Copper flotation circuit with rougher and cleaner cells

Copper: flotation circuits sized on closed circuit test data

Sulphide copper, copper-lead-zinc and copper-silver ores, treated by bulk or selective flotation with concentrate regrinding where liberation requires it.

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Process route

The rougher, scavenger and cleaner arrangement is set by locked cycle test work, because copper recovery is usually lost in the cleaner circuit rather than the rougher.

01

Crushing and grinding

Three stage crushing or crushing plus SAG, followed by ball milling in closed circuit with hydrocyclones to the target grind.

02

Rougher and scavenger flotation

Bulk sulphide flotation recovers copper minerals into a rougher concentrate at a controlled pulp density and pH.

03

Regrind and cleaning

Rougher concentrate is reground to liberate locked particles, then upgraded through multiple cleaner stages.

04

Separation for polymetallic ores

Where lead, zinc or silver are present, selective flotation separates the bulk concentrate into saleable products.

05

Dewatering

Concentrate thickening and pressure filtration to transport moisture, tailings thickening and disposal.

Equipment in this circuit

Manufactured at our own bases and matched to the circuit capacity, not bought package by package.

PE series jaw crusher

Jaw crusher

PE series for primary crushing and PEX series for secondary and fine crushing.

Spring cone crusher

Cone crusher

Secondary and fine crushing by layered compression.

Wet ball mill

Ball mill

Wet grid mills for primary grinding and overflow mills for secondary grinding.

Hydrocyclone cluster

Hydrocyclone

XC, XHCV and XN series for classification, desliming and thickening duty.

JJF mechanical flotation cell

Flotation cells

SF, JJF, XCF, KYF and BF machines up to 320 m3, plus flotation columns.

Plate and frame filter press

Filter press

Plate and frame and membrane presses for concentrate and tailings dewatering.

Reference projects

Figures are those reported for these projects in the Xinhai project and test brochures.

Kazakhstan

1.5 Mt/a copper flotation, concentrate at 16.23% Cu and 66.23% recovery in closed circuit tests

Test work and plant scope
Pakistan

1,500 t/d copper processing plant

Plant scope
Namibia

1,100 t/d copper and lead processing plant

Plant scope
Nigeria

1,000 t/d copper and silver processing plant

Plant scope

Common questions

What grind size does a copper circuit need?
It depends on liberation. In the Kazakhstan programme, closed circuit conditions were 50% passing 200 mesh with one rougher, two scavenger and three cleaner stages, which produced a 16.23% Cu concentrate at 66.23% recovery on that sample.
Can Xinhai handle copper ores with lead, zinc or silver?
Yes. Polymetallic ores are treated by bulk flotation followed by selective separation, which is also the route used on the lead-zinc solutions page.
Is concentrate regrinding always required?
No. It is added when cleaner test work shows middlings carrying locked composite particles. Test work decides, not a default flowsheet.

Related

Lead and zinc

Selective flotation routes for polymetallic sulphide ores.

Lead and zinc

Flotation equipment

SF, JJF, XCF, KYF and BF flotation machines up to 320 m3, built in our own workshops.

Equipment

Test work

Locked cycle flotation tests before any circuit is sized.

Test work

Send the assay and the tonnage target for your Copper project.

We start with test work on your sample, then size the circuit around the result. Tell us where the project stands and what you need next.

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