6
CHEMICAL CU ROUGHER SCAVENGER -
APPLYING SELECTIVE CU COLLECTOR
AND PB DEPRESSANT
Three chemical loops were added to copper scavenger
including Cu collector, Pb depressant and MIBC. MIBC
was used to generate and refine air bubbles working with
forced air from air blower.
Copper rougher process fundamentals provide the
rationale of using selective Cu collector and Pb depressant
in a pair and simultaneously. Two types of Cu collectors,
oily and water soluble, were trialed and the aqueous col-
lector has operational advantage since it can be diluted
and overcome minimum controllable cc/minute for dosing
flowmeters.
These modern reagents react fast kinetically.
Thermodynamically, Pb depressant lets Cu collector “over”
collect and Cu collector lets Pb depressant “over” depress,
increasing both Cu and Pb recoveries. Selective Pb depres-
sant minimize Pb in Cu concentrate and selective Cu col-
lector minimizes Cu in Pb concentrate.
FROTHSENSE+™ EXPERT CONTROL ON
BUICK CU ROUGHER SCAVENGER
Advanced scavenger expert control was achieved using
FrothSense+ ™ froth camera technology and OCS-4D©
software integrated in DCS.
Scavenger air and rougher MIBC are controlled in a
secondary layer on top of velocity control, also towards
reaching the final Cu concentrate target grade.
Advanced chemical control on Cu rougher scavenger
automatically starts or stops selective Cu collector and Pb
depressant whenever seeing Hi and Lo Cu in Pb concen-
trate respectively in DCS. The Hi and Lo limits are the
same as used in Cu rougher chemical control see Table 1
(Mang et al., 2024a).
Such chemical control may detect interlocked Cu and
Pb minerals if not seeing a reduction of Cu in Pb concen-
trate over time, setting up the stage for future integration
with expert grinding.
Mill operator can “cruise control” the removal of scav-
enger froth by inputting a froth velocity setpoint in DCS or
“auto run” with FrothSense+ ™ adjusting froth velocity to
Figure 7. Plot of Decision Tree predictions and actuals for the same data set as used in
Figures 4, 5 and 6
Table 1. Buick Mill Special Flotation Reagents
CHEMICAL CU ROUGHER SCAVENGER -
APPLYING SELECTIVE CU COLLECTOR
AND PB DEPRESSANT
Three chemical loops were added to copper scavenger
including Cu collector, Pb depressant and MIBC. MIBC
was used to generate and refine air bubbles working with
forced air from air blower.
Copper rougher process fundamentals provide the
rationale of using selective Cu collector and Pb depressant
in a pair and simultaneously. Two types of Cu collectors,
oily and water soluble, were trialed and the aqueous col-
lector has operational advantage since it can be diluted
and overcome minimum controllable cc/minute for dosing
flowmeters.
These modern reagents react fast kinetically.
Thermodynamically, Pb depressant lets Cu collector “over”
collect and Cu collector lets Pb depressant “over” depress,
increasing both Cu and Pb recoveries. Selective Pb depres-
sant minimize Pb in Cu concentrate and selective Cu col-
lector minimizes Cu in Pb concentrate.
FROTHSENSE+™ EXPERT CONTROL ON
BUICK CU ROUGHER SCAVENGER
Advanced scavenger expert control was achieved using
FrothSense+ ™ froth camera technology and OCS-4D©
software integrated in DCS.
Scavenger air and rougher MIBC are controlled in a
secondary layer on top of velocity control, also towards
reaching the final Cu concentrate target grade.
Advanced chemical control on Cu rougher scavenger
automatically starts or stops selective Cu collector and Pb
depressant whenever seeing Hi and Lo Cu in Pb concen-
trate respectively in DCS. The Hi and Lo limits are the
same as used in Cu rougher chemical control see Table 1
(Mang et al., 2024a).
Such chemical control may detect interlocked Cu and
Pb minerals if not seeing a reduction of Cu in Pb concen-
trate over time, setting up the stage for future integration
with expert grinding.
Mill operator can “cruise control” the removal of scav-
enger froth by inputting a froth velocity setpoint in DCS or
“auto run” with FrothSense+ ™ adjusting froth velocity to
Figure 7. Plot of Decision Tree predictions and actuals for the same data set as used in
Figures 4, 5 and 6
Table 1. Buick Mill Special Flotation Reagents