Abstract
Since commissioning in 1961, the copper mine Majdanpek, a part of the Mining and Smelting Complex Bor (RTB Bor), produced approximately 378 million tons of flotation tailings. Semi-quantitative mineralogical analysis of the flotation tailings revealed significant content of carbonate minerals (approximately 20-25 %), indicating high acid neutralization capacity. Also, approximately 70 % of copper is in the form of the oxide mineral cuprite (Cu2O). Copper can be easily leached from cuprite by using sulphuric acid. The RTB Bor copper smelter generates 8.7 m3h-1 of extremely acidic waste effluent (142.4 kgm-3 of sulphuric acid, pH -0.464) with relatively high concentrations of dissolved metals and metalloids (Cu, Fe, Zn, Pb and As). The effluent is currently treated with hydrated lime. The present study focused on application of flotation tailings as a neutralizing agent for acidic effluents. Laboratory experiments followed by computer simulation of the industrial process showed that 99% of the acid can be neutralized with flotation tailings in a series of six reactors resulting in the final copper concentration of 1.55 gL-1. Benefits of the proposed process are: lower environmental impact of the process and reduced costs of neutralization of the acidic effluent from the copper smelter.
Highlights
Production of mineral concentrates by froth flotation generates huge amounts of waste – flotation tailings
20 kg of flotation tailings were collected at several locations in the flotation tailings dump of the copper mine Majdanpek (RTB Bor, Serbia)
X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns were obtained by using a Philips PW-1710 automated diffractometer (Philips, Netherlands) equipped with a Cu tube operated at 40 kV and 30 mA
Summary
Production of mineral concentrates by froth flotation generates huge amounts of waste – flotation tailings. Flotation tailings consist mainly of gangue minerals, mostly quartz, pyrite and silicates with low contents of copper and other valuable metals that were not extracted from the ore by froth flotation. There is a growing interest in valorisation of copper from the mining waste of the RTB Bor. Antonijević et al [4] tested leaching of copper from flotation tailings of the copper mine Bor in a glass reactor with addition of ferric chloride in 0.1 M sulphuric acid as an oxidant with the solid - liquid ratio of 1:5. Stevanović et al [5] performed an acid leaching experiment of old flotation tailings from the same copper mine in columns by using 0.01 M sulphuric acid, with or without addition of oxidizing agents at solid - liquid ratio of 1:1.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
