scholarly journals Metal-Selective Processing from the Los Sulfatos Porphyry-Type Deposit in Chile: Co, Au, and Re Recovery Workflows Based on Advanced Geochemical Characterization

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 531
Author(s):  
Germán Velásquez ◽  
Humberto Estay ◽  
Iván Vela ◽  
Stefano Salvi ◽  
Marcial Pablo
Keyword(s):  
Precious Metals ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Copper Production ◽  
Geochemical Characterization ◽  
Host Mineral ◽  
Unit Operations ◽  
Metallurgical Processing ◽  
Selective Processing ◽  
Remarkable Advantage ◽  
By Products

Sulfides extracted from porphyry-type deposits can contain a number of metals critical for the global energy transition, e.g., Co and precious metals such as Au and Re. These metals are currently determined on composite mineral samples, which commonly results in their dilution. Thus, it is possible that some metals of interest are overlooked during metallurgical processing and are subsequently lost to tailings. Here, an advanced geochemical characterization is implemented directly on metal-bearing sulfides, determining the grade of each targeted trace metal and recognizing its specific host mineral. Results show that pyrite is a prime host mineral for Co (up to 24,000 ppm) and commonly contains Au (up to 5 ppm), while molybdenite contains high grades of Re (up to 514 ppm) and Au (up to 31 ppm). Both minerals represent around 0.2% of the mineralized samples. The dataset is used to evaluate the possibility of extracting trace metals as by-products during Cu-sulfide processing, by the addition of unit operations to conventional plant designs. A remarkable advantage of the proposed workflows is that costs of mining, crushing, and grinding stages are accounted for in the copper production investments. The proposed geochemical characterization can be applied to other porphyry-type operations to improve the metallic benefits from a single deposit.

scholarly journals MINERALOGICAL AND GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE OLYMPIAS MINE TAILINGS, NE CHALKIDIKI, GREECE

2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 2088
Author(s):  
S. Zaimis ◽  
M. Vavelidis ◽  
D. Alifragkis ◽  
V. Melfos ◽  
N. Kantiranis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Precious Metals ◽  
Thin Layers ◽  
Mine Wastes ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Ph Measurements ◽  
Rock Composition ◽  
Geochemical Characterization ◽  
Fe Oxyhydroxides ◽  
Mn Oxides

The Olympias tailings of NE Chalkidiki, Greece represent the mine wastes produced by the beneficiation of the Pb-Zn-Au-Ag ore deposit, which is hosted within the carbonate rocks of the Kerdylia Unit. In the present study X-Ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy, chemical analyses and pH measurements were conducted to determine the tailings mineralogy and chemical composition. The results indicated that they consist of gangue (quartz, rhodochrosite, calcite, dolomite, feldspars, micas, kaolinite and actinolite) and sulfide minerals (pyrite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena), reflecting the source ore and its host rock composition, accompanied by traces of Fe-oxides (magnetite, hematite), Fe oxyhydroxides (goethite) and Mn-oxides, often enriched in Zn and Pb and in some cases Fe, Sb and As. Secondary sulfates (gypsum, jarosite) and surface efflorescent salts (ferrohexahydrite, hexahydrite, halotrichite) have also been recognized. The Olympias tailings are generally unoxidized, generating an alkaline environment. However, variations in composition result in the formation of restricted separate phases, such as thin layers and lenses of oxidized material that generates an acidic environment. In terms of precious metals content, the Olympias tailings are enriched in Au (up to 12 g/t) and Ag (up to 20 g/t).

Energy Critical Element and Precious Metal Deportment in Cu-(Fe-) Sulphides from the Bingham Canyon Porphyry Cu-Mo-Au Deposit

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurice Brodbeck ◽  
Sean McClenaghan ◽  
Balz Samuel Kamber ◽  
Patrick Redmond
Keyword(s):  
Trace Elements ◽  
Trace Element ◽  
Porphyry Copper ◽  
Precious Metals ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Element Partitioning ◽  
Icp Ms ◽  
By Products

