Acid mine drainage activation mechanism on lime-depressed pyrite flotation from copper sulfide ore

The lime-depressed pyrite from Cu differential flotation tailings with acid mine drainage(AMD)as a natural activator was recovered.The effect of AMD on lime-depressed pyrite flotation was investigated by a series of laboratory flotation tests and surface analytical techniques.Flotation test results indicated that AMD could effectively activate the pyrite flotation with a sodium butyl xanthate(SBX)collector,and a high-quality sulfur concentrate was obtained.Pulp ion concentration analysis results indicated that AMD facilitated desorption of Ca~(2+)and adsorption of Cu~(2+)on the depressed-pyrite surface.Adsorption measurements and contact angle analysis results confirmed that adding AMD improved the adsorption amount of SBX collector on the pyrite surface and increased the contact angle by 31°.Results of Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicated that AMD treatment promoted the formation of hydrophobic species(S~0 hydrophobic entity and copper sulfides)and the removal of hydrophilic calcium and iron species on the pyrite surface,which reinforced the adsorption of collector.The findings of the present research provide important theoretical basis and technical support for a cleaner production of copper sulfide ores.

Enhancing XRF sensor-based sorting of porphyritic copper ore using particle swarm optimization-support vector machine(PSO-SVM)algorithm

X-ray fluorescence(XRF)sensor-based ore sorting enables efficient beneficiation of heterogeneous ores,while intraparticle heterogeneity can cause significant grade detection errors,leading to misclassifications and hindering widespread technology adoption.Accurate classification models are crucial to determine if actual grade exceeds the sorting threshold using localized XRF signals.Previous studies mainly used linear regression(LR)algorithms including simple linear regression(SLR),multivariable linear regression(MLR),and multivariable linear regression with interaction(MLRI)but often fell short attaining satisfactory results.This study employed the particle swarm optimization support vector machine(PSO-SVM)algorithm for sorting porphyritic copper ore pebble.Lab-scale results showed PSO-SVM out-performed LR and raw data(RD)models and the significant interaction effects among input features was observed.Despite poor input data quality,PSO-SVM demonstrated exceptional capabilities.Lab-scale sorting achieved 93.0%accuracy,0.24%grade increase,84.94%recovery rate,57.02%discard rate,and a remarkable 39.62 yuan/t net smelter return(NSR)increase compared to no sorting.These improvements were achieved by the PSO-SVM model with optimized input combinations and highest data quality(T=10,T is XRF testing times).The unsuitability of LR methods for XRF sensor-based sorting of investigated sample is illustrated.Input element selection and mineral association analysis elucidate element importance and influence mechanisms.

A cleaner production strategy for acid mine drainage prevention of waste rock:A porphyry copper case

An in-process technology approach is proposed to identify the source of acid mine drainage(AMD)generation and prevent its formation in a porphyry copper waste rock(WR).Adopting actions before stockpiling the WR enables the establishment of potential contaminants and predicts the more convenient method for AMD prevention.A WR sample was separated into size fractions,and the WR’s net acidgenerating potential was quantified using chemical and mineralogical characterization.The diameter of physical locking of sulfides(DPLS)was determined,and the fractions below the DPLS were desulfurized using flotation.Finally,the WR fractions and tailing from the flotation test were submitted to acid-base accounting and weathering tests to evaluate their acid-generating potential.Results show that the WR’s main sulfide mineral is pyrite,and the DPLS was defined as 850μm.A sulfide recovery of 91%was achieved using a combination of HydroFloat^(®)and Denver cells for a size fraction lower than DPLS.No grinding was conducted.The results show that size fractions greater than DPLS and the desulfurized WR are unlikely to produce AMD.The outcomes show that in-processing technology can be a more proactive approach and an effective tool for avoiding AMD in a porphyry copper WR.

Leaching kinetics of low-grade copper ore containing calcium-magnesium carbonate in ammonia-ammonium sulfate solution with persulfate

The leaching kinetics of copper from low-grade copper ore was investigated in ammonia-ammonium sulfate solution with sodium persulfate. The effect parameters of stirring speed, temperature, particle size, concentrations of ammonia, ammonium sulfate and sodium persulfate were determined. The results show that the leaching rate is nearly independent of agitation above 300 r/min and increases with the increase of temperature, concentrations of ammonia, ammonium sulfate and sodium persulfate. The EDS analysis and phase quantitative analysis of the residues indicate that bornite can be dissolved by persulfate oxidization. The leaching kinetics with activation energy of 22.91 kJ/mol was analyzed by using a new shrinking core model （SCM） in which both the interfacial transfer and diffusion across the product layer affect the leaching rate. A semi-empirical rate equation was obtained to describe the leaching process and the empirical reaction orders with respect to the concentrations of ammonia, ammonium sulfate and sodium persulfate are 0.5, 1.2 and 0.5, respectively.

