XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 945
• Therefore, expert grinding seeks most economical
liberation of Pb, Zn, and Cu minerals for respective
flotation circuits.
Customizing Flotation Reagent Regimens for Complex
Pb/Zn/Cu Ores and Complex Cu Ores
• Digital One makes it an operational reality to apply
highly selective and potent flotation collectors and
depressants required to process today’s complex ores
of declining grades.
• “Designer” reagents can therefore be selected from
current modern reagents or custom formulated
based on reagents’ intrinsic chemical properties tar-
geting ores to be processed and less on operability of
reagents.
• Such selected reagents target on ore and gangue
mineral species and less on elemental compositions
and assays, e.g., Cu, Pb and Zn collectors beyond
xanthate, and depressants and dispersants on pyrite,
marcasite, and dolomites.
• Accordingly, Buick Mill is plant trialing a water-sol-
uble Cu collector selective for chalcopyrite, bornite,
and cobalt and nickel minerals for Pb/Zn/Cu ores.
• Separately, a suite of two or three selective Cu collec-
tors will be determined first through flotation tests
then for plant trials on Cu ores including marcasite
Cu ores, not using less-selective xanthate for low-
grade Cu ores.
Applied Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Flotation
and Reagents
• Dynamically detect depression of galena while
increasing cyanide to depress Fe sulfides in the bulk
circuit and stop increasing cyanide. This will increase
Pb recovery and reduce cyanide consumption.
• Dynamically detect over-activation of Fe sulfides
while increasing CuSO4 in the Zn circuit to main-
tain Zn concentrate graded and reduce CuSO4 con-
sumption or keep increasing CuSO4 while depress-
ing Fe sulfides to increase Zn recovery and Zn con-
centrate grade.
• Dynamically “over collect” Cu minerals with selec-
tive Cu collector to increase Cu recovery and Cu
concentrate grade while depressing Fe sulfides (and
reducing xanthate) in bulk circuit, depressing galena
with Pb depressant in Cu absorber and scavenger.
Construction, Operation and Expert Control of the
Critical Copper Rougher Scavenger
• Large scavenger with its own MCC, Air Blower, mul-
tiple reagent loops and VisioFroth.
• “True” scavenger and its chemistry, hydrodynamics,
bubbles, and phase equilibria can be optimized with
Cu collector, Pb depressant, air, MIBC, and XRF
readings in Digital One.
• Therefore, selectively “over” collect more Cu, cobalt,
and nickel from Pb concentrate, increasing their
recoveries in Cu concentrate.
Build Cu Flotation Circuit with Regrind and Recleaner
-Expanding Pb\Zn\Cu Ore Resources
• Cu flotation circuit is most challenging, making two,
or Cu and Pb, final concentrates.
• Cu rougher scavenger is a corner stone to expand Cu
circuit with regrind and recleaner.
• Expert grinding with most economical liberations
and selective reagents is the foundation.
• Regrind copper-rougher froth of minimal volume
instead of cost-prohibitive tertiary grinding of bulk
Pb/Cu concentrate in large volume or even entire
mill feed in much larger volume.
• Recleaner drops entrained mineral gangues espe-
cially dolomite, boosting Cu concentrate grade and
permitting more selective “over” collecting of Cu,
cobalt, and nickel minerals.
Copper-Special Expert Control for All Mills—
Expanding Ore Resources
• Digitally re-designate Pb and Zn VisioFroth cameras
as Cu cameras.
• Bring full power of VisioFroth to Copper-Special
including optimizing cell hydrodynamics by air and
MIBC in Pb circuit (now Cu circuit) and Zn circuit
(now Cu rougher scavenger).
• Use selective Cu collectors with reduced or zero xan-
thate, and Fe depressants in feed to Pb circuit and Zn
circuit, now for Copper Special, Cu rougher and its
scavenger, respectively.
• Increase Cu, Co, and Ni recoveries, maintain, or
increase Cu concentrate grade.
• Target lowering cut-off grade, expanding Cu ore
resources, and increasing Cu production.
• Therefore, expert grinding seeks most economical
liberation of Pb, Zn, and Cu minerals for respective
flotation circuits.
Customizing Flotation Reagent Regimens for Complex
Pb/Zn/Cu Ores and Complex Cu Ores
• Digital One makes it an operational reality to apply
highly selective and potent flotation collectors and
depressants required to process today’s complex ores
of declining grades.
• “Designer” reagents can therefore be selected from
current modern reagents or custom formulated
based on reagents’ intrinsic chemical properties tar-
geting ores to be processed and less on operability of
reagents.
• Such selected reagents target on ore and gangue
mineral species and less on elemental compositions
and assays, e.g., Cu, Pb and Zn collectors beyond
xanthate, and depressants and dispersants on pyrite,
marcasite, and dolomites.
• Accordingly, Buick Mill is plant trialing a water-sol-
uble Cu collector selective for chalcopyrite, bornite,
and cobalt and nickel minerals for Pb/Zn/Cu ores.
• Separately, a suite of two or three selective Cu collec-
tors will be determined first through flotation tests
then for plant trials on Cu ores including marcasite
Cu ores, not using less-selective xanthate for low-
grade Cu ores.
Applied Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Flotation
and Reagents
• Dynamically detect depression of galena while
increasing cyanide to depress Fe sulfides in the bulk
circuit and stop increasing cyanide. This will increase
Pb recovery and reduce cyanide consumption.
• Dynamically detect over-activation of Fe sulfides
while increasing CuSO4 in the Zn circuit to main-
tain Zn concentrate graded and reduce CuSO4 con-
sumption or keep increasing CuSO4 while depress-
ing Fe sulfides to increase Zn recovery and Zn con-
centrate grade.
• Dynamically “over collect” Cu minerals with selec-
tive Cu collector to increase Cu recovery and Cu
concentrate grade while depressing Fe sulfides (and
reducing xanthate) in bulk circuit, depressing galena
with Pb depressant in Cu absorber and scavenger.
Construction, Operation and Expert Control of the
Critical Copper Rougher Scavenger
• Large scavenger with its own MCC, Air Blower, mul-
tiple reagent loops and VisioFroth.
• “True” scavenger and its chemistry, hydrodynamics,
bubbles, and phase equilibria can be optimized with
Cu collector, Pb depressant, air, MIBC, and XRF
readings in Digital One.
• Therefore, selectively “over” collect more Cu, cobalt,
and nickel from Pb concentrate, increasing their
recoveries in Cu concentrate.
Build Cu Flotation Circuit with Regrind and Recleaner
-Expanding Pb\Zn\Cu Ore Resources
• Cu flotation circuit is most challenging, making two,
or Cu and Pb, final concentrates.
• Cu rougher scavenger is a corner stone to expand Cu
circuit with regrind and recleaner.
• Expert grinding with most economical liberations
and selective reagents is the foundation.
• Regrind copper-rougher froth of minimal volume
instead of cost-prohibitive tertiary grinding of bulk
Pb/Cu concentrate in large volume or even entire
mill feed in much larger volume.
• Recleaner drops entrained mineral gangues espe-
cially dolomite, boosting Cu concentrate grade and
permitting more selective “over” collecting of Cu,
cobalt, and nickel minerals.
Copper-Special Expert Control for All Mills—
Expanding Ore Resources
• Digitally re-designate Pb and Zn VisioFroth cameras
as Cu cameras.
• Bring full power of VisioFroth to Copper-Special
including optimizing cell hydrodynamics by air and
MIBC in Pb circuit (now Cu circuit) and Zn circuit
(now Cu rougher scavenger).
• Use selective Cu collectors with reduced or zero xan-
thate, and Fe depressants in feed to Pb circuit and Zn
circuit, now for Copper Special, Cu rougher and its
scavenger, respectively.
• Increase Cu, Co, and Ni recoveries, maintain, or
increase Cu concentrate grade.
• Target lowering cut-off grade, expanding Cu ore
resources, and increasing Cu production.