
recoveries of Ga, Sp, Py, and NSG. For example, suppose
that as a result of more selective conditions in the rougher
stage of the Cu circuit, the recovery of Cp is increased from
0.542 to 0.592 while that of Sp is reduced from 0.017 to
0.010 and NSG from 0.012 to 0.008 In the rougher stage
of the Pb circuit the recovery of Ga is increased from 0.85
to 0.90, while in the rougher stage of the Zn circuit the
recovery of Sp is increased from 0.826 to 0.876 and that of
NSG is reduced from 0.128 to 0.100. Then revenues will
increase significantly by 15.6 MMUSD/year, that is 11.8%.
Table 2. Performance of one-at-time design, simultaneous design, and integrated design
Circuit
Revenues
MMUSD/year
Global Recoveries Concentrate Grade
Cu Pb Zn Py NSG Cu Pb Zn Py NSG
One-At-Time Design and Simultaneous Design
Cu 45.39 0.15 0.21 0.00 0.314 22.47 0.67 2.74 0.15 30.38
Pb 12.21 47.73 3.27 0.33 0.578 1.51 52.90 10.95 4.22 14.00
Zn 17.76 23.28 78.87 3.81 1.550 0.43 5.00 51.11 9.43 7.28
Total 120.7
Integrated Design
Cu 71.86 0.94 0.92 0.01 0.43 21.2 2.5 7.3 0.3 25.0
Pb 8.05 58.63 4.33 0.35 1.06 0.8 50.1 11.2 3.4 19.8
Zn 9.75 20.27 80.91 4.67 1.88 0.2 4.2 50.3 11.1 8.5
Total 131.6
Figure 2. Optimal integrated design of the Cu-Pb-Zn polymetallic flotation circuit
these streams to polish the surface liberate the minerals of
interest and avoid these potential problems.
Improvements Based on GSA
One problem in analyzing integrated circuits is that changes
in one circuit will affect the other circuits. In other words,
these interconnected circuits result in more complex sys-
tems to analyze. For that reason, GSA is used in this work.
The results of the GSA analysis are shown in Figure 3,
which shows the effect of the recovery uncertainties of the
species under study, Cp, Ga, Sp, Py, and NSG, for each
flotation stage on the uncertainty of their global recovery in
each product obtained.
It can be seen that the stage recovery that most affects
the global recoveries of Cp, Ga, and Sp are the recover-
ies of those species in the rougher stages of their respective
circuits. Unfortunately, changes in the recoveries in these
rougher stages also affect the recoveries of the other spe-
cies. In the case of the Cu circuit, the rougher recovery is
the most influential for all species. Then, if the recovery is
increased with longer residence times or a stronger collector
is used, all species will improve their recovery in the Cu cir-
cuit. Therefore, in these cases, selective actions are required
to increase the recovery of Cp and decrease (or maintain) the
recoveries of Ga, Sp, Py, and NSG. For example, suppose
that as a result of more selective conditions in the rougher
stage of the Cu circuit, the recovery of Cp is increased from
0.542 to 0.592 while that of Sp is reduced from 0.017 to
0.010 and NSG from 0.012 to 0.008 In the rougher stage
of the Pb circuit the recovery of Ga is increased from 0.85
to 0.90, while in the rougher stage of the Zn circuit the
recovery of Sp is increased from 0.826 to 0.876 and that of
NSG is reduced from 0.128 to 0.100. Then revenues will
increase significantly by 15.6 MMUSD/year, that is 11.8%.
Table 2. Performance of one-at-time design, simultaneous design, and integrated design
Circuit
Revenues
MMUSD/year
Global Recoveries Concentrate Grade
Cu Pb Zn Py NSG Cu Pb Zn Py NSG
One-At-Time Design and Simultaneous Design
Cu 45.39 0.15 0.21 0.00 0.314 22.47 0.67 2.74 0.15 30.38
Pb 12.21 47.73 3.27 0.33 0.578 1.51 52.90 10.95 4.22 14.00
Zn 17.76 23.28 78.87 3.81 1.550 0.43 5.00 51.11 9.43 7.28
Total 120.7
Integrated Design
Cu 71.86 0.94 0.92 0.01 0.43 21.2 2.5 7.3 0.3 25.0
Pb 8.05 58.63 4.33 0.35 1.06 0.8 50.1 11.2 3.4 19.8
Zn 9.75 20.27 80.91 4.67 1.88 0.2 4.2 50.3 11.1 8.5
Total 131.6
Figure 2. Optimal integrated design of the Cu-Pb-Zn polymetallic flotation circuit