Comparative results of copper flotation from smelter slag and granulated smelter slag

Abstract

Smelter slag is obtained in the process of metallurgical converting of copper concentrate in the Smelter Plant in Bor, Serbia. Today, the reserves of this material are evaluated at about more of a year, with the average copper content of 0.6-0.9%. Production of copper concentrate by flotation of smelter slag has started in 2001. Flotation concentrate goes to the Copper Smelter once more for production of copper cathodes and the rough flotation tailings go to the flotation tailing dump. Copper recoveries in the flotation process of smelter slag reaches the value of about 45- 50%. Slag in RTB plants is processed in a facility that is not designed for slag processing but it is only adapted to these conditions. The obtained results are worser than the expected ones and testing that could improve them will continue. This paper shows the way of obtaining the flotation concentrate of smelter slag with realization better total copper recovery. One of the possibilities is the slag granulation process that provides a range of courses to investigate the impact on process of comminution and concentration of copper. For this purpose, on a specially constructed laboratory granulator, large amounts of granulated smelter slag are obtained, necessary for further testing the process of flotation concentration. This paper presents the achieved comparative results from the flotation concentration process of smelter slag and granulated smelter slag of reverberatory furnace.