<p>Porphyry copper deposits are predominantly mined for the major commodities Cu, Mo and Au. From some of these deposits, minor (trace) elements are also recovered as by-products (e.g. Ag, Pd, Te, Se, Bi, Zn, Pb). This list will potentially expand with the increasing demand for critical raw materials in modern energy-related technologies. Key components for such technologies are energy-critical elements (ECEs), many of which are classified as credit elements (e.g. Co, Ga, Ge and In). However, even if currently recovered as by-products, their deportment in copper ores and their overall distribution at the deposit scale have received little research attention. This gap in knowledge is limiting more effective recovery of ECEs. The same applies to elements that might incur refining penalties (e.g. As, Cd, Sb and Sn). Characterizing the trace element inventory of host mineral phases contributes to an improved understanding of the distribution of trace metals. By informing geometallurgy, element deportment studies can thus potentially promote economic and ecologic benefits in the form of improving recovery, adding value to ore resources and helping to reduce the dispersion of deleterious metals into the environment.</p><p>This study focused on the deportment of ECEs and precious metals in the northwestern high-grade section of the Bingham Canyon Cu-Mo-Au porphyry deposit. Contained Cu-(Fe-) sulphides were characterised with scanning electron microscopy and analysed by laser ablation (LA) ICP-MS for their metal endowment and for their potential use as discriminators of magmatic-hydrothermal processes. The availability of copper (iron) sulfides was found to exert principal control over the chalcophile trace element budget. The abundance of bornite and digenite primarily controls the Bi and Ag- budgets of the overall system and significantly affects variations in Te and Se. Chalcopyrite predominantly controls the Co, Ga and In budgets. By contrast, Ge, As, Cd, Sn, Sb and Au are not significantly controlled by the major sulfides indicating their residence in accessory phases. The presence of electrum and Ag-(Au) tellurides governs the distribution of Au, and most likely also the Te budget.<br>At the small scale relevant to mineral processing, the Bingham ore shows a particularly interesting phenomenon. Digenite (Cu<sub>9</sub>S<sub>5</sub>) is invariably present within bornite likely as the exsolution product of a copper-rich bornite solid solution. LA-ICP-MS analyses revealed that the exsolution process has resulted in a redistribution of trace elements, including some ECEs. Trace element partitioning between bornite and digenite is evident in element maps of the complex intergrowths. Silver, Te and Au strongly partition into digenite, while Se seems to retain its primary homogenous distribution, unaffected by exsolution. Elements that are preferentially retained in bornite (Sn and Bi), or at similar levels between the two sulphide species (In) show more complex zoning patterns in bornite. Zones of lowest concentration in bornite, peripheral around exsolved digenite grains, indicate stress-induced diffusion due to accumulating lattice distortions in bornite during digenite growth. The findings from digenite exsolution in bornite at Bingham show that relatively late, solid-state processes can result in complex deportment of precious metals and ECEs within copper-iron sulphides.</p>

Metallurgy at KGHM Polish Copper SA

2016 ◽  
Vol 682 ◽  
pp. 299-307
Author(s):  
Piotr Kwapisiński
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Precious Metals ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Copper Production ◽  
Efficient Technology ◽  
Flash Smelting Furnace ◽  
Important Position ◽  
The Third World

Metallurgy of KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. is one of the world leaders in the production of copper. It is the result of high volume and quality production of copper and silver, as well as the use of modern technology direct to copper process in flash smelting furnace in HMG II. Soon this will be also the case for HMG I. The intention is to modernise, and upgrade technological processes within all the smelters to increase effectiveness, also to decrease production costs, and improve contamination of environment. In the year 2014 production of electrolytic copper increased about 2% in respect to 2013, and reached the record value 577 thousands ton. Production of silver increased 8% attaining value of 1256 ton. These perfect results were obtained through optimisation of smelting processes from one side, and rising the content of own concentrates, and foreign batches with higher content of precious metals. Production of metallic gold in 2014 was equal to 2,5t. Moreover KGHM is the third world producer of rhenium. They produce also lead technical and refined, as well as selenium, nickel sulphate, and platinum-palladium concentrate. The KGHM is also substantial producer of sulphuric acid, what is the direct effect of very efficient technology of desulphurisation of exhausts in the used metallurgical processes. The challenge for future is to increase retrieving of elements associated with copper production on every phase of the production. Due to the use of new technologies one expects also to achieve improved retrieving of other metals. Since 20% of KGHM revenue comes from silver, this is an important position in the overall balance of corporation focused mainly on copper exploitation. This is also why KGHM develops co-operations with scientific centres on the level bigger than laboratory (i.e. demo and/or pilot scales). The corporation is directly involved in research and development (subsidised national and international projects), while the value of these projects exceeds 200 mln PLN. There were created several collaborations with academic institutions targeting improvement of retrieval of energy from exploration processes, increase automation, remote control mining, and others. All of them are state of the art, and very modern technologies. KGHM must stay innovative, to preserve its market advantage. Metallurgy itself using own implemented technologies, resumes extended efforts to explore fully the richness of elements associated with the main metals.

scholarly journals Thermal analysis of Indonesian copper sulphide

2021 ◽  
Vol 882 (1) ◽  
pp. 012009
Author(s):  
Imelda Hutabarat
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Analysis ◽  
Simultaneous Thermal Analysis ◽  
Thermal Reaction ◽  
Copper Production ◽  
Sulphide Mineral ◽  
Copper Sulphide ◽  
Scanning Calorimetry ◽  
Phase Form ◽  
Process Flowsheet ◽  
By Products

Abstract The development of extracting hydrometallurgical process for copper sulphide mineral becomes one of the promising fields, not only for the copper production but also for the production of metal by-products. The advantage of the thermal analysis is to get the phase form of the minerals on a certain temperature. With this result, the chosen metal can be selectively extracted. The goal of this study is to understand the thermal reaction of the copper sulphide as the basic data to develop a process flowsheet of extracting copper and other important metals from the copper concentrates by using an alternative new hydrometallurgy process to increase the value of the minerals. The thermal behaviour was investigated by simultaneous thermal analysis consisting of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in combination with thermo gravimetry (TG) and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Samples were pre-treated by roasting at the several temperature transitions and subsequently characterized by XRD and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS).

