5
Figure 4 shows that, at any mill feed Cu, increasing Cu
froth texture reduces Cu in Pb concentrate and boost Cu
recovery. Higher bubble textures correlate directly with less
Cu going to the Pb concentrate, which in turn implies bet-
ter Cu recovery. Since froth texture is a direct measurement
of bubble mineral loading (Mang et al., 2014a), this cor-
relation and finding is fundamental. A higher mill feed Cu
however leads to a higher Cu in Pb concentrate as shown
in Figures 5 and 6 across entire mill feed Fe and Pb respec-
tively, another fundamental finding.
Figures 5 and 6 reveal critical ore mineralogy informa-
tion from mill feed XRF online elemental assays, which led
to exploration and application of geo-metallurgy (Mang
et al, 2024e). At any given Cu, higher Fe and lower Pb
cause higher Cu in Pb concentrate and lower Cu recovery.
This is in line with known minerology of the ores feeding
Buick mill. There are binary Pb and Cu ores with finer and
interlocked mineral grains especially at lower Pb and higher
Fe. These sulfide ores become more disseminated at higher
pyrite and marcasite.
These models revealed the need and fundamentals to
apply selective Cu collector and selective Pb depressant in
the Cu rougher scavenger.
In Figure 7, XRF Cu-in-Pb-concentrate assays were
“pruned” using Decision Tree versus Pb and Cu in mill
feed. Lower Pb and higher Cu in mill feed caused higher
Cu in Pb concentrate, in agreement with linear response
surface and neural network models. Figure 7 best shows the
dynamic nature of Cu in Pb concentrate with all raw data
points of a two-day period at every 30 minutes.
Figure 4. Cu in the Pb concentrate in the Cu/Pb separation
versus bubble texture in the first rougher and mill feed Cu
grade
Figure 5. Cu% in Pb Concentrate vs Cu% and Fe% in Mill
Feed
Figure 6. Cu% in Pb Concentrate vs Cu% and Fe% in Mill
Feed
Figure 4 shows that, at any mill feed Cu, increasing Cu
froth texture reduces Cu in Pb concentrate and boost Cu
recovery. Higher bubble textures correlate directly with less
Cu going to the Pb concentrate, which in turn implies bet-
ter Cu recovery. Since froth texture is a direct measurement
of bubble mineral loading (Mang et al., 2014a), this cor-
relation and finding is fundamental. A higher mill feed Cu
however leads to a higher Cu in Pb concentrate as shown
in Figures 5 and 6 across entire mill feed Fe and Pb respec-
tively, another fundamental finding.
Figures 5 and 6 reveal critical ore mineralogy informa-
tion from mill feed XRF online elemental assays, which led
to exploration and application of geo-metallurgy (Mang
et al, 2024e). At any given Cu, higher Fe and lower Pb
cause higher Cu in Pb concentrate and lower Cu recovery.
This is in line with known minerology of the ores feeding
Buick mill. There are binary Pb and Cu ores with finer and
interlocked mineral grains especially at lower Pb and higher
Fe. These sulfide ores become more disseminated at higher
pyrite and marcasite.
These models revealed the need and fundamentals to
apply selective Cu collector and selective Pb depressant in
the Cu rougher scavenger.
In Figure 7, XRF Cu-in-Pb-concentrate assays were
“pruned” using Decision Tree versus Pb and Cu in mill
feed. Lower Pb and higher Cu in mill feed caused higher
Cu in Pb concentrate, in agreement with linear response
surface and neural network models. Figure 7 best shows the
dynamic nature of Cu in Pb concentrate with all raw data
points of a two-day period at every 30 minutes.
Figure 4. Cu in the Pb concentrate in the Cu/Pb separation
versus bubble texture in the first rougher and mill feed Cu
grade
Figure 5. Cu% in Pb Concentrate vs Cu% and Fe% in Mill
Feed
Figure 6. Cu% in Pb Concentrate vs Cu% and Fe% in Mill
Feed