LLC “Baikal Mining Company”, Udokan, Russia:

D. A. Lapshin, Chief Technologist of Designed Direction, e-mail: d.lapshin@metalloinvest.com
M. F. Prostakishin, Leading Industrial Engineer of Experimental-Industrial Complex
V. N. Zolotarev, Chief Technologist of Experimental-Industrial Complex
A. B. Volozhaninov, Leading Industrial Engineer of Experimental-Industrial Complex

This paper shