Process for recovering value metals from ore
AssigneeAnglo American Services (UK) Ltd.
InventorsAnthony Owen Filmer, Daniel John Alexander
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to a process for recovering valuable metals from ore with significantly reduced water consumption through the discrete treatment and storage of coarse tailings. Ore is ground to produce a coarse particulate ore. The coarse particulate ore is treated in a coarse flotation stage to produce a low grade concentrate fraction and a coarse tailings fraction. The low grade concentrate fraction is treated to produce fine tailings and a saleable concentrate. The coarse tailings are treated separately from the fine tailings and water is recovered from the coarse tailings by hydraulically stacking; filtering or screening, whereafter the coarse tailings are dry stacked, without being recombined with the fine tailings.
Claims18
A process for recovering value metals from ore, including the steps of:
- grinding the ore to produce a coarse particulate ore with a particle size p80 of greater than 150 μm up to 1000 μm, and selecting particles in the size range of 150-650 μm;
- treating the coarse particulate ore in a coarse flotation stage to produce a concentrate fraction, and a coarse tailings fraction;
- and
- milling the concentrate fraction to produce a milled concentrate, and treating the milled concentrate in a secondary flotation stage to produce a secondary concentrate fraction and a fine tailings fraction that has a particle size p80 of less than 150 μm;
- wherein:
- coarse tailings from the coarse tailings fraction are treated or stored separately from the fine tailings fraction or any other fine tailings, and wherein water is removed from the coarse tailings fraction by hydraulically stacking, filtering or screening, and the coarse tailings fraction is then dry stacked.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.