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Selective Process Route to Recover Magnetite from Chalcopyrite Dam Copper Flotation Tailings

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Abstract

Copper mine operations consistently generate a large quantity of tailings after their concentration processing. These tailings are either piled up or stored in a dam, where both alternatives of disposal lead to environmental impacts. The dam copper tailings have a huge potential for by-product production thus improving sustainability and profitability in industrial operations. This paper describes a study aiming at producing a magnetite pellet feed as a by-product from a dam chalcopyrite flotation tailings and generating free magnetite non-magnetic rougher tailings. The chemical assay and mineralogy analysis of dam copper flotation tailings indicate low Fe grade (6.34 wt%), high SiO2 grade (63.14 wt%), low magnetite (3.6 wt%), and high iron silicates content (22.72 wt%). The complex mineralogy of these tailings leads to the need of grinding the rougher magnetite pellet feed as fine as 80% of particles smaller than 20 µm (P80) aiming at improving magnetite liberation. The proposed process route comprises a scalping screen, low field rougher, and cleaner magnetic separations using a drum magnetic separator (80 kA/m or 1000 Gauss), followed by silicates reverse cationic flotation as a recleaner step. With this process route, it was possible to produce a high-quality magnetite pellet feed reaching 68.00 wt% of Fe, 2.13 wt% of SiO2, 0.51 wt% of Al2O3, and 95.1 wt% of magnetite. The Blaine specific surface area was 2300 cm2/g, being in the range recommended for pelletizing (1900 up to 3000 cm2/g). The total mass, Fe, SiO2, Al2O3, and magnetite recoveries were 2.77%, 29.71%, 0.09%, 0.12%, and 73.17%, respectively. Most of the magnetite losses, around 20% of total magnetite fed, occurred in the oversize of the scalping screen. Additionally, it generated non-magnetic rougher tailings with less than 1.0 wt% of magnetite that could be used as by-products and reduced the amount of tailings disposal in a dam. This study contributes toward the sustainability of operation, minimizing tailings disposal.

Graphical Abstract

Block diagram of process route to generate magnetite pellet feed from dam copper flotation tailings.

Highlights

• Magnetite pellet feed recovery from chalcopyrite dam copper flotation tailings.

• Process route comprises scalping screen, low field rougher, and cleaner magnetic separations and silicates reverse cationic flotation as recleaner step.

• High-quality magnetite pellet feed reaching 68.00 wt% of Fe, 2.13 wt% of SiO2, and 95.1 wt% of magnetite.

• The total mass, Fe, SiO2, Al2O3, and magnetite recoveries of 2.77%, 29.71%, 0.09%, 0.12%, and 73.17%, respectively.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Vale S.A. especially Patrice Mazzoni and Keila Gonçalves for authorizing the publication of this work. The authors are also thankful to the CDM’s staff at Vale Mineral Development Centre, who were dutifully engaged in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vale S.A., Mineral Development Centre, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Ruberlan Silva, José Maria Silva, Lorena Guimarães, Thiago Souza, Matheus Bianchetti & Lucas Reis

  2. Vale S.A., Sossego and Salobo Mines, Parauapebas, Pará, Brazil

    Eugênio Oliveira

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  1. Ruberlan Silva
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  2. José Maria Silva
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  3. Lorena Guimarães
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Correspondence to Ruberlan Silva.

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Silva, R., Silva, J.M., Guimarães, L. et al. Selective Process Route to Recover Magnetite from Chalcopyrite Dam Copper Flotation Tailings. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 39, 2517–2528 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-022-00681-2

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