Copper-nickel separation method for preferentially floating copper in copper-nickel sulfide ore

Abstract

The invention discloses a copper-nickel separation method for preferentially floating copper in copper-nickel sulfide ore, and belongs to the technical field of copper-nickel sulfide ore flotation. Comprising the following steps: S1, grinding raw copper-nickel sulfide ore, adding the ground raw copper-nickel sulfide ore into a sealed stirring barrel, and introducing sulfur dioxide gas into the stirring barrel for stirring reaction; s2, an acid-resistant collecting agent and a foaming agent are added into the ore pulp, and then primary roughing and secondary concentration are carried out; S3, tailings obtained after primary roughing and tailings obtained after primary concentration are combined, and then secondary ore grinding is carried out; s3.1, ore pulp obtained through second-stage ore grinding is subjected to two-time roughing, two-time concentration and three-time scavenging, copper-nickel sulfide ore is ground, sulfur dioxide gas is introduced for nickel inhibition, floating copper tailings are ground again, a pH adjusting agent and a nickel activating agent are added for improving the activity of nickel ore, then nickel flotation is conducted, and therefore copper-nickel separation of preferential copper flotation and nickel flotation is achieved; the copper recovery rate can be improved while nickel is inhibited, copper is floated and copper and nickel metals are separated, and the cost of subsequent smelting copper-nickel separation is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of flotation of copper-nickel sulfide ores, and in particular to a copper-nickel separation method for preferentially floating copper in copper-nickel sulfide ores. Background Art

[0002] The commonly used beneficiation process for sulfide copper-nickel ores is to first conduct copper-nickel mixed flotation. The copper-nickel mixed concentrate is subjected to the lime method to suppress nickel flotation to achieve copper-nickel separation, or the copper-nickel mixed concentrate is smelted and converted into "high-matte nickel". The high-matte nickel is subjected to nickel-suppressing copper flotation under high pH conditions to separate the copper and nickel metals, or acid leaching is used directly to separate them. These methods of nickel-copper separation are very long, especially for copper-nickel separation after smelting, which greatly increases the separation cost. In the flotation stage, there are few cases where copper is first floated by suppressing nickel flotation and then nickel is floated to achieve copper-nickel separation. One reason is that conventional nickel-suppressing copper flotation uses lime as a nickel inhibitor. Since the floatability of chalcopyrite and pentlandite is not much different, pentlandite can only be effectively suppressed when the pH value reaches 11-12. Therefore, the amount of lime required to suppress nickel flotation from the original ore is very large, which is costly and a large amount of lime can easily cause scaling and blockage in the pipeline. If copper and nickel separate flotation can be started at the raw ore flotation stage, the copper and nickel separation process can be shortened and better economic efficiency can be achieved. Therefore, it is necessary to find a low-cost and efficient inhibitor that can inhibit nickel minerals and a copper and nickel separate flotation process. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In response to the above technical problems, the present invention provides a copper-nickel separation method for preferentially floating copper in sulfide copper-nickel ore.

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A copper-nickel separation method for preferentially flotating copper from a copper-nickel sulfide ore comprises the following steps: S1. Grind the copper-nickel sulfide ore and add it into a sealed stirring barrel. The grinding fineness is -200 mesh, accounting for 50%-70%. The slurry concentration is adjusted to 20%-40%. Sulfur dioxide gas is introduced into the stirring barrel for stirring reaction. The amount of sulfur dioxide introduced is 10-40 kg / t ore, and the stirring time is 10-30 minutes. S2, copper flotation: After adding acid-resistant collectors and frothers to the pulp, a roughing process is carried out to obtain roughing concentrate and tailings. The roughing concentrate is then subjected to two rounds of cleaning to obtain copper concentrate. The tailings from the first round of cleaning are incorporated into the tailings from the first roughing process, and the tailings from the second round of cleaning are returned to the feedstock for the first round of cleaning. S3, nickel flotation: the primary rougher tailings and the primary concentrator tailings are combined and then subjected to secondary grinding. During grinding, an alkaline pH adjuster is added at a rate of 5-15 kg / t ore to adjust the pH value of the pulp to 9-10.5; S3.1 Add nickel mineral activator, xanthate collector and black powder collector to the slurry obtained from the second stage grinding, and carry out two roughing separations, two cleaning separations and three scavenging separations. The intermediate ore is returned to the previous operation to obtain nickel concentrate and tailings.

