Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company, Verkhnyaya Pyshma, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia

A. M. Panshin, Technical Officer

Institute of Material Science and Metallurgy of Ural Federal University named after the first president of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, Ekaterinburg, Russia.

V. A. Maltsev, Director, e-mail: v.malcev@ugmk.com
M. G. Viduetskiy, Councellor of Director of Institute of Material Science and Metallurgy, Head of an Education and Scientific Research Center
A. P. Purgin, Chief Specialist
I. F. Garifulin, Chief Specialist

After the roasting and leaching processes, the concentrates of zinc form a significant amount of solid middlings — zinc cakes. The Waelz process (high-temperature roasting in tubular rotary furnaces) is the basic method of processing of these cakes. Mechanical concentration of zinc cakes is necessary for the withdrawal of metal sulphides from these cakes before the Waelz process, as well as for the decreasing of the content of water soluble forms of zinc. Nowadays, flotation is the only one efficient method of zinc cakes concentration. Pneumatic columnar flotation machines (CFM (КФМ)) are the most prospective apparatuses for the flotation concentration of zinc cakes. The main operation principle of these machines is the preparation of pulp to flotation due to its saturation by finely divided air bubbles in ejecting units. The acid proof pilot plant unit CFM-180 (КФМ-180) was developed and manufactured for the pilot testings. Working chamber of this unit is the laboratory and half-industrial model of industrial pneumatic columnar flotation machines. This chamber completely models the process of flotation in these machines. Scheme and functions of automatic control of this unit are also completely similar to industrial apparatuses. This unit was manufactured in the “Laroks” filtration department of the Waelz-shop of Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant. During the pilot testings of zinc cakes flotation, according to the main flotation scheme on the pilot unit CFM-180, control and two repurifying operations on mechanical flotation machines, there was obtained the foam product with the following weight fractions: 33.88% of zinc; 3300 g/t of silver; 16.27% of sulphide sulphur. It should be noted that this foam product was obtained during the extraction of 6.36% of zinc; 47.40% of silver and 81.85% of sulphide sulphur. In comparison with mechanical flotation machines, the CFM-180 obtained the higher concentration indices with higher specific capacity, according to initial feeding (by 4 times) and by the foam product (by 3 times). In total, results of testings make it possible to recommend the industrial columnar flotation machines during the processing of zinc cakes.

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