3642 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
reducing the recoveries in the C22 stage, which affects Sp
and Py, but with little impact to Ga. If these increases and
reductions are introduced by 10%, revenues will increase
by 10 MMUSD/year, that is, 8%. This is interesting since
they only mean changes in residence times.
It is worth highlighting that Monte Carlo simulations
considering uncertainty in all stages show that the revenues
are between 148.1 and 126.0 MMUSD/year, with an aver-
age of 139.0 MMUSD/year. These values allow us to define
the limits of the improvements that can be introduced. The
improvements identified allow us to approach the upper
limit, demonstrating the usefulness of the GSA.
CONCLUSIONS
A case study of a Cu, Pb, and Zn polymetallic plant showed
that integrated circuit designs give better results in terms of
revenues.
In fact, the integrated circuit delivered 9% more rev-
enues compared to the traditional optimal circuit. These
gains increased by 22% when introducing GSA-based
improvements. The analysis and improvement of these cir-
cuits is complex, given that they constitute a system where
the stage recoveries of a circuit influence the global recover-
ies of other circuits. It was shown that GSA can be used to
analyze these integrated circuits and that it is possible to
obtain improvements without introducing changes in the
physical chemistry of the systems.
The study of other cases is necessary to reach more solid
conclusions.
Acknowledgment
This publication was supported by the Agencia Nacional de
Investigación y Desarrollo de Chile, ANID/ACT210027,
AMTC Basal Project -Basal Financing Program for
Scientific and Technological Centers -grant number
AFB230001, and Fondecyt 1211498.
REFERENCES
Botero, Y.L., Cisternas, L.A., Demers, I., and Benzaazoua,
M., 2024. Insights into the design of polymetal-
lic ore flotation circuits, including tailing desulfur-
ization, Miner. Eng., 205, 108475, doi: 10.1016
/j.mineng.2023.108475.
Calizaya, D., Lopez, A., Cruz, M., Galvez, E., and Cisternas,
L.A., 2016. A strategy for the identification of optimal
flotation circuits. Miner. Eng. 96‑97,157–167.
Cisternas, L.A., Jamett, N., and Gálvez, E.D., 2015.
Approximate recovery values for each stage are suf-
ficient to select the concentration circuit struc-
tures. Miner. Eng. 83, 175–184. doi: 10.1016
/j.mineng.2015.09.003.
Cisternas, L.A., Ordóñez, J.O., Jeldres, R.I., and Serna-
Guerrero R., 2022. Toward the Implementation of
Circular Economy Strategies: An Overview of the
Current Situation in Mineral Processing, Mineral
Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review,
43(6), 775–797. doi: 10.1080/08827508.2021
.1946690.
Greet, C.J., 2010. The Eureka Mine -An Example of how
to identify and solve problems in a flotation plant, in
Greet C.J., ed. 2010. Flotation Plant Optimisation.
The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Spectrum Series 16, Australia.
Sepúlveda, F.D., Cisternas, L.A., and Gálvez, E.D., 2014.
The Use of Global Sensitivity Analysis for Improving
Processes: Applications to Mineral Processing,
Computers &Chemical Engineering, 66,221–232.
reducing the recoveries in the C22 stage, which affects Sp
and Py, but with little impact to Ga. If these increases and
reductions are introduced by 10%, revenues will increase
by 10 MMUSD/year, that is, 8%. This is interesting since
they only mean changes in residence times.
It is worth highlighting that Monte Carlo simulations
considering uncertainty in all stages show that the revenues
are between 148.1 and 126.0 MMUSD/year, with an aver-
age of 139.0 MMUSD/year. These values allow us to define
the limits of the improvements that can be introduced. The
improvements identified allow us to approach the upper
limit, demonstrating the usefulness of the GSA.
CONCLUSIONS
A case study of a Cu, Pb, and Zn polymetallic plant showed
that integrated circuit designs give better results in terms of
revenues.
In fact, the integrated circuit delivered 9% more rev-
enues compared to the traditional optimal circuit. These
gains increased by 22% when introducing GSA-based
improvements. The analysis and improvement of these cir-
cuits is complex, given that they constitute a system where
the stage recoveries of a circuit influence the global recover-
ies of other circuits. It was shown that GSA can be used to
analyze these integrated circuits and that it is possible to
obtain improvements without introducing changes in the
physical chemistry of the systems.
The study of other cases is necessary to reach more solid
conclusions.
Acknowledgment
This publication was supported by the Agencia Nacional de
Investigación y Desarrollo de Chile, ANID/ACT210027,
AMTC Basal Project -Basal Financing Program for
Scientific and Technological Centers -grant number
AFB230001, and Fondecyt 1211498.
REFERENCES
Botero, Y.L., Cisternas, L.A., Demers, I., and Benzaazoua,
M., 2024. Insights into the design of polymetal-
lic ore flotation circuits, including tailing desulfur-
ization, Miner. Eng., 205, 108475, doi: 10.1016
/j.mineng.2023.108475.
Calizaya, D., Lopez, A., Cruz, M., Galvez, E., and Cisternas,
L.A., 2016. A strategy for the identification of optimal
flotation circuits. Miner. Eng. 96‑97,157–167.
Cisternas, L.A., Jamett, N., and Gálvez, E.D., 2015.
Approximate recovery values for each stage are suf-
ficient to select the concentration circuit struc-
tures. Miner. Eng. 83, 175–184. doi: 10.1016
/j.mineng.2015.09.003.
Cisternas, L.A., Ordóñez, J.O., Jeldres, R.I., and Serna-
Guerrero R., 2022. Toward the Implementation of
Circular Economy Strategies: An Overview of the
Current Situation in Mineral Processing, Mineral
Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review,
43(6), 775–797. doi: 10.1080/08827508.2021
.1946690.
Greet, C.J., 2010. The Eureka Mine -An Example of how
to identify and solve problems in a flotation plant, in
Greet C.J., ed. 2010. Flotation Plant Optimisation.
The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Spectrum Series 16, Australia.
Sepúlveda, F.D., Cisternas, L.A., and Gálvez, E.D., 2014.
The Use of Global Sensitivity Analysis for Improving
Processes: Applications to Mineral Processing,
Computers &Chemical Engineering, 66,221–232.