Flotation of platinum group metal ore materials
AssigneeNewmont USA Limited
InventorsJohn C. Gathje, Gary L. Simmons
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided is a method involving flotation of a feed of platinum group metal ore material to prepare a platinum group metal concentrate during mineral processing operations. Prior to and/or during the flotation, a lead-containing activator reagent and a xanthate collector reagent are added to the slurry and during the flotation, an oxygen-deficient flotation gas, such as nitrogen gas, is used.
Claims60
A method for flotation processing a platinum group metal ore material to prepare a platinum group metal concentrate, the method comprising:
- flotation of a feed of the ore material to produce a flotation concentrate enriched in platinum group metal relative to the feed of the ore material and to produce a flotation tail depleted in platinum group metal relative to the feed of the ore material, the flotation comprising introducing a flotation gas into a slurry containing the ore material in particulate form, with the flotation concentrate being collected from froth at the top of the slurry;
- the flotation gas being selected from the group consisting of a gas composition essentially free of oxygen gas and a gas composition comprising no more that 15 volume percent oxygen gas;
- and
- prior to or during the flotation, adding to the ore material at least a collector reagent and a lead-containing activator reagent.
A method for flotation processing a platinum group metal ore material including a sheet silicate mineral having a natural tendency to float during flotation processing to prepare a platinum group metal concentrate, the method comprising:
- flotation of a feed of the ore material to produce a flotation concentrate enriched in platinum group metal and depleted in the sheet silicate mineral relative to the feed of the ore material and to produce a flotation tail enriched in the sheet silicate mineral component and depleted in platinum group metal relative to the feed of the ore material, the flotation comprising bubbling a flotation gas through an aqueous liquid slurry of the ore material in particulate form, with the flotation concentrate being collected from froth at the top of the slurry;
- the flotation gas being selected from the group consisting of a gas essentially free of oxygen gas and a gas comprising no more that 15 volume percent oxygen gas;
- and
- prior to or during the flotation, adding to the ore material flotation reagents comprising at least a xanthate collector reagent, a lead-containing activator reagent, a frother reagent and a depressant reagent;
- and
- wherein, the depressant reagent is an organic material having an effect of suppressing floating of the sheet silicate mineral during the flotation.
A method for flotation processing a nonferrous base metal sulfide ore material including nonferrous base metal to prepare a nonferrous base metal sulfide concentrate, the method comprising:
- flotation of a feed of the ore material to produce a flotation concentrate enriched in the nonferrous base metal relative to the feed of the ore material and to produce a flotation tail depleted in the nonferrous base metal relative to the feed of the ore material, the flotation comprising introducing a flotation gas into a slurry containing the ore material in particulate form, with the flotation concentrate being collected from froth at the top of the slurry;
- the flotation gas being selected from the group consisting of a gas composition essentially free of oxygen gas and a gas composition comprising no more that 15 volume percent oxygen gas;
- and
- prior to or during the flotation, adding to the ore material at least a collector reagent and a lead-containing activator reagent.
A method for flotation processing of a base metal sulfide ore material containing base metal sulfide mineral and sheet silicate mineral, the method comprising:
- flotation of a feed of the ore material to produce a sulfide concentrate enriched in the metal sulfide mineral relative to the feed of the ore material and to produce a flotation tail depleted in the metal sulfide mineral relative to the feed of the ore material, the flotation comprising introducing a flotation gas into a slurry containing the ore material in particulate form, with the sulfide concentrate being collected from froth at the top of the slurry;
- the flotation gas being selected from the group consisting of a gas composition essentially free of oxygen gas and a gas composition comprising no more than 15 volume percent oxygen gas;
- and
- prior to or during the flotation, adding to the ore material at least a collector reagent, a lead-containing activator reagent and a depressant reagent, the depressant reagent being an organic material having an effect of suppressing floating of the sheet silicate mineral during the flotation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.