Mineral processing method

Abstract

Provided is a mineral processing method that allows obtaining a concentrate having a low arsenic grade from a raw material having a high arsenic grade. The mineral processing method includes: a repulping step of adding water to a raw material containing a non-arsenic-containing sulfide mineral as a sulfide mineral not containing arsenic and an arsenic-containing sulfide mineral as a copper sulfide mineral containing arsenic to obtain a mineral slurry; a pH adjusting step of adjusting a pH of a liquid phase of the mineral slurry to 10 or more; a conditioning step of adding an oxidant and xanthate alkali metal salt to the mineral slurry; and a flotation step of performing flotation using the mineral slurry to separate the raw material into a floating ore having a grade of the non-arsenic-containing sulfide mineral higher than a grade of the non-arsenic-containing sulfide mineral of the raw material and a precipitating ore having a grade of the arsenic-containing sulfide mineral higher than a grade of the arsenic-containing sulfide mineral of the raw material. The raw material contains the arsenic by 4.4 to 5.8 pts.wt. per 100 pts.wt. of copper. 20 25 20 49 29 30 J un 2 02 5 A B S T R A C T 2 0 2 5 2 0 4 9 2 9 3 0 J u n 2 0 2 5 P r o v i d e d i s a m i n e r a l p r o c e s s i n g m e t h o d t h a t a l l o w s o b t a i n i n g a c o n c e n t r a t e h a v i n g a l o w a r s e n i c g r a d e f r o m a r a w m a t e r i a l h a v i n g a h i g h a r s e n i c g r a d e . T h e m i n e r a l p r o c e s s i n g m e t h o d i n c l u d e s : a r e p u l p i n g s t e p o f a d d i n g w a t e r t o a r a w m a t e r i a l c o n t a i n i n g a n o n - a r s e n i c - c o n t a i n i n g s u l f i d e m i n e r a l a s a s u l f i d e m i n e r a l n o t c o n t a i n i n g a r s e n i c a n d a n a r s e n i c - c o n t a i n i n g s u l f i d e m i n e r a l a s a c o p p e r s u l f i d e m i n e r a l c o n t a i n i n g a r s e n i c t o o b t a i n a m i n e r a l s l u r r y ; a p H a d j u s t i n g s t e p o f a d j u s t i n g a p H o f a l i q u i d p h a s e o f t h e m i n e r a l s l u r r y t o 1 0 o r m o r e ; a c o n d i t i o n i n g s t e p o f a d d i n g a n o x i d a n t a n d x a n t h a t e a l k a l i m e t a l s a l t t o t h e m i n e r a l s l u r r y ; a n d a f l o t a t i o n s t e p o f p e r f o r m i n g f l o t a t i o n u s i n g t h e m i n e r a l s l u r r y t o s e p a r a t e t h e r a w m a t e r i a l i n t o a f l o a t i n g o r e h a v i n g a g r a d e o f t h e n o n - a r s e n i c - c o n t a i n i n g s u l f i d e m i n e r a l h i g h e r t h a n a g r a d e o f t h e n o n - a r s e n i c - c o n t a i n i n g s u l f i d e m i n e r a l o f t h e r a w m a t e r i a l a n d a p r e c i p i t a t i n g o r e h a v i n g a g r a d e o f t h e a r s e n i c - c o n t a i n i n g s u l f i d e m i n e r a l h i g h e r t h a n a g r a d e o f t h e a r s e n i c - c o n t a i n i n g s u l f i d e m i n e r a l o f t h e r a w m a t e r i a l . T h e r a w m a t e r i a l c o n t a i n s t h e a r s e n i c b y 4 . 4 t o 5 . 8 p t s . w t . p e r 1 0 0 p t s . w t . o f c o p p e r . A B S T R A C T 2 0 2 5 2 0 4 9 2 9 3 0 J u n 2 0 2 5