Investigating the first-order flotation kinetics models for Sarcheshmeh copper sulfide ore

This study was performed in two phases of work.In the first stage,four conventional first-order flotation kinetics models were fitted to the measured recoveries data and the best model were selected.In the second stage,influence of pH,solid concentration,water chemistry and the amount of collector dosage were investigated on kinetics parameters including flotation rate constant and ultimate recovery.The results indicated that that perfectly mixed reactor model and Kelsall model gave the best and the weakest fit to the experimental data,respectively.It was observed that flotation rate constant and ultimate recovery were strongly affected by chemical factors investigated especially water quality.The flotation rate constant decreased with increasing the solids content,while ultimate recovery increased to certain value and thereafter reduced.It was also found that the most values of flotation rate constant and ultimate recovery obtained in dosage of collector are 30 and 40 g/t,respectively.

Bioleaching of low-grade copper sulfide ores by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans

The grown conditions of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans were investigated,and then experiments were conducted to research the bioleaching behaviors of crude ore of copper sulfide and hand-picked concentrates of chalcopyrite by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans.The experimental results show that the bacteria grow best when the temperature is(30±1) °C and the pH value is 2.0.The bacteria concentration is 2.24×107 mL-1 in this condition.It is found that the copper extraction yield is affected by the inoculum size and the pulp density and the extraction yield increases as the inoculum size grows.The bioleaching rates reach their highest point in sulfide copper and chalcopyrite with a pulp density of 5% and 10%,respectively.Column flotation experiments of low-grade copper sulfide ores show that the bioleaching recovery reaches nearly 45% after 75 days.

Technological conditions and kinetics of leaching copper from complex copper oxide ore

The kinetic behavior of leaching copper from low grade copper oxide ore was investigated. The effects of leaching temperature, H2SO4 concentration, particle size of crude ore and agitation rate on the leaching efficiency of copper were also evaluated. And the kinetic equations of the leaching process were obtained. The results show that the leaching process can be described with a reaction model of shrinking core. The reaction can be divided into three stages. The first stage is the dissolution of free copper oxide and copper oxide wrapped by hematite-limonite ore. At this stage, the leaching efficiency is very fast （leaching efficiency is larger than 60%）. The second stage is the leaching of diffiuent copper oxides, whose apparent activation energy is 43.26 kJ/mol. During this process, the chemical reaction is the control step, and the reaction order of H2SO4 is 0.433 84. The third stage is the leaching of copper oxide wrapped by hematite-limonite and silicate ore with apparent activation energy of 16.08 kJ/mol, which belongs to the mixed control.

Techniques of copper recovery from Mexican copper oxide ore

Mexican copper ore is a mixed ore containing mainly copper oxide and some copper sulfide that responds well to flotation. The joint techniques of flotation and leaching were studied. The results indicate that an ore containing 19.01% copper could be obtained at a recovery ratio of 35.02% by using sodium sulfide and butyl xanthate flotation. Over 83.33% of the copper oxide can be recovered from the railings by leaching in suitable conditions, such as 1 h stirring at a temperature around 25 ℃with a mixing speed of S00 r/min, an H2SO4 concentration of 1.0 mol/L and a mass ratio of the ore-slurry-liquid to solid （mL/ms） of 3. The overall yield of refined ore after flotation and leaching is over 89.18% of the copper, which is much better than sole flotation or leaching. A copper product containing more than 99.9% copper was obtained by using the process： flotation-agitation leaching- solvent extraction-electro-winning.

Dissolution kinetics of low grade complex copper ore in ammonia-ammonium chloride solution

The leaching kinetics of Tang-dan refractory low grade complex copper ore was investigated in ammonia-ammonium chloride solution.The concentration of ammonia and ammonium chloride,the ore particle size,the solid-to-liquid ratio and the temperature were chosen as parameters in the experiments.The results show that temperature,concentration of ammonia and ammonium chloride have favorable influence on the leaching rate of copper oxide ores.But,leaching rate decreases with increasing particle size and solid-to-liquid ratio.The leaching process is controlled by the diffusion of the lixiviant and the activation energy is determined to be 23.279 kJ/mol.An equation was also proposed to describe the leaching kinetics.

Interaction effects of flotation reagents for SAG mill reject of copper sulphide ore using response surface methodology

Flotation reagents have a complex behaviour in the beneficiation of base minerals in clayey ores.Interaction effects of reagents on the efficiency of copper flotation for a highly clayey low-grade sulphide ore were investigated using a central composite design.Preliminary results showed that sodium-isopropyl-xanthate(SIPX)and O-isopropyl-N-ethyl-thionocarbamate(IPETC)were found to be the most efficient collectors in the presence of lime as the pH regulator.The effects of dosage of collectors(SIPX and IPETC)and the dosage of methyl-isobutyl-carbonyl(MIBC)as frother on the separation efficiency were evaluated at different pH levels.Based on the analysis of variance(ANOVA),the interaction effects of the collector−pH and collector−frother were significant for the separation efficiency.At the low level of collector dosage,increasing pH from 9 to 11 enhanced copper separation efficiency from 81%to 86%for IPETC and from 77%to 86%for SIPX.Results of ANOVA showed that the maximum copper separation efficiency(88.7%)was obtained at the dosages of 8.6 g/t SIPX,7 g/t IPETC and 20 g/t MIBC at pH 11.Finally,it was concluded that a mixture of SIPX and IPETC collectors was more suitable to treat highly clayey sulphide ores.

Effect of ultraviolet mutagenesis on heterotrophic strain mutation and bioleaching of low grade copper ore

The effect of ultraviolet mutagenesis on a heterotrophic strain(Providencia JAT-1) mutation was studied and bioleaching of low grade copper ore with mutant bacteria was investigated. The results show that the activity of bacteria was improved after ultraviolet mutagenesis; the best irradiation time was 120 s. Compared to the original bacteria, the cells density of mutant bacteria at stationary phase increased by 26% and ammonia produced by mutant bacteria increased by 12%. Higher activity of bacteria leads to a higher copper extraction rate. The bioleaching performance of Providencia JAT-1 was improved after UV mutagenesis. The copper extraction rate with mutant bacteria increased by 10.6% compared to the original bacteria. The ore surface was corroded and the fine particles were absent after bioleaching. Free copper oxide and copper silicates could be leached out easily by using JAT-1; a small part of the copper sulfide can also be leached out. Bioleaching using JAT-1 is more effective than ammonia leaching and copper extraction rate with mutant bacteria was 21.1% higher than that by ammonia leaching under the same condition.

Mechanochemical sulfidization of a mixed oxide-sulphide copper ore by co-grinding with sulfur and its effect on the flotation efficiency

Mechanochemical sulfidization of a mixed sulfide/oxide copper ore by co-grinding with sulfur and additives including Mg(NO3)2 and Fe(NO3)3 salts and iron,aluminum and magnesium powders was investigated for the first time.Also,the influence of sulfidization during the wet-milling process was examined on the separation efficiency and recovery of copper in detail.The results demonstrated that co-grinding with sulfur solely had the best flotation performance at the value of 0.5 wt.%and it was attributed to the possible existence of S\\O bonding on copper oxides surfaces.In addition,adding magnesium nitrate salt,magnesium powder,iron nitrate salt and aluminum powder as additive associated with 0.5 wt%sulfur into ball milling caused the flotation improvement at the amounts of 0.2 wt%,0.2 wt%,0.5 wt%and 0.5 wt%,respectively.Also,the effect of grinding time and sulfidization pH with 0.5 wt%sulfur solely was determined and pH s of 7.5 to 8.5 gave the best results.The highest recovery(75.76%)and separation efficiency(63.44%)were achieved at pH of 7.5 and 8.5,respectively.

Effect of temperature on leaching behavior of copper minerals with different occurrence states in complex copper oxide ores

The effect of temperature on leaching behavior of copper minerals with different occurrence states in complex copper oxide ores was carried out by phase analysis means of XRD, optical microscopy and SEM-EDS. The results indicated that at ambient temperature, the easily leached copper oxide minerals were completely dissolved, while the bonded copper minerals were insoluble. At lukewarm temperature of 40℃, it was mainly the dissolution of copper in isomorphism state. With increasing temperature to 60℃, the copper leaching rate in the adsorbed state was significantly accelerated. In addition, when the temperature increased to 80℃, the isomorphic copper was completely leached, leaving 11.2% adsorbed copper un-leached. However, the copper in feldspar-quartz-copper-iron colloid state was not dissolved throughout the leaching process. Overall, the leaching rates of copper in different copper minerals decreased in the order: malachite, pseudo-malachite > chrysocolla > copper-bearing chlorite > copper-bearing muscovite > copper-bearing biotite > copper-bearing limonite > feldspar-quartz-copper-iron colloid.

Bioleaching of low-grade copper sulfide ore by extremely thermoacidophilic consortia at 70℃in column reactors

The effects of introducing M.sedula derivatives having different Cu^2+-resistance on bioleaching capacity of a defined consortium(consisting of A.brierleyi DSM1651 and M.hakonensis HO1-1)were studied in column reactors at 70℃.Introducing M.sedula copA mutant,a copper sensitive derivative,only had negligible effects on bioleaching.While introducing M.sedula ARS50-2,a Cu^2+resistant strain,substantially consolidated bioleaching process,with 27.77%more copper recovered after 58 d of bioleaching.Addition of M.sedula ARS50-2 likely enhanced the sulfur oxidation capacity of consortium after the 24th day under the Cu^2+stress.The majority of extreme thermoacidophiles were attached on minerals surface as indicated by quantitative PCR(qPCR)data.Successions of microbial community of extremely thermoacidophilic consortia that attached on surface of minerals were different from those in leachate.M.hakonensis HO1-1 was the dominant species attached on minerals surface in each column reactor throughout bioleaching process.The sessile M.sedula ARS50-2 remained as a major species till the 34th day.A.brierleyi DSM1651 was the most abundant planktonic species in leachate of each column reactor.These results highlight that higher Cu^2+-resistance is a beneficial trait for extreme thermoacidophiles to process copper minerals.

Genetic Types and Metallogenic Model for the Polymetallic Copper–Gold Deposits in the Tongling Ore District, Anhui Province, Eastern China

The Tongling ore district is one of the most economically important ore areas in the Middle–Lower Yangtze River Metallogenic Belt, eastern China. It contains hundreds of polymetallic copper–gold deposits and occurrences. Those deposits are mainly clustered(from west to east) within the Tongguanshan, Shizishan, Xinqiao, Fenghuangshan, and Shatanjiao orefields. Until recently, the majority of these deposits were thought to be skarn-or porphyry–skarn-type deposits; however there have been recent discoveries of numerous vein-type Au, Ag, and Pb-Zn deposits that do not fall into either of these categories. This indicates that there is some uncertainty over this classification. Here, we present the results of several systematic geological studies of representative deposits in the Tongling ore district. From investigation of the ore-controlling structures, lithology of the host rock, mineral assemblages, and the characteristics of the mineralization and alteration within these deposits, three genetic types of deposits(skarn-, porphyry-, and vein-type deposits) have been identified. The spatial and temporal relationships between the orebodies and Yanshanian intrusions combined with the sources of the ore-forming fluids and metals, as well as the geodynamic setting of this ore district, indicate that all three deposit types are genetically related each other and constitute a magmatic–hydrothermal system. This study outlines a model that relates the polymetallic copper–gold porphyry-, skarn-, and vein-type deposits within the Tongling ore district. This model provides a theoretical basis to guide exploration for deep-seated and concealed porphyry-type Cu(–Mo, –Au) deposits as well as shallow vein-type Au, Ag, and Pb–Zn deposits in this area and elsewhere.

Study on the mechanical activation of malachite and the leaching of complex copper ore in the Luanshya mining area, Zambia

Mechanical activation(MA) of malachite was carried out by dry planetary grinding(DPG) and wet Isa grinding(WIG) methods. When the rotational speed was increased to 400 r/min in DPG, the specific surface area of malachite reached the maximum and the particle size reached the minimum of 0.7–100 μm. Agglomeration occurred between mineral particles when the rotational speed was increased to 580 r/min in DPG.However, no agglomeration was observed among particles with sizes 0.4–3 μm in WIG. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that, at a 580 r/min rotational speed in DPG, the amorphization degree of malachite was 53.12%, whereas that in WIG was 71.40%, indicating that MA led to amorphization and distortion of crystal structures. In addition, in the Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR) spectra of activated malachite, the bands associated with –OH, CO_3^(2-)and metal lattice vibrations of Cu–O and Cu–OH were weakened, and a new H–O–H bending mode and peaks of gaseous CO_2 appeared, indicating that MA decreased the band energy, enhanced dihydroxylation, and increased the chemical reactivity of the malachite.Furthermore, the leaching behavior of copper ore was greatly improved by MA.

Leaching kinetics of low-grade copper ore with high-alkality gangues in ammonia-ammonium sulphate solution

The leaching kinetics of low-grade copper ore with high-alkality gangues was studied in ammonia-ammonium sulphate solution.The main parameters,such as ammonia and ammonium sulphate concentrations,particle size,solid-to-liquid ratio and reaction temperature,were chosen in the experiments.The results show that the increase of temperature,concentrations of ammonia and ammonium sulphate is propitious to the leaching rate of copper ore.The leaching rate increases with the decrease of particle size and solid-to-liquid ratio.The leaching rate is controlled by the diffusion through the ash layer and the activation energy is determined to be 25.54 kJ/mol.A semi-empirical equation was proposed to describe the leaching kinetics.

Ore Genesis for Stratiform Ore Bodies of the Dongfengnanshan Copper Polymetallic Deposit in the Yanbian Area, NE China:Constraints from LA-ICP-MS in situ Trace Elements and Sulfide S–Pb Isotopes

The Dongfengnanshan Cu polymetallic deposit is one representative deposit of the Tianbaoshan ore district in the Yanbian area, northeast(NE) China. There occur two types of ore bodies in this deposit, the stratiform ore bodies and veintype ones, controlled by the Early Permian strata and the Late Hercynian diorite intrusion, respectively. Due to the ambiguous genetic type of the stratiform ore bodies, there has been controversy on the relationship between them and veintype ore bodies. To determine the genetic type of stratiform ore bodies, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(LA-ICP-MS) in situ trace elements and S–Pb isotope analysis have been carried on the sulfides in the stratiform ore bodies. Compared with that in skarn, Mississippi Valley-type(MVT), and epithermal deposits, sphalerite samples in the stratiform ore bodies of the Dongfengnanshan deposit are significantly enriched in Fe, Mn, and In, while depleted in Ga, Ge, and Cd, which is similar to the sphalerite in volcanic-associated massive sulfide(VMS) deposits. Co/Ni ratio of pyrrhotites in the stratiform ore bodies is similar to that in VMS-type deposits. The concentrations of Zn and Cd of chalcopyrites are similar to those of recrystallized VMS-type deposits. These characteristics also reflect the intermediate ore-forming temperature of the stratiform ore bodies in this deposit. Sulfur isotope compositions of sulfides are similar to those of VMS-type deposits, reflecting that sulfur originated from the Permian Miaoling Formation. Lead isotope compositions indicate mixed-source for lead. Moreover, the comparison of the Dongfengnanshan stratiform ore bodies with some VMStype deposits in China and abroad, on the trace elements and S–Pb isotope characteristics of the sulfides reveals that the stratiform ore bodies of the Dongfengnanshan deposit belong to the VMS-type, and have closely genetic relationship with the early Permian marine volcanic sedimentary rocks.

Acid equilibrium during bioleaching of alkaline low-grade sulfide copper ore

This article reports the study on acid equilibrium during bioleaching of alkaline low-grade copper sulfide ore. Adding auxiliary agents 1# （sulfur） and 2# （pyrite） makes bacterial leaching of copper and acid production carried out simultaneously because the auxiliary agents can be oxidized by bacteria and the oxidation products involve acid. The acid required for dissolving alkaline gangue during bacterial leaching is produced, and acid equilibrium is reached during the ore bio-leaching. The recovery of copper reaches more than 95%.

Effects of forced aeration on community dynamics of free and attached bacteria in copper sulphide ore bioleaching

Bacterial community dynamics and copper leaching with applied forced aeration were investigated during low-grade copper sulphide bioleaching to obtain better bioleaching efficiency.Results illustrated that appropriate aeration improved bacterial concentrations and leaching efficiencies.The highest bacterial concentration and Cu^(2+)concentration after 14-d leaching were 7.61×10^(7) cells·mL^(−1) and 704.9 mg·L^(−1),respectively,at aeration duration of 4 h·d^(−1).The attached bacteria played a significant role during bioleaching from 1 to 7 d.However,free bacteria dominated the bioleaching processes from 8 to 14 d.This phenomenon was mainly caused by the formation of passivation layer through Fe3+hydrolysis along with bioleaching,which inhibited the contact between the attached bacteria and ore.Meanwhile,16S rDNA analysis verified the effect of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans on the bioleaching process.The results demonstrate the importance of free and attached bacteria in bioleaching.