7
reach the target Cu final concentrate grade while increasing
Cu and Pb recoveries.
These three types of expert controls are independently
run, providing the flexibility. It’s most effective when all con-
trols are running.
CONCLUSIONS
Buick mill successfully renovated, started up, operated and
expert controlled a powerful Cu rougher scavenger with its
own MCC and air lower. It serves as both extended rougher
and rougher scavenger.
The integration of chemical reagents marked a signifi-
cant leap forward in chalcopyrite and galena separation at
Buick.
Buick mill successfully implemented chemical loops of
selective Cu collector and Pb depressant in its Cu rougher
scavenger, transforming it to chemical scavenger based on
process fundamentals and ore minerology.
Using a pair of pneumatically driven isolation and feed
valves, the scavenger can start or stop easily based on Cu
grade in mill feed. The design optimizes flotation infra-
structure and flowsheet, enhancing Cu and Pb recoveries
at Buick.
The pair of pneumatic isolation and feed valves played
a significant role in the efficient and flexible scavenger oper-
ation and maintenance. It can be applied to other mills to
repurpose and transform current flotation infrastructures
for flowsheet optimization. The Buick Rougher scavenger
contributed to Fletcher mill’s expanded FrothSense+ ™ on
Cu special from liberation to concentrate based on first
principles of industrial flotation (Mang et al., 2024e).
The journey from passive mechanical Pb and Zn
rougher scavengers to advanced mechanical and chemical
Cu rougher scavenger at Buick mill demonstrates the sig-
nificant progress in the field of Cu rougher scavenger.
IMPLICATIONS AND FUTURE WORK
Buick Cu scavenger is “parallel to series” conversion. Brushy
Creek mill, in “series to parallel,” may switch Cu circuit
to 2nd Zn circuit in parallel when processing high Fe/Zn
ore that contains Pb but insignificant Cu. A pair of isola-
tion and feed valves installed on Pb concentrate line diverts
“Cu tail” to final tail. Afterwards, Brushy Creek mill can
maximize both throughput and Zn recovery, “getting the
best from both worlds”. The high Zn in such ore otherwise
exceeds the capacity of the zinc circuit at Brushy Creek.
For copper special, Fletcher mill may switch Zn cleaner
and recleaner flotation columns as Cu recleaners which
could become one of the most powerful in industry. With
proven record, such flotation column can effectively reclean
Cu concentrate and boost its grade especially when process-
ing Cu ores with higher Fe/Cu ratio and lower Cu grade.
The entire Zn rougher and cleaning circuits will be trans-
formed as Cu rougher scavenger and recleaning flotation
columns respectively.
Sweetwater mill, using two pairs of isolation and feed
valves, may switch Zn rougher regrind ball mill for Cu
rougher during Cu special, effectively regrinding combined
froth from Cu rougher and Cu rougher scavenger. With a
large primary ball mill, such conversion forms a powerful
Cu mineral processing plant and may significantly increase
Cu recoveries especially from lower-grade Cu ores by opti-
mizing primary and regrind ball mills and using selective
Cu collectors, a proven path in Cu mineral processing
industry.
Sweetwater mill may test Buick Cu ore in its Cu circuit
after converting its Zn regrind circuit for Cu special. The
trial, plus using Fletcher Zn cleaning flotation columns for
Cu special, can help Buick evaluate adding copper rougher
regrind and copper concentrate recleaner in the Cu circuit.
Currently all Doe Run mills do not use Cu circuit for
Cu special due to processing high-grade Cu ores with low
Pb and Zn. Buick mill may open Cu circuit to process Cu
ore with elevated Pb and recirculate Cu tail back to Pb con-
ditioning to minimize Pb in Cu concentrate while upgrad-
ing Cu concentrate. In this scenario, a pair of isolation and
feed valves can reroute Cu tail back to Pb conditioning
tank.
REFERENCES
Mang, W., Steimel, A., Deml, A., Mangogna, B., Powell, N.,
Claremboux, V., Constance, T., Sampayo, G., and T.
Bhambhani (2024a), “Development, Implementation,
and Implications of Second Modern Flotation Reagent
System at Doe Run’s Buick Mill,” in 2024 SME
Annual Conference Technical Program, February
25–28, Phoenix, AZ, Society of Mining, Metallurgy &
Exploration.
Mang, W., Steimel, A., Deml, A., Mangogna, B., Dix, J.,
Yap, E., McKay, J., and Romrell, C., (2024b),
“Digital One Enterprise Expert Operating System on
Production Line at Doe Run’s Buick Mill – Expert-
Control of Flotation, Grinding and Things (EoT),”
in 2024 SME Annual Conference Technical Program,
February 25–28, Phoenix, AZ, Society of Mining,
Metallurgy &Exploration.
Mang, W., Steimel, A., Deml, A., Hanning, R., and
Mangogna, B., (2024c), “Processing Marcasite Copper
Ore with Iron Depressant, Hybrid Reagents, Advanced
Data Analytics, VisioFroth ™ and Breakthrough Expert
reach the target Cu final concentrate grade while increasing
Cu and Pb recoveries.
