XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 781
Regarding concentrate grades, FA and FB showed val-
ues around 10–20% Cu, while SA and SB reached grades of
3–8%Cu. In general, the concentrate grades varied accord-
ing to the minerals feed grades and the recovery reached
with each water quality. Thus, higher concentrate grades
were reached when recovery was lower, in the ranges shown
for each mineral. The concentrate grade was not as sensitive
as recovery when changing water quality.
Estimation of the Future Process Water Using DDCT
Feed Mineralogical Characterization
Mineralogical characterization was performed by Qemscan
analysis. Figure 5a shows the distribution of the copper
sulphides minerals in the Life of Mine (LOM). The main
component being chalcopyrite (39–72%) and then born-
ite (16–37%) and chalcocite (5–37%). Figure 5b shows
the mass distribution of the LOM minerals per liberation
classes, per years 2024–2028. The year 2025 shows the
larger content (79%) of mineral with liberation 80%,
while in 2027 only 41% of mineral with liberation 80%
was observed. In year 2027 the occluded copper sul-
phide minerals reaches a maximum of 43%. Among the
non-valuable minerals, it was found a higher presence of
pyrite (9.2%) and quartz (65%) in 2026, clays (4.5%) and
K-Feldspar (14%) in 2028, and muscovite (26%) in 2024.
Estimation of Recovered Water (RW) Quality in the
Plant Operation Using RDW as FWM
A first series of DDCT was carried on for the five years
(2024 –2028) of study, using only remineralized desalinated
water (RDW) as freshwater makeup (FWM) to evaluate the
mineral dissolution on the recovered water (RW), as a refer-
ence case. Results showed that after the water recirculation,
the ionic strength of the plant water inventory increased
by 2–3 mS/cm in all cases, due to the mineral dissolution.
Estimation of the Recovered Water (RW) Quality for
the Future Plant Operation Using the Projected FWM
(50/50 or 65/35)
Figure 6 shows the conductivity changes of the flotation
tailing water after each cycle during the DDCT for the
future minerals of years 2024–2028. The first point of
the DDCT curve, before starting the first flotation, cor-
respond to the process water (PW) in the first year 2024
and to the freshwater makeup (FWM: 50/50 or 65/35) for
years 2025–2028. The last point of the DDCT curve cor-
responds to the quality of recovered water (RW) after stabi-
lization reaching equilibrium at the end of cycle 11.
It was observed that in case of using process water
(PW), the higher initial ionic strength was diluted by the
freshwater makeup (FWM) added in each cycle. Then,
despite the mineral dissolution the conductivity decreases
from 18.5 ± 0.3 to 12.0 ± 0.7 mS/cm. On the other side,
for years 2025–2027, the initial freshwater makeup (FWM)
is RDW/CW (50/50), and a net increase in the conductiv-
ity from 10.6 ± 0.3 to 12.2 ± 0.8 mS/cm was observed at
the end of the DDCT, which is related to the mineral dis-
solution. For year 2028, the content of FWM is RDW/CW
(65/35) and the initial conductivity was 8.3 ± 0.6 mS/cm
and due to dissolution increases to 10.2 ± 0.5 mS/cm. In
(a) (b)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
Chalcopyrite Chalcocite/Digenite
Covellite Bornite
Enargite-Tennantite
0
20
40
60
80
100
2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
Cu Fe Sulph Locked Cu Fe Sulph Sub-Mid 20%
Cu Fe Sulph Mid 50% Liberated Cu Fe Sulph 80%
Free Cu Fe Sulph
Figure 5. Mineralogical results of LOM (years 2024–2028): (a) distribution of Cu sulphides, and (b) mineral liberation
Cu
sulphide
distribution,
%
Mass
fraction,
%
Regarding concentrate grades, FA and FB showed val-
ues around 10–20% Cu, while SA and SB reached grades of
3–8%Cu. In general, the concentrate grades varied accord-
ing to the minerals feed grades and the recovery reached
with each water quality. Thus, higher concentrate grades
were reached when recovery was lower, in the ranges shown
for each mineral. The concentrate grade was not as sensitive
as recovery when changing water quality.
Estimation of the Future Process Water Using DDCT
Feed Mineralogical Characterization
Mineralogical characterization was performed by Qemscan
analysis. Figure 5a shows the distribution of the copper
sulphides minerals in the Life of Mine (LOM). The main
component being chalcopyrite (39–72%) and then born-
ite (16–37%) and chalcocite (5–37%). Figure 5b shows
the mass distribution of the LOM minerals per liberation
classes, per years 2024–2028. The year 2025 shows the
larger content (79%) of mineral with liberation 80%,
while in 2027 only 41% of mineral with liberation 80%
was observed. In year 2027 the occluded copper sul-
phide minerals reaches a maximum of 43%. Among the
non-valuable minerals, it was found a higher presence of
pyrite (9.2%) and quartz (65%) in 2026, clays (4.5%) and
K-Feldspar (14%) in 2028, and muscovite (26%) in 2024.
Estimation of Recovered Water (RW) Quality in the
Plant Operation Using RDW as FWM
A first series of DDCT was carried on for the five years
(2024 –2028) of study, using only remineralized desalinated
water (RDW) as freshwater makeup (FWM) to evaluate the
mineral dissolution on the recovered water (RW), as a refer-
ence case. Results showed that after the water recirculation,
the ionic strength of the plant water inventory increased
by 2–3 mS/cm in all cases, due to the mineral dissolution.
Estimation of the Recovered Water (RW) Quality for
the Future Plant Operation Using the Projected FWM
(50/50 or 65/35)
Figure 6 shows the conductivity changes of the flotation
tailing water after each cycle during the DDCT for the
future minerals of years 2024–2028. The first point of
the DDCT curve, before starting the first flotation, cor-
respond to the process water (PW) in the first year 2024
and to the freshwater makeup (FWM: 50/50 or 65/35) for
years 2025–2028. The last point of the DDCT curve cor-
responds to the quality of recovered water (RW) after stabi-
lization reaching equilibrium at the end of cycle 11.
It was observed that in case of using process water
(PW), the higher initial ionic strength was diluted by the
freshwater makeup (FWM) added in each cycle. Then,
despite the mineral dissolution the conductivity decreases
from 18.5 ± 0.3 to 12.0 ± 0.7 mS/cm. On the other side,
for years 2025–2027, the initial freshwater makeup (FWM)
is RDW/CW (50/50), and a net increase in the conductiv-
ity from 10.6 ± 0.3 to 12.2 ± 0.8 mS/cm was observed at
the end of the DDCT, which is related to the mineral dis-
solution. For year 2028, the content of FWM is RDW/CW
(65/35) and the initial conductivity was 8.3 ± 0.6 mS/cm
and due to dissolution increases to 10.2 ± 0.5 mS/cm. In
(a) (b)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
Chalcopyrite Chalcocite/Digenite
Covellite Bornite
Enargite-Tennantite
0
20
40
60
80
100
2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
Cu Fe Sulph Locked Cu Fe Sulph Sub-Mid 20%
Cu Fe Sulph Mid 50% Liberated Cu Fe Sulph 80%
Free Cu Fe Sulph
Figure 5. Mineralogical results of LOM (years 2024–2028): (a) distribution of Cu sulphides, and (b) mineral liberation
Cu
sulphide
distribution,
%
Mass
fraction,
%