Testing the

Floatability Component Approach at Mt

Isa Copper Concentrator

Juan L Reyes-Bahena
PhD Student

JKMRC
The University of Queensland

March 30th, 2001

 Contents
1. Introduction
2. Aim
3. Objectives
4. Experimental Programme
5. Preliminary Results
5.1 Batch Flotation Tests
5.2 Nodal Analysis
5.3 Floatability Components
5.4 Simulations
6. Conclusions
7. Acknowledgments
Situation
Prefloat Rougher Scavenger
Final
Tailings

Retreatment
Column

Cyclone

Cleaner

Recleaner
Ball Mill

Final Copper Circuit

Concentrate
Mt Isa Mines Limited
 Aim

Investigate the ore floatability in the copper

flotation circuit using a floatability
component model
 Objectives

Validate the nodal analysis technique

Validate the floatability component model

Investigate whether is possible to increase

the retreatment capacity in the copper
circuit
Experimental
 Plant Surveys:
1st major survey - regrinding ON (20/06)
Retreatment, Recleaner, Cleaner
2nd major survey - regrinding OFF (10/08)

Batch Flotation Tests:

Conducted in specific stream of each plant survey

Cell Characterisation:
Entrainment
Jg measures
Bubble size distribution
MIBC

Prefloat Rougher Scavenger

Final
Tailings
MIBC
MIBC BX Retreatment
Column BX

D101
CN MIBC
Cyclone
CN

Cleaner

Recleaner
Ball Mill
MIBC
D101

Final Sampling points

Concentrate
Reagent addition
Preliminary Results

*** 1st Major Survey ***

 Batch Flotation Tests

Conc 1

Cum Recovery
Conc 2
Conc 3
Conc 4
Conc 5
Conc 6
Conc 7
Time

Final Tailings
 Batch Test Reproducibility

Retreatment tailings
 Nodal Analysis

Mixer
Separator
Recleaner Bank
Cleaner Bank
Retreatment Bank
Rougher Bank
Scavenger Bank
Regrinding Circuit
 Floatability Component
Floatability classes
ki S R Pi Non floating fraction
b f
Fraction, mi

Medium floating fraction

Fast floating fraction

P1 P2 P3 ... P
m

Floatability

mitail 1 i mifeed

miconc i mifeed
 100.0

90.0

80.0
Calculated Mineral Recovery

70.0

60.0

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0 2
R = 0.9600

0.0
0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100.0

Balanced Mineral Recovery

1st Major Survey: Survey + Batch tests data

 Chalcopyrite FeS NSG
Recovery, % Grade, % Recovery, % Recovery, %
Base Case 96.25 74.39 19.31 3.43
12 Cells 96.51 72.74 21.71 3.69
16 Cells 96.59 72.05 22.92 3.80

Simulation: increasing retreatment capacity

 Chalcopyrite FeS NSG
Recovery, % Grade, % Recovery, % Recovery, %
Base Case 96.25 74.39 19.31 3.43

20 Cells in Scavenger 96.54 74.05 19.62 3.50

24 Cells in Scavenger 96.67 73.78 19.88 3.56
16 Cells in Cleaner 96.31 72.79 21.18 3.71
12 Cells in Recleaner 96.34 71.33 22.07 4.04

24 Cells in Scavenger/16 Cells in Retreatment 97.17 71.73 23.13 3.90

24 Cells in Scavenger/
16 Cells in Retreatment/16 Cells in Cleaner 97.21 69.79 25.58 4.27

Simulation: bank residence time assessment

 Conclusions

Nodal analysis around the rougher, cleaner and

retreatment banks shows that chalcopyrite
floatability was conserved (i.e. did not change)
around these nodes. However, nodal analysis
around the scavenger bank and the regrind mill
indicates a change in ore floatability
characteristics (probably due to reagent addition)

The flotation model developed provides an

adequate fit to the experimental data (survey and
batch flotation tests) collected from the copper
circuit
 Simulating the effect of increased retreatment
capacity by doubling the number of flotation cells
in the retreatment bank gives 0.3% additional
chalcopyrite recovery in the final concentrate
(74.4% to 72.1% chalcopyrite grade)

Simulating an increase in the number of cells in

the scavenger, retreatment and cleaner banks (24,
16 and 16, respectively), indicates that an
additional 1.0% chalcopyrite recovery is
achievable in the final concentrate (74.4% to
71.7% chalcopyrite grade)
 Acknowledgements

Financial support from AMIRA P9M-P260C

project is gratefully acknowledged

Special thanks to the mineral processing

research group at Mt Isa Mines

The contribution of Kym Runge and X.-F

Zheng is widely acknowledge