Defining the recovery potential for residual ore minerals from flotation tailings based on automated mineralogy data


Defining the recovery potential for residual ore minerals from flotation tailings based on automated mineralogy data

Büttner, P.; Osbahr, I.; Zimmermann, R.; Leißner, T.; Satge, L.; Gutzmer, J.

The extraction of valuable (ore) minerals from fine-grained flotation tailings is a commercially interesting but technologically challenging endeavor that needs to be supported by a full technical and economic feasibility study. A novel approach to such the technological assessment is introduced here. It is illustrated by the example of an historic tailing storage facility containing ca. 0.2 weight percent of Sn as cassiterite. Mineral processing test work identified flotation as a suitable technology route to recover the residual cassiterite. The viability of flotation was attributed to three material parameters, namely grade, liberation and grain size of cassiterite. These parameters were quantified for a set of ten exploration drill cores by chemical assay and mineral liberation analysis. For each of the three relevant parameters an optimum range was defined by a weighting function that was applied to the data set. The data was then geo-referenced and combined to construct a 3-D model illustrating a depreciated grade, i.e., the amount of tin (as cassiterite) that could realistically be recovered from the tailings storage facility.

Keywords: 3D modelling; Altenberg; Automated mineralogy; Cassiterite; Erzgebirge; Geometallurgy; Mine waste; Mineral liberation analysis; MLA; Processing; Re-mining; Re-processing; Recycling; Remediation; Remining; Reprocessing; Spatial modelling; Tailing; Tailing storage facility; Tin; Tin recovery; TSF; Zero waste approach

  • Contribution to proceedings
    Process Mineralogy '17, 20.-22.03.2017, Cape Town, South Africa
    Process Mineralogy '17 - conference proceedings
  • Lecture (Conference)
    Process Mineralogy '17, 20.-22.03.2017, Cape Town, South Africa

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-26440
Publ.-Id: 26440