Diversification as a Response to Decline in the Mining Industry: Arsenic and South-Western Metal Production 1850–1914

1987 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-54
Author(s):  
Roger Burt ◽  
Martin Timbrell
Keyword(s):  
Mining Industry ◽  
Copper Production ◽  
Metal Production ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Supply Functions ◽  
Copper Mines ◽  
Disaggregated Data ◽  
And Performance ◽  
By Products ◽  
Quantitative Importance

Joint supply functions are not uncommon but nowhere are they more prevalent than in the mining industry. Assessment of the importance of marketable by-products is made more difficult by the lack of detailed information on costs. This study shows how data on output and prices may be used to provide evidence of the qualitative and quantitative importance of arsenic—the most important by-product of S.W. mines—to the development and performance of the S.W. mining industry. Detailed annual returns on tin and copper mines are used to chart the development of individual mines. The circumstantial evidence for the importance of arsenic is strong but the use of highly disaggregated data reveals that arsenic production was irrelevant to the vast majority of tin and copper producers although for a few it may have aided continuity of production for a very short period. The apparent misconceptions are shown to have arisen from the development of one major arsenic producer. Statistical evidence is produced in the form of estimated supply functions. The functions are well defined and reveal that neither the price of nor production levels of arsenic had any significant impact on tin and copper production—a result in marked contrast to the casual empiricism of industrial historians.

By-Products from a Petrochemical Effluent Treatment Plant: The Case of Sitel

1988 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 183-191
Author(s):  
Zeno Simon ◽  
Mario L. Baldasso ◽  
Tania R. M. Zoppas
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Detailed Comparison ◽  
Effluent Treatment ◽  
Final Destination ◽  
Unit Operations ◽  
Effluent Treatment Plant ◽  
Chemical Constitution ◽  
Current Classification ◽  
By Products ◽  
Centralized System

Normal unit operations conducted at SITEL, the integrated wastewater treatment system of South Petrochemical Complex, Triunfo, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, generate several by-products that must be handled separately: sludges, slurries, scums, garbage, grit, containers, etc. Some are hauled to the Centralized System of Control of Solid Residues (SICECORS); others are disposed of within SITEL battery limits. This paper presents and discusses their origin, production, chemical constitution, final destination and provides a detailed comparison between the main residues. A revision of the current classification criteria is proposed.

Hydrogen Cyanide Polymers from the Impact of Comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter

1997 ◽  
Vol 161 ◽  
pp. 179-187
Author(s):  
Clifford N. Matthews ◽  
Rose A. Pesce-Rodriguez ◽  
Shirley A. Liebman
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Hydrogen Cyanide ◽  
Nitrogen Heterocycles ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Heterogeneous Solids ◽  
The Many ◽  
Comet Halley ◽  
The Impact ◽  
By Products

AbstractHydrogen cyanide polymers – heterogeneous solids ranging in color from yellow to orange to brown to black – may be among the organic macromolecules most readily formed within the Solar System. The non-volatile black crust of comet Halley, for example, as well as the extensive orangebrown streaks in the atmosphere of Jupiter, might consist largely of such polymers synthesized from HCN formed by photolysis of methane and ammonia, the color observed depending on the concentration of HCN involved. Laboratory studies of these ubiquitous compounds point to the presence of polyamidine structures synthesized directly from hydrogen cyanide. These would be converted by water to polypeptides which can be further hydrolyzed to α-amino acids. Black polymers and multimers with conjugated ladder structures derived from HCN could also be formed and might well be the source of the many nitrogen heterocycles, adenine included, observed after pyrolysis. The dark brown color arising from the impacts of comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter might therefore be mainly caused by the presence of HCN polymers, whether originally present, deposited by the impactor or synthesized directly from HCN. Spectroscopic detection of these predicted macromolecules and their hydrolytic and pyrolytic by-products would strengthen significantly the hypothesis that cyanide polymerization is a preferred pathway for prebiotic and extraterrestrial chemistry.

Bright-Field Images (Ctem) of Phase Objects at High Resolution

1976 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 490-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumio Iijima
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Electron Beam Irradiation ◽  
Fine Particles ◽  
High Resolution Electron Microscopy ◽  
Good Test ◽  
Resolution Electron ◽  
Single Crystal Films ◽  
Crystal Films ◽  
By Products ◽  
Test Objects

We have developed a technique to prepare thin single crystal films of graphite for use as supporting films for high resolution electron microscopy. As we showed elsewhere (1), these films are completely noiseless and therefore can be used in the observation of phase objects by CTEM, such as single atoms or molecules as a means for overcoming the difficulties because of the background noise which appears with amorphous carbon supporting films, even though they are prepared so as to be less than 20Å thick. Since the graphite films are thinned by reaction with WO3 crystals under electron beam irradiation in the microscope, some small crystallites of WC or WC2 are inevitably left on the films as by-products. These particles are usually found to be over 10-20Å diameter but very fine particles are also formed on the film and these can serve as good test objects for studying the image formation of phase objects.

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