[0005] Furthermore, the acid-resistant collector in step S2 is benzothiazole, with a dosage of 40-80 g / t, and the acid-resistant foaming agent is polypropylene glycol, with a dosage of 20-50 g / t.

[0006] Furthermore, in step S3, the alkaline pH adjuster is lime and / or sodium carbonate, and the ratio of lime to sodium carbonate is 3:1-1:1.

[0007] Furthermore, in step S3.1, the nickel mineral activator is copper sulfate, with a dosage of 50-150 g / t, the xanthate collector is ethyl xanthate or butyl xanthate, with a dosage of 80-150 g / t, and the black medicine collector is butyl ammonium black medicine, with a dosage of 20-50 g / t.

[0008] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the present invention is used in the beneficiation link of copper-nickel sulfide ores, and for the first time adopts sulfur dioxide gas dissolved in water to generate sulfurous acid to effectively inhibit pentlandite, and has the effect of activating and cleaning the mineral surface of copper sulfide ores such as chalcopyrite and mespyrite, thereby achieving the purpose of inhibiting nickel floating copper, separating copper and nickel metals, and also improving the copper recovery rate, thereby reducing the cost of subsequent smelting copper and nickel sorting.

[0009] During the flotation process, sulfur dioxide gradually reacts with the gangue in the pulp and is consumed. The pH value of the pulp has increased during the second stage of nickel flotation, so the amount of lime or sodium carbonate required to be added is small. In addition, adding a pH adjuster during the second stage of grinding can extend the action time of the agent, improve the flotation environment of pentlandite, and enhance the effect of subsequent nickel flotation.

[0010] The sulfur dioxide gas used can come from smelting flue gas. Its application in copper-nickel sulfide ore mining enterprises with smelting capacity can reduce the emission of sulfur dioxide from smelting and has a good environmental protection effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 It is a process flow chart of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments. It should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition, in the following description, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted to avoid unnecessary confusion of the concept of the present invention.

[0013] Example 1 The nickel grade of a certain copper-nickel sulfide ore is 1.09% and the copper grade is 1.48%. The separation results are shown in Table 1 using this separation method: S1. Grind the copper-nickel sulfide ore and add it into a sealed stirring barrel. The grinding fineness is -200 mesh, accounting for 50%. The slurry concentration is adjusted to 20%. Sulfur dioxide gas is introduced into the stirring barrel for stirring reaction. The amount of sulfur dioxide introduced is 10 kg / t ore, and the stirring time is 10 minutes. S2, copper flotation: add benzothiazole (40 g / t collector) and polypropylene glycol (20 g / t foaming agent) to the slurry, perform a roughing operation to obtain a roughing concentrate and tailings, and perform a second round of cleaning on the roughing concentrate to obtain a copper concentrate. The tailings from the first round of cleaning are incorporated into the tailings from the first roughing operation, and the tailings from the second round of cleaning are returned to the feedstock for the first round of cleaning. S3, nickel flotation: the primary rougher tailings and the primary concentrator tailings are combined and then subjected to secondary grinding. During grinding, an alkaline pH adjuster is added at a dosage of 5 kg / t ore. The alkaline pH adjuster is lime and the pH value of the pulp is adjusted to 9.5. S3.1 Add nickel mineral activator, xanthate collector and black medicine collector to the ore pulp obtained from the second stage grinding. The black medicine collector also serves as a foaming agent. The nickel mineral activator is copper sulfate, with a dosage of 50g / t. The xanthate collector is ethyl xanthate or butyl xanthate, with a dosage of 80g / t. The black medicine collector is butyl ammonium black medicine, with a dosage of 20g / t. Two roughing selections, two cleaning selections and three scavenging selections are carried out. The middlings are returned to the previous operation to obtain nickel concentrate and tailings.

[0014] Example 2 The nickel grade of a certain copper-nickel sulfide ore is 1.12%, and the copper grade is 1.48%. The separation results are shown in Table 1 using this separation method: S1. Grind the copper-nickel sulfide ore and add it into a sealed stirring barrel. The grinding fineness is -200 mesh, accounting for 60%. The slurry concentration is adjusted to 30%. Sulfur dioxide gas is introduced into the stirring barrel for stirring reaction. The amount of sulfur dioxide introduced is 33 kg / t ore, and the stirring time is 20 min. S2, copper flotation: add 60g / t of benzothiazole as a collector and 30g / t of polypropylene glycol as a foaming agent to the slurry, perform a roughing operation to obtain a roughing concentrate and tailings, and perform a second round of cleaning on the roughing concentrate to obtain a copper concentrate. The tailings from the first round of cleaning are incorporated into the tailings from the first round of cleaning, and the tailings from the second round of cleaning are returned to the feedstock for the first round of cleaning; S3. Nickel flotation: The primary rougher tailings and the primary concentrator tailings are combined and then subjected to secondary grinding. During grinding, an alkaline pH adjuster is added at a dosage of 10 kg / t ore. The alkaline pH adjuster is lime and sodium carbonate in a ratio of 2:1. The pH value of the pulp is adjusted to 10.

[0015] S3.1 Add nickel mineral activator, xanthate collector and black medicine collector to the slurry obtained from the second stage grinding. The black medicine collector also serves as a foaming agent. The nickel mineral activator is copper sulfate, with a dosage of 100g / t. The xanthate collector is ethyl xanthate or butyl xanthate, with a dosage of 126g / t. The black medicine collector is butyl ammonium black medicine, with a dosage of 35g / t. Two roughing selections, two cleaning selections and three scavenging selections are carried out. The middlings are returned to the previous operation to obtain nickel concentrate and tailings.

[0016] Example 3 The nickel grade of a certain copper-nickel sulfide ore is 1.18%, and the copper grade is 1.49%. The separation results are shown in Table 1 using this separation method: S1. Grind the copper-nickel sulfide ore and add it into a sealed stirring barrel. The grinding fineness is -200 mesh, accounting for 70%. The slurry concentration is adjusted to 40%. Sulfur dioxide gas is introduced into the stirring barrel for stirring reaction. The amount of sulfur dioxide introduced is 40 kg / t ore, and the stirring time is 30 minutes. S2, copper flotation: add benzothiazole (80 g / t collector) and polypropylene glycol (50 g / t foaming agent) to the slurry, perform a roughing operation to obtain a roughing concentrate and tailings, and perform a second round of cleaning on the roughing concentrate to obtain a copper concentrate. The tailings from the first round of cleaning are incorporated into the tailings from the first roughing operation, and the tailings from the second round of cleaning are returned to the feedstock for the first round of cleaning. S3. Nickel flotation: The primary rougher tailings and the primary concentrate tailings are combined and then subjected to secondary grinding. During grinding, an alkaline pH adjuster is added at a dosage of 15 kg / t ore. The alkaline pH adjuster is lime and sodium carbonate in a ratio of 3:1. The pH value of the pulp is adjusted to 10.5.

[0017] S3.1 Add nickel mineral activator, xanthate collector and black medicine collector to the slurry obtained from the second stage grinding. The black medicine collector also serves as a foaming agent. The nickel mineral activator is copper sulfate, with a dosage of 150g / t. The xanthate collector is ethyl xanthate or butyl xanthate, with a dosage of 150g / t. The black medicine collector is butyl ammonium black medicine, with a dosage of 50g / t. Two roughing selections, two cleaning selections and three scavenging selections are carried out. The middlings are returned to the previous operation to obtain nickel concentrate and tailings.

[0018] The flotation results of Examples 1-3 were analyzed, as shown in Table 1 below: Table 1 Comparison of copper and nickel separation results After treatment according to the process conditions of Example 1, a copper-nickel concentrate was obtained, wherein the yield of the copper concentrate was 6.97%, the nickel grade was 2.49%, the nickel recovery rate was 15.96%, the copper grade was 16.83%, and the copper recovery rate was 79.39%; the yield of the nickel concentrate was 9.94%, the nickel grade was 7.12%, the nickel recovery rate was 64.98%, the copper grade was 1.56%, and the copper recovery rate was 10.49%.

[0019] After treatment according to the process conditions of Example 2, a copper-nickel concentrate was obtained, wherein the yield of the copper concentrate was 6.92%, the nickel grade was 2.50%, the nickel recovery rate was 15.45%, the copper grade was 16.83%, and the copper recovery rate was 78.84%; the yield of the nickel concentrate was 10.65%, the nickel grade was 13.88%, the nickel recovery rate was 66.10%, the copper grade was 3.09%, and the copper recovery rate was 11.12%.

[0020] After treatment according to the process conditions of Example 3, a copper-nickel concentrate was obtained, wherein the yield of the copper concentrate was 6.30%, the nickel grade was 2.70%, the nickel recovery rate was 14.47%, the copper grade was 18.11%, and the copper recovery rate was 76.43%; the yield of the nickel concentrate was 10.82%, the nickel grade was 7.39%, the nickel recovery rate was 67.92%, the copper grade was 1.65%, and the copper recovery rate was 11.92%.

[0021] It should be understood that the above-described specific embodiments of the present invention are merely illustrative or illustrative of the principles of the present invention and do not constitute limitations of the present invention. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. In addition, the appended claims are intended to cover all variations and modifications that fall within the scope and metes and bounds of the appended claims, or equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A copper-nickel separation method for preferentially floating copper in copper-nickel sulfide ore, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. Grind the copper-nickel sulfide ore and add it into a sealed stirring barrel. The grinding fineness is -200 mesh, accounting for 50%-70%. The slurry concentration is adjusted to 20%-40%. Sulfur dioxide gas is introduced into the stirring barrel for stirring reaction. The amount of sulfur dioxide introduced is 10-40 kg / t ore, and the stirring time is 10-30 min. S2, copper flotation: After adding acid-resistant collectors and frothers to the pulp, a roughing process is carried out to obtain roughing concentrate and tailings. The roughing concentrate is then subjected to two rounds of cleaning to obtain copper concentrate. The tailings from the first round of cleaning are incorporated into the tailings from the first roughing process, and the tailings from the second round of cleaning are returned to the feedstock for the first round of cleaning. S3, nickel flotation: the primary rougher tailings and the primary concentrator tailings are combined and then subjected to secondary grinding. During grinding, an alkaline pH adjuster is added at a rate of 5-15 kg / t ore to adjust the pH value of the pulp to 9-10.5; S3.1 Add nickel mineral activator, xanthate collector and black powder collector to the slurry obtained from the second stage grinding, and carry out two roughing separations, two cleaning separations and three scavenging separations. The intermediate ore is returned to the previous operation to obtain nickel concentrate and tailings.

2. The copper-nickel separation method for preferentially floating copper in a copper-nickel sulfide ore according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S2, the acid-resistant collector is benzothiazole, with a dosage of 40-80 g / t, and the acid-resistant foaming agent is polypropylene glycol, with a dosage of 20-50 g / t.

3. The copper-nickel separation method for preferentially floating copper in a copper-nickel sulfide ore according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S3, the alkaline pH adjuster is lime and / or sodium carbonate, and the ratio of lime to sodium carbonate is 3:1-1:

1.

4. The copper-nickel separation method for preferentially floating copper in a copper-nickel sulfide ore according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S3.1, the nickel mineral activator is copper sulfate, with a dosage of 50-150 g / t, the xanthate collector is ethyl xanthate or butyl xanthate, with a dosage of 80-150 g / t, and the black drug collector is butyl ammonium black drug, with a dosage of 20-50 g / t.

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