Impact of Recycled Process Water on Electrochemical Reactivity of Sulphide Ore

Abstract

The Kevitsa Cu–Ni sequential flotation process is characterised by poor nickel recovery during summer periods (May–September). Evidently, the process water matrix in summer is different from that in other seasons; however, the Cu flotation performance is scarcely affected by the changes in the water matrix across the seasons. Increasingly different process water quality was generated through a grinding-and-dissolution protocol and its impact on the electrochemical reactivity of sulphide ore was studied. The main objective of this approach was to mimic the increasingly different quality of plant process water emanating from a closed-process water loop. Dissolved oxygen demand tests were conducted on the Kevitsa ore using water of varying quality from dissolution loops. The effect of the temperature and fine grind on the oxidation rates was also investigated. The study was coupled with EDTA metal ion extraction and xanthate adsorption tests. These showed that the number of dissolution loops, which has an impact on water quality, has a direct impact on the rate of oxidation of the ore. A fine grind and high temperature both increase the oxidation rates of the ore. The Kevitsa ore is most reactive in the first 10–20 min after milling. Furthermore, oxidation rates are also driven by the amount of pyrrhotite in the ore, with chalcopyrite being the least reactive, as indicated by the EDTA data. Xanthate adsorption is impacted by the water quality and fine grind. The combined effect of water quality, temperature and fine grind is expected to influence the flotation behaviour of sulphide minerals. The poor nickel recovery of the Kevitsa ore during the summer period is attributable to the unfavourable process water quality, which accelerates the oxidation of the ore during the summer period.