These three types of expert controls are independently
run, providing the flexibility. It’s most effective when all con-
trols are running.
CONCLUSIONS
Buick mill successfully renovated, started up, operated and
expert controlled a powerful Cu rougher scavenger with its
own MCC and air lower. It serves as both extended rougher
and rougher scavenger.
The integration of chemical reagents marked a signifi-
cant leap forward in chalcopyrite and galena separation at
Buick.
Buick mill successfully implemented chemical loops of
selective Cu collector and Pb depressant in its Cu rougher
scavenger, transforming it to chemical scavenger based on
process fundamentals and ore minerology.
Using a pair of pneumatically driven isolation and feed
valves, the scavenger can start or stop easily based on Cu
grade in mill feed. The design optimizes flotation infra-
structure and flowsheet, enhancing Cu and Pb recoveries
at Buick.
The pair of pneumatic isolation and feed valves played
a significant role in the efficient and flexible scavenger oper-
ation and maintenance. It can be applied to other mills to
repurpose and transform current flotation infrastructures
for flowsheet optimization. The Buick Rougher scavenger
contributed to Fletcher mill’s expanded FrothSense+ ™ on
Cu special from liberation to concentrate based on first
principles of industrial flotation (Mang et al., 2024e).
The journey from passive mechanical Pb and Zn
rougher scavengers to advanced mechanical and chemical
Cu rougher scavenger at Buick mill demonstrates the sig-
nificant progress in the field of Cu rougher scavenger.
IMPLICATIONS AND FUTURE WORK
Buick Cu scavenger is “parallel to series” conversion. Brushy
Creek mill, in “series to parallel,” may switch Cu circuit
to 2nd Zn circuit in parallel when processing high Fe/Zn
ore that contains Pb but insignificant Cu. A pair of isola-
tion and feed valves installed on Pb concentrate line diverts
“Cu tail” to final tail. Afterwards, Brushy Creek mill can
maximize both throughput and Zn recovery, “getting the
best from both worlds”. The high Zn in such ore otherwise
exceeds the capacity of the zinc circuit at Brushy Creek.
For copper special, Fletcher mill may switch Zn cleaner
and recleaner flotation columns as Cu recleaners which
could become one of the most powerful in industry. With
proven record, such flotation column can effectively reclean
Cu concentrate and boost its grade especially when process-
ing Cu ores with higher Fe/Cu ratio and lower Cu grade.
The entire Zn rougher and cleaning circuits will be trans-
formed as Cu rougher scavenger and recleaning flotation
columns respectively.
Sweetwater mill, using two pairs of isolation and feed
valves, may switch Zn rougher regrind ball mill for Cu
rougher during Cu special, effectively regrinding combined
froth from Cu rougher and Cu rougher scavenger. With a
large primary ball mill, such conversion forms a powerful
Cu mineral processing plant and may significantly increase
Cu recoveries especially from lower-grade Cu ores by opti-
mizing primary and regrind ball mills and using selective
Cu collectors, a proven path in Cu mineral processing
industry.
Sweetwater mill may test Buick Cu ore in its Cu circuit
after converting its Zn regrind circuit for Cu special. The
trial, plus using Fletcher Zn cleaning flotation columns for
Cu special, can help Buick evaluate adding copper rougher
regrind and copper concentrate recleaner in the Cu circuit.
Currently all Doe Run mills do not use Cu circuit for
Cu special due to processing high-grade Cu ores with low
Pb and Zn. Buick mill may open Cu circuit to process Cu
ore with elevated Pb and recirculate Cu tail back to Pb con-
ditioning to minimize Pb in Cu concentrate while upgrad-
ing Cu concentrate. In this scenario, a pair of isolation and
feed valves can reroute Cu tail back to Pb conditioning
tank.
REFERENCES
Mang, W., Steimel, A., Deml, A., Mangogna, B., Powell, N.,
Claremboux, V., Constance, T., Sampayo, G., and T.
Bhambhani (2024a), “Development, Implementation,
and Implications of Second Modern Flotation Reagent
System at Doe Run’s Buick Mill,” in 2024 SME
Annual Conference Technical Program, February
25–28, Phoenix, AZ, Society of Mining, Metallurgy &
Exploration.
Mang, W., Steimel, A., Deml, A., Mangogna, B., Dix, J.,
Yap, E., McKay, J., and Romrell, C., (2024b),
“Digital One Enterprise Expert Operating System on
Production Line at Doe Run’s Buick Mill – Expert-
Control of Flotation, Grinding and Things (EoT),”
in 2024 SME Annual Conference Technical Program,
February 25–28, Phoenix, AZ, Society of Mining,
Metallurgy &Exploration.
Mang, W., Steimel, A., Deml, A., Hanning, R., and
Mangogna, B., (2024c), “Processing Marcasite Copper
Ore with Iron Depressant, Hybrid Reagents, Advanced
Data Analytics, VisioFroth ™ and Breakthrough Expert