INFLUENCES OF GRINDING CONDITIONS ON GALENITE-SPHALERITE FLOTATION KINETICS

Year 2023, Volume: 31 Issue: 1, 519 - 532, 29.04.2023

Işıl Tokcan , Volkan Bozkurt

https://doi.org/10.31796/ogummf.1218376

Abstract

Grinding is more than just crushing, it is also a process that causes a chemical reaction on the surface of the mineral. Water used in the grinding process significantly affects the galvanic interaction.
Different grinding conditions result in different pulp chemistries. This becomes especially important in sulfide flotation in terms of recovery and selectivity. There are limited studies examining the effects of dry and wet grinding prior to the flotation of sulfide minerals. This study compared the effects of wet and dry grinding on the flotation kinetics of complex Pb-Zn sulfide ore at P80 of 20 and 50 µm grind sizes. Results showed that dry grinding positively affected the sphalerite ore flotation compared to wet grinding in terms of recovery and grade in both galenite and sphalerite rougher flotation stages. Considering that the effect of dry grinding was due to the difference in pulp chemistry, the reasons were explored based on particle morphology, and pulp potentials.
The results showed that grinding the same ore under dry and wet conditions significantly affected the flotation performance. In light of the pulp potential measurements, it was determined that the reducing environment obtained in the wet grinding negatively affected the flotation performance, while the oxidizing environment formed during the dry grinding affected the flotation performance positively. This was attributed to the fact that galvanic interactions that occurred during wet grinding were significantly reduced during dry grinding. Hence, better galenite and sphalerite flotation was obtained following dry grinding.

Keywords

flotation, dry grinding, wet grinding

Supporting Institution

ESOGÜ BAP

Project Number

2015-697 & 2017-1625

Thanks

The authors would like to thank ESOGÜ BAP “2015-697 & 2017-1625” for their financial support. The authors are also thankful to Prof. Dr. Uğur Ulusoy for his contribution to particle shape analysis.

ÖĞÜTME KOŞULLARININ GALENİT-SFALERİT FLOTASYON KİNETİĞİ ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİLERİ

Abstract

Öğütme, sadece kırmanın ötesinde, mineralin yüzeyinde kimyasal reaksiyona neden olan bir işlemdir. Öğütme işleminde kullanılan su, galvanik etkileşimi önemli ölçüde etkiler.
Farklı öğütme koşulları, farklı pülp kimyalarının oluşmasına neden olmaktadır. Bu durum özellikle sülfürlü mineral flotasyonunda verim ve seçimlilik açısından önem arz etmektedir. Flotasyon öncesi kuru ve yaş öğütmenin, sülfürlü mineral flotasyonu üzerindeki etkilerini inceleyen sınırlı sayıda çalışma bulunmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, yaş ve kuru öğütmenin P80 20 ve 50 µm tane boyutundaki kompleks sülfürlü galenit-sfalerit flotasyon kinetiği üzerindeki etkileri karşılaştırılmıştır. Sonuçlar, kuru öğütmenin hem galenit hem de sfalerit flotasyon devrelerinde verim ve tenör açısından yaş öğütmeye kıyasla flotasyon performansını olumlu etkilediğini göstermiştir. Gözlemlenen olumlu etkinin pülp kimyasındaki farklılıktan kaynaklandığı düşünülerek sonuçlar tane morfolojisi ve pülp potansiyeli özelinde araştırılmıştır. Sonuçlar, önceki çalışmada kullanılan 50 µm boyutundaki numunelerin galenit flotasyon devresinden elde edilen sonuçları ile karşılaştırmalı olarak verilerek tartışılmıştır.
Elde edilen bulgular, aynı cevherin farklı koşullar altında öğütülmesinin flotasyon performansı üzerinde önemli etkileri olduğunu göstermektedir. Pülpün elektrokimyasal ölçümleri ışığında yaş öğütmede oluşan indirgeyici ortamın flotasyon performansını düşürdüğü belirlenmiştir. Kuru öğütme işlemi sırasında yeni açığa çıkan mineral yüzeyleri su, pH veya Eh gibi kimyasal reaksiyonlardan etkilenmez ve böylece flotasyon verimi olumlu yönde etkilenir. Öğütme sırasında oluşan oksitleyici ortam nedeniyle galenit-sfalerit minerallerinin yüzebilirliği artmaktadır.

Keywords

flotasyon, kuru öğütme, yaş öğütme

Project Number

2015-697 & 2017-1625

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