Mekhanobr Engineering CJSC (Russia):

Maksimov I. I., Deputy General Director on Scientific Work, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, Professor

Otrozhdennova L. A., Leading Researcher, Ph. D. in Engineering Sciences

Tasina Т. I., Senior Researcher

Zavarina R. I., Researcher
Yegorova V. G., Researcher

E-mail (common): office@mekhanobr.spb.ru

The purpose of the work was to study practicability of joint processing of the Nurkazgan deposit Western and Northern areas ores, determining relationship between copper recovery into concentrate and copper content of ore. It is noted, that the Nurkazgan deposit is characterized by varying copper grade, the deposit Western and Northern areas ores differ in total copper content, as well as in copper varieties grades. The Western area ores are stronger, than the Northern area ores, grinding of the latter produces large quantities of slimes, including also clayey slimes. Presence of layer silicates in the Northern area ores, confirmed by the ore samples, produces a negative effect upon copper concentrate grade and copper recovery. It was ascertained by means of the ore sample, that the Western area ores with copper mass fraction of 0.23 % may be processed separately. This ore sample was used to produce copper concentrate with 18.26 % copper content, recovery being 80.96 %. The Northern area ores samples are significantly more difficult in processing. The Northern area ore sample with 0.4 % copper content allowed for 80.45 % metal recovery, which is considerably less, than metal recovery from the Western area ores (89.88 %). It has been shown, that separate processing of the Western and Northern areas ores is impractical. The Western and Northern areas ores joint processing study was conducted with the ores blended in a 3 : 4 ratio. The reagent regime in flotation of the ores blend was proximal to the reagent regime used in the Western area ores flotation, but slurry was higher-alkaline. It has been established, that with copper mass fraction in ore blends samples increasing from 0.27 to 0.52 %, copper recovery rises from 78 to 86.5 %. The obtained results verified advisability of joint processing of the Nurkazgan deposit Western and Northern areas ores.

1. Otrozhdennova L. A., Akkerman Yu. E., Kuchayev V. A., Aksenova G. Ya., Zavarina R. I. Obogashchenie Rud, 2012, No. 6, pp. 18–22.