A method for flotation separation of copper-molybdenum bulk concentrates

Abstract

This invention discloses a flotation separation method for copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate. The method involves de-reagenting the copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate obtained by flotation, adding inhibitor I, and then adding a frother for further flotation to remove impurities, yielding flotation foam A and product B in the flotation tank. Inhibitor II is added to flotation foam A, and flotation yields copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate C and product D in the flotation tank. Product B in the flotation tank is mixed with copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate C, and inhibitor III and collector B are added for flotation of molybdenite, yielding molybdenum concentrate and copper concentrate. This invention comprehensively considers the influence of flotation reagents on the separation of copper, molybdenum, and talc in copper-molybdenum mixed flotation. Through the precise synergistic effect of flotation reagents and their optimized combination with the flotation process structure, the separation of copper, molybdenum, and easily floatable gangue minerals such as talc in the copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate is achieved. This method features a short process flow and high separation efficiency, and has significant practical value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for flotation separation of copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate, belonging to the field of mineral processing. Background Technology

[0002] After copper-molybdenum sulfide ore containing easily floatable gangue minerals such as talc, chlorite, serpentine, and mica undergoes copper-molybdenum mixed flotation, the resulting copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate often contains a certain amount of easily floatable gangue minerals. The main mineral components are floatable layered silicate minerals such as talc and chlorite. These minerals directly affect the subsequent copper-molybdenum separation operation.

[0003] To address this issue, current mature processes often employ a combination of beneficiation and smelting to separate molybdenite and talc in copper-molybdenum mixed concentrates. For example, Martinc. Kuhn et al. used CMC (sodium carboxymethyl cellulose) to simultaneously suppress talc and molybdenite, then added steam at 90°C for 30–60 minutes to desorb the CMC on the surface of molybdenite and deactivate it. Subsequently, molybdenite collectors and frothers were added to float molybdenite, and sulfuric acid was added to acidify the slurry during molybdenum beneficiation to suppress talc. However, after two beneficiation processes, there was still easily floatable talc in the foam of the molybdenum concentrate, which was difficult to suppress. To further separate talc and molybdenite, the concentrate was roasted at around 250°C for 30 minutes to promote oxidation of the molybdenite surface to produce a molybdenum oxide film. Then, MIBC was added to float talc, achieving the separation of talc and molybdenite. For example, the Bingham Canyon copper-molybdenum mine is a world-class super-large copper-molybdenum deposit. The ore contains a certain amount of easily floatable minerals such as sericite and talc, which affects the copper-molybdenum separation process of the mixed copper-molybdenum concentrate. The copper-molybdenum separation process adopted is as follows: first, a hydrocyclone is used for desliming, and the underflow of the hydrocyclone is used for several molybdenum refining processes. The refined concentrate is then filtered, dried, lightly calcined, and slurry-adjusted. Then, a frother is used for reverse flotation of talc, and the tailings from the reverse flotation are the final molybdenum concentrate.

[0004] The above-mentioned process has achieved good separation of molybdenum from easily floatable gangue such as talc in copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate, effectively avoiding the influence of easily floatable gangue such as talc on the copper-molybdenum separation process. However, the process flow is long and the process structure is relatively complex, including both flotation and roasting operations, resulting in high production costs. There is still room for further improvement in molybdenum recovery rate. Therefore, it is very necessary to develop a short-process, high-efficiency separation process for copper, molybdenum and talc in copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide a flotation separation method for copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate. The separation method provided by the present invention has a short process and can efficiently separate copper, molybdenum, and talc in copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] This invention discloses a flotation separation method for copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate. The method involves de-reagenting the copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate obtained by flotation, adding inhibitor I, and then adding a frother for further flotation to remove impurities, yielding flotation foam A and product B in the flotation tank. Inhibitor II is added to flotation foam A, and copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate C and product D in the flotation tank are obtained. Product B in the flotation tank is mixed with copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate C, and inhibitor III and collector B are added for flotation of molybdenite, yielding molybdenum concentrate and copper concentrate.

[0008] The method of this invention involves first depurifying the copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate obtained by flotation, and then flotating easily floatable gangue minerals such as talc. Since molybdenum minerals have excellent natural floatability, copper-molybdenum separation inhibitor I is added first to suppress copper minerals and some molybdenum minerals. The easily floatable gangue minerals such as talc and chlorite are then floated and impurities removed before entering flotation foam A. During this flotation and impurity removal process, as little copper and molybdenum as possible is allowed to enter the flotation foam containing easily floatable gangue minerals such as talc and chlorite. Then, inhibitor II is added to flotation foam A to suppress easily floatable gangue minerals such as talc and chlorite. The copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate C is then obtained by flotation, thereby avoiding the loss of copper and molybdenum. Finally, product B in the tank is mixed with the copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate C, and inhibitor III is added to suppress copper minerals. Thus, molybdenum concentrate and copper concentrate are obtained separately by flotation of molybdenite.

