Gravity-flotation gold-bearing ore concentration

Abstract

The paper focuses on the study of the gold-bearing ore dressability. According to technological research, the average gold content is 11.88 g/t. The silver content is insignificant – 2.43 g/t. Main ore minerals in the sample are pyrite and pyrrhotite. According to mineralogical and X-ray structural analysis, the average content of these minerals in the ore is about 6 % (in total). Main rock-forming minerals of the original ore are: quartz (60.1 %), quartz-chlorite-mica aggregates (3.8 %), carbonates (7.1 %). According to the study results, it was found that the gold recovery in the GRG test was 72.75 % with a total concentrate yield of 1.34 % and a content of 664.78 g/t. At the same time, the gold content in tailings was 3.29 g/t. A stage test showed that it is advisable to use a two-stage scheme for ore processing by gravity technology only. The first stage is in the grinding cycle with the 60–70 % ore size, and the second stage is with the final classifier overflow size of 90 % –0.071 mm. Centrifugal separation has high performance as a free gold recovery operation in the grinding cycle. A concentrate with a gold content of 2426 g/t was obtained with a yield of 0.31 % and a recovery of 63.74 %. The beneficiation of first stage tailings ground to 90 % –0.071 mm at the KC-CVD concentrator (modeling) made it possible to extract gold into a total gravity concentrate (KC-MD + KC-CVD) of 87.25 % with a concentrate yield of 22.63 %. The gold content in tailings was 1.97 g/t. The results of gravity and flotation concentration of the original ore indicate the feasibility of using a combined gravity-flotation technological scheme. In a closed experiment of the initial ore beneficiation according to the gravity-flotation scheme at a natural pH of the pulp (without adding acid), the following products were obtained: gravity concentrate with a gold content of 2426 g/t at a yield of 0.31 % and recovery of 64.06 %; flotation concentrate (after the II cleaning) with a gold content of 122 g/t at a yield of 2.90 % and recovery of 33.01 %; the total gold recovery in the gravity-flotation concentrate was 94.07 % with a yield of 3.21 % and an Au content of 345.87 g/t, the gold content in the flotation tailings was 0.72 g/t.