Beneficiation of Artvin-Cerattepe Copper-Zinc Ore by Flotation

Seyrankaya A., Yontar U., Canbazoğlu M., Özel G., Kabaloğlu S.

17th International Mineral Processing Symposium (IMPS 2022), İstanbul, TÜYAP, 15-17 Aralık 2022, Türkiye, İstanbul, Türkiye, 15 - 17 Aralık 2022, ss.1-12, (Tam Metin Bildiri)

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: İstanbul
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-12
  • Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Cerattepe (Artvin) mine contains volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits in northeastern Turkey, This is a Kuroko type deposit that located in late Cretaceous volcanic, intrusive and sedimentary rocks, and has a structure with dense alteration stages. Cerattepe VMS have several zones with high copper (>5% Cu) and low Zn (<0.2% Zn) in addition to lower copper and high zinc (>2% Zn) content.

 

In this study, batch flotation tests were carried out to determine the flotation behavior of the new sample (mix ore) which was the combination of two different ores having different flotation behaviors, The main targets were to provide a better selectivity against pyrite and obtain higher copper recovery. The Cerattepe ore contains chalcopyrite, covellite, chalcocite, bornite and a few amounts of tetrahedrite as copper minerals and have other metal sulphides such as, sphalerite and galena. On the other hand, pyrite (>%70) dominantly exists as a gangue mineral in addition to barite and quartz. The mix ore contains 2.18% Cu, 1.46% Zn, (Cu/Zn ratio 1,49) 38.35% Fe and 41.6% S content. It could not be achieved efficient separation of the copper minerals from zinc minerals by conventional selective flotation method due to the complex mineralogy. Therefore, sequential selective flotation was resulted with poor Cu recovery.

 

The effects of flotation parameters such as collector type, collector amount, particle size and pH conditions were investigated in order to obtain a bulk copper-zinc concentrate. The best results were obtained by using thionocarbamate (Aero 3894) and dithiophosphine (Aerophine 3418A) collector reagents at d80=40 µm particle size. Under optimal conditions (grain size, d80= 40 µm, pH= 11, amount of collector reagent 60 g/t (Aero 3894), frother (MIBC)= 50 g/t, solid ratio= 32%, flotation time= 8 min.), a bulk copper-zinc concentrate containing 13% Cu and 9.5% Zn was obtained with a copper yield of 84.4% and a zinc yield of 88.9%. The concentrate mass pull was 13%. After two-stages scavenger flotation, a rougher concentrate (20 minutes of floatation and 22% mass pull) was obtained with 91.8% Cu and 92.5% Zn recoveries.