[0009] The copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate in this invention is a copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate obtained by copper-molybdenum mixed flotation of copper-molybdenum sulfide ore containing easily floatable gangue minerals such as talc, chlorite, serpentine, and mica.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the de-drug treatment of the copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate is one or a combination of stirring and scrubbing, concentration and dehydration, regrinding of the copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate, and de-drug treatment by adding activated carbon.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the inhibitor I is one or a combination of several of the following: sodium sulfide, sodium hydrosulfide, cyanide, phosphoroxane, arsenoxane, Congo red, sodium hypochlorite, pseudohydantoin, sodium thioglycolate, hydroxylated xanthate, tannin, benzenesulfonic acid, and calcium sulfate.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the amount of inhibitor I added is 100g / t to 20Kg / t.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the foaming agent is one or more of butyl ether alcohol, methyl isobutyl methanol, pine oil, and No. 2 oil.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the amount of foaming agent added is 5-50 g / t.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the inhibitor II is one or a combination of several of the following: water glass, carboxymethyl cellulose, locust bean gum, guru gum, pectin, tannin, xanthan gum, carrageenan, starch, dextrin, carboxylated chitosan, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, aluminum sulfate, zinc sulfate, calcium sulfate, ferric sulfate, sodium lignosulfonate, calcium lignosulfonate, and sodium humate.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the amount of inhibitor II added is 50–1000 g / t.

[0017] In the preferred embodiment, inhibitor II and collector A are added to flotation foam A to obtain copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate C and product D in the flotation tank.

[0018] In actual operation, collector A may or may not be added depending on the flotation situation. If copper and molybdenum can float, no collector is added. If copper and molybdenum are difficult to float, some collector can be added to enhance the flotation.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the collector A is selected from one or a combination of several of kerosene, diesel oil, transformer oil, thiocyanate, diethyl dithiocarbamate, dibutyl dithiophosphate, and xanthate.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the amount of collector A added is 0-500 g / t.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the inhibitor III is selected from one or a combination of several of the following: sodium sulfide, sodium hydrosulfide, cyanide, phosphoroxane, arsenoxane, Congo red, sodium hypochlorite, pseudohydantoin, sodium thioglycolate, hydroxylated xanthate, tannin, benzenesulfonic acid, and calcium sulfate.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, the amount of inhibitor III added is 100 g / t to 20 kg / t.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the collector B is selected from one or a combination of several of kerosene, diesel oil, transformer oil, thiocyanate, diethyl dithiocarbamate, dibutyl dithiophosphate, and xanthate.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the amount of collector B added is 0-200 g / t.

[0025] In actual operation, the flotation process can consist of one flotation operation or a cycle consisting of several flotation operations.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the product D in the tank is incorporated into the copper concentrate.

[0027] In actual operation, product D in the tank can generally be incorporated into the copper concentrate, unless the MgO, F and other elements in the copper concentrate exceed the standard after incorporation, in which case it is incorporated into the tailings as waste.

[0028] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0029] This invention provides a method for flotation separation of copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate. This method is based on the differences in crystal structure between copper minerals, molybdenum minerals, and easily floatable gangue minerals such as talc in the copper-molybdenum concentrate obtained by flotation. Copper minerals do not have a layered structure and are essentially non-floatable, while molybdenite and talc have layered crystal structures and are naturally floatable. Furthermore, a large amount of collectors and depressants are added during the copper-molybdenum mixed flotation process. Collectors include thiocyanates and xanthates, while depressants include lime and CMC. These reagents enter the copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate during the flotation process, thus interfering with the flotation separation of copper, molybdenum, and talc. Therefore, this invention comprehensively considers the influence of flotation reagents on the separation of copper, molybdenum, and talc in copper-molybdenum mixed flotation. Through the precise synergistic effect of flotation reagents and their optimized combination with the flotation process structure, the separation of copper, molybdenum, and easily floatable gangue minerals such as talc in the copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate is achieved. This method features a short process flow and high separation efficiency, and has significant practical value. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 The process flow diagram of this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To facilitate understanding of the technical means, inventive features, objectives, and effects of this invention, the invention is further described below with reference to specific figures and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] This embodiment uses a copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate as the object. The ore sample contains 1.02% Mo, 20.87% Cu, and 1.52% Mg. The copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate is added to tap water, stirred for 10 minutes for scrubbing, and then dehydrated and regrinded. After regrinding, 5 kg / t sodium hydrosulfide was added to suppress copper and molybdenum, and 20 g / t frother MIBC was added to float easily floatable gangue minerals such as talc in the copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate, obtaining flotation froth A and in-tank product B. After one cleaning process, 200 g / t CMC and 500 g / t water glass were added to flotation froth A to suppress talc, and copper-molybdenum sulfide mineral C and in-tank product D were floated. Then, copper-molybdenum sulfide mineral C and in-tank product B were mixed and subjected to copper-molybdenum separation. For copper-molybdenum separation, 10 kg / t sodium sulfide, 100 g / t kerosene, and 20 g / t MIBC were added respectively, finally obtaining molybdenum concentrate and in-tank product E. In-tank product D and in-tank product E were combined as copper concentrate. The experimental results are shown in Table 1.

