Abstract
An essential operation in the mineral processing of copper ores into concentrates is blending, as it guarantees a constant feed for the flotation cells, increases metal recovery rate and reduces tailings. In this study, copper ores from Huelva province (Spain) were investigated by quantitative XRD (X-ray diffraction) methods to optimize blending and detect penalty minerals, which can affect flotation and concentrate quality. The Rietveld method in combination with cluster analysis, PLSR and more traditional chemical analysis provide a more complete and in-depth characterization of the ore and the whole process. The mineralogical monitoring can be fully automated to enable real-time decision making.
Highlights
Copper is an essential element for today’s technologies, including the pursuit of a green economy and electrification of transport
250 Mt of copper ores are located at the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), a massive sulfide deposit, which has been mined throughout history
The ore grade is defined by both chemistry and mineralogy, but the mineralogy has a more important role in the recovery rate
Summary
Copper is an essential element for today’s technologies, including the pursuit of a green economy and electrification of transport. The mineral beneficiation of the ores into concentrates involves comminution followed by flotation, which increases the copper content by 1–2 orders of magnitude. The selection and optimization of the separation and concentration process affect the economic recovery of the copper ore. The flotation process exploits the difference in wettability of the different surfaces in aqueous solution to separate the valuable minerals from the gangue. The knowledge and control of the mineralogy during ore blending operation, have an impact on the flotation optimization and on the copper recovery. This research on copper ore materials and their mineral processing can be translated to other industrial activities, where the mineralogical knowledge can spark innovation directed toward sustainable goals [4,5,6,7,8]
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