JSC “Uralelectromed”, Verkhnyaya Pyshma, Russia:

S. A. Mastyugin, Chief Precious Metals Technologist of Technical Department, e-mail: S.Mastugin@elem.ru

R. S. Voinkov, Head of Chemical-Metallurgical Shop Department

LLC “Institute “Gipronikel”, Saint Petersburg, Russia:
M. A. Lastochkina, Senior Researcher of Hydrometallurgy Laboratory

Ural Federal University named after the first president of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, Ekaterinburg, Russia:
S. S. Naboychenko, Head of a Chair of Heavy Non-Ferrous Metals Metallurgy, phone: +7(343) 375-48-93

Earlier developed technology of processing of copper-electrolyte slime of JSC “Uralelektromed” (“autoclave copper extraction – flotation”) allows its 4–4.5 times enriching with regard to gold, silver and selenium content, and removing about 70% of lead and antimony, contained in slime, into flotation tails. More thorough admixtures removing is restricted by structural composition of slime. Spherical particles of silver selenide with dimensions of 4–10 μm, containing lead and antimony oxides, do not allow to divide these components in flotation time. Ultra-fine crushing processes in planetary and bead mills were studied for the following operations: destruction of spheroids; fuller division of chalcogenide and oxide components of slime; decrease of precious metal losses, conditioned by their removing with flotation tails. Various process products were tested for crushing: initial slime, autoclave leaching cake, primary float concentrate and its re-cleaning products. Application of bead crushing for treatment of III re-purification concentrate, with small amount of acidcontaining phases, gives the best results on milling fineness and subsequent flotation efficiency. Minimum transfer of precious metals into flotation tails (less than 3%) and minimum transfer of selenium into autoclave leaching solution (about 0.5%) provide deriving of float concentrate, containing up to 0.37% of lead, 0.53% of antimony, over 65% of silver and 25% of selenium. Flotation tails contain over 40% of lead and about 20% of antimony with 98.3 and 90.4% of these metals yield to the product, correspondingly. During the flotation modes testing, there was found out that liquid glass improves the process efficiency as oxide compounds depressor. Besides, there were closed some issues, related to water balance while product flotation treatment after crushing.

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