[0034] Comparative Example 1

[0035] The conditions before regrinding were exactly the same as in Example 1, except that after regrinding, sodium hydrosulfide or sodium sulfide was added to suppress copper, and CMC and water glass were added to suppress easily floating gangue. Then, kerosene and frother MIBC were used for flotation. After cleaning and scavenging, copper concentrate and molybdenum concentrate were obtained, respectively. The test results are shown in Table 1.

[0036] Table 1. Test results of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1

[0037]

[0038] Example 2

[0039] This embodiment uses a copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate as the object, which contains 1.02% Mo, 22.30% Cu, and 2.43% Mg. The copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate was filtered and dehydrated, and then 200 g / t activated carbon was added and regrinded. After regrinding, 10 kg / t sodium hydrosulfide was added to suppress copper and molybdenum, and 20 g / t frother MIBC was added to float easily floatable gangue minerals such as talc in the copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate, obtaining flotation froth A and in-tank product B. After one cleaning process, 200 g / t CMC, 200 g / t zinc sulfate, and 200 g / t water glass were added to suppress talc, and copper-molybdenum sulfide mineral C and in-tank product D were floated. Then, copper-molybdenum sulfide mineral C and in-tank product B were mixed and subjected to copper-molybdenum separation. For copper-molybdenum separation, 10 kg / t sodium sulfide, 120 g / t kerosene, and 15 g / t MIBC were added respectively, finally obtaining molybdenum concentrate and in-tank product E. In-tank product D and in-tank product E were combined as copper concentrate. The experimental results are shown in Table 2.

[0040] Comparative Example 2

[0041] The conditions before regrinding were exactly the same as in Example 1, except that after regrinding, sodium hydrosulfide or sodium sulfide was added to suppress copper, and CMC was added to suppress easily floating gangue. Then, kerosene and frother MIBC flotation were performed. After cleaning and scavenging, copper concentrate and molybdenum concentrate were obtained, respectively. The test results are shown in Table 1.

[0042] Table 2. Test results of Example 2 and Comparative Example 2

[0043]

Claims

1. A method for the flotation separation of copper-molybdenum bulk concentrates, characterized by: The copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate obtained by flotation is de-treated and inhibitor I is added, followed by the addition of a frother. The mixture is then floated to remove impurities, yielding flotation foam A and product B in the tank. Inhibitor II is added to flotation foam A, and the mixture is floated to obtain copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate C and product D in the tank. Product B in the tank is mixed with copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate C, and inhibitor III and collector B are added. Molybdenite is then floated to obtain molybdenum concentrate and copper concentrate. The de-drug treatment method for the copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate is one or a combination of several of the following: stirring and scrubbing, concentration and dehydration, regrinding of the copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate, and de-drug treatment by adding activated carbon. The inhibitor I is one or a combination of several of the following: sodium sulfide, sodium hydrosulfide, cyanide, phosphoroxane, arsenoxane, Congo red, sodium hypochlorite, pseudohydantoin, sodium thioglycolate, hydroxylated xanthate, tannin, benzenesulfonic acid, and calcium sulfate.

2. The method for flotation separation of copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The amount of inhibitor I added is 100g / t to 20Kg / t.

3. The method for the flotation separation of copper-molybdenum bulk concentrates according to claim 1, characterized in that: The foaming agent is one or more of butyl ether alcohol, methyl isobutyl methanol, pine oil, and No. 2 oil; The amount of foaming agent added is 5~50g / t.

4. The method for floatation separation of copper-molybdenum bulk concentrate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inhibitor II is one or a combination of several of the following: water glass, carboxymethyl cellulose, locust bean gum, guru gum, pectin, tannin, xanthan gum, carrageenan, starch, dextrin, carboxylated chitosan, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, aluminum sulfate, zinc sulfate, calcium sulfate, ferric sulfate, sodium lignosulfonate, calcium lignosulfonate, and sodium humate. The amount of inhibitor II added is 50~1000g / t.

5. The method for flotation separation of copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate according to claim 1, characterized in that: Inhibitor II and collector A are added to flotation foam A, and copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate C and product D in the tank are obtained by flotation.

6. The method for flotation separation of copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate according to claim 5, characterized in that: The collector A is selected from one or more of kerosene, diesel oil, transformer oil, thiocyanate, diethyl dithiocarbamate, dibutyl dithiophosphate, and xanthate. The amount of collector A added is 0~500g / t.

7. The method for flotation separation of copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inhibitor III is selected from one or a combination of several of the following: sodium sulfide, sodium hydrosulfide, cyanide, phosphoroxane, arsenoxane, Congo red, sodium hypochlorite, pseudohydantoin, sodium thioglycolate, hydroxylated xanthate, tannin, benzenesulfonic acid, and calcium sulfate. The amount of inhibitor III added is 100g / t to 20Kg / t.

8. The method for flotation separation of copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The collector B is selected from one or more of kerosene, diesel oil, transformer oil, thiocyanate, diethyl dithiocarbamate, dibutyl dithiophosphate, and xanthate. The amount of collector B added is 0~200g / t.

9. The method for flotation separation of copper-molybdenum mixed concentrate according to claim 1, characterized in that: Product D in the tank is incorporated into the copper concentrate.

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