Abstract
The presented study is devoted to a comparative review of the mineral raw material base of platinum group metals (PGMs) and technologies of their processing in South Africa and Russia, the largest PGM producers. Mineralogical and geochemical classification and industrial value of iron-platinum and platinum-bearing deposits are presented in this work. The paper also reviews types of PGM ore body occurrences, ore processing methods (with a special focus on flotation processes), as well as difficulties encountered by enterprises at the processing stage, as they increase recovery of the valuable components. Data on mineralogical features of PGM deposits, including the distribution of elements in the ores, are provided. The main lines of research on mineralogical features and processing of raw materials of various genesis are identified and validated. 
 Sulfide deposits are found to be of the highest industrial value in both countries. Such unconventional PGM sources, as black shale, dunites, chromite, low-sulfide, chromium and titanomagnetite ores, anthropogenic raw materials, etc. are considered. The main lines of research that would bring into processing non-conventional metal sources are substantiated.
 Analysis of new processing and metallurgical methods of PGM recovery from non-conventional and industrial raw materials is conducted; the review of existing processing technologies for platinum-bearing raw materials is carried out. Technologies that utilize modern equipment for ultrafine grinding are considered, as well as existing reagents for flotation recovery; evaluation of their selectivity in relation to platinum minerals is presented.
 Basing on the analysis of main technological processes of PGM ore treatment, the most efficient schemes are identified, i.e.,gravity and flotation treatment with subsequent metallurgical processing.
Highlights
Russia and the Republic of South Africa are generally recognized world leaders in the production of platinum group metals (PGMs), which is confirmed by data on world production of platinum, palladium and rhodium in 2018, where 84 % of global PGM production takes place in these two countries [17]: Production, thousand oz.: South Africa Russia Other countries Total
A widespread transition to gasoline engines caused a growing demand in palladium. This is supported by the analysis of the London Metal Exchange (LME) prices on these two metals over the last three decades [4]
This paper provides an overview of various types of PGM ore body occurrences and methods of their treatment, with a special focus on flotation processes, as well as the difficulties encountered by enterprises at the processing stage when increasing recovery of the useful components
Summary
Russia and the Republic of South Africa are generally recognized world leaders in the production of platinum group metals (PGMs), which is confirmed by data on world production of platinum, palladium and rhodium in 2018, where 84 % of global PGM production takes place in these two countries [17]: Production, thousand oz.: South Africa Russia Other countries Total. Impregnated ores, calculated on 100 % sulfide basis, have relatively high PGE content Absolute concentrations of these elements in the impregnated ores are the following: palladium – 3-5; platinum – 0.4-1.5; rhodium – 0.02-0.14; iridium – 0.003-0.06 g/t; Pt/Pd ratio equals 0.25-0.35. Application of bulk-selective flotation schemes for the treatment of impregnated and cupreous ores at Norilsk processing plant allows 85-90 % of the material to exit as tails in the early stages of the process According to this technology, the first stage of the process involves bulk flotation in order to separate sulfide minerals from the gangue, followed by selective flotation, which produces copper and nickel concentrates. The use of gravity and flotation scheme demonstrates its efficiency in the processing of lowcontent sulfide ores as, despite very low content of base metals, these ores have relatively high PGM concentration. Reagent scheme of flotation and gravity treatment: Reagent feeding point Reagent designations Reagent consumption, g/t: Flash flotation Rougher flotation Scavenger flotation
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