FLOATATION PROCESS FOR COPPER AND PRECIOUS METALS CONCENTRATION FROM MIXTURE OF COPPER SLAG AND FLOATATION TAILINGS

Invention herewith presented describes the process of floatation concentration of copper and precious metals from mixture of copper smelting slag and floatation tailings, presents a unique and original solution for processing these two waste materials.Due to the lower content of fine particles in grinding product of copper slag, as well as higher density and the shortage of lack of aluminum silicates, floatation pulp created in the floatation process has lower viscosity and stability. This characteristic of the pulp has negative effect on both processes of grinding and classification and efficiency of floatation concentration. The lower pulp stability and viscosity causes higher energy consumption during the grinding process, lead to the increase in the energy consumption and decrease in the power plant capacity and lower recovery of copper and precious metals in the process of floatation concentration. By simultaneous adding old floatation tailings into the grinding of the copper slag in the ball mill at the rate of 10%, it is possible to increase plant capacity of the mentioned technical wastes in up to 10%, to reduce energy consumption in the grinding process by 10 to 15% and to increase copper recovery by about 15%. Postupak zajedničke pripreme i flotacijske koncentracije bakra i plemenitih metala iz topioničke šljake i flotacijske jalovine, je originalan tehnološki postupak prerade dve tehnogene otpadne sirovine. Zbog smanjenog učešća najfinijih čestica u proizvodu mlevenja šljake, veće gustine, i nedostatka aluminata i alumosilikata u istoj, pulpa formirana u procesu prerade topioničke šljake ima smanjenu viskoznost i stabilitet. Ova karakteristika pulpe negativno utiče, kako na efikasnost procesa mlevenja i klasiranja tako i efikasnost flotacijske koncentracije.Smanjena viskoznost i stabilitet pulpe u procesu mlevenja i klasiranja, uslovljavaju, povećanu potrošnju energije i smanjenje kapaciteta prerade sirovine, dok u procesu flotiranja smanjenje iskorišćenja bakra i plemenitih metala.Kontinuiranim dodavanjem stare flotacijske jalovine u proces mlevenja topioničke šljake u mlinu sa kuglama, u masi od 10 % kapaciteta prerade, kapacitet prerade navedenih tehnogenih otpadnih sirovina povećava se za oko 10 %, smanjuje potrošnja energije u procesu mlevenja za 10 - 15 % i povećava iskorišćenje bakra, za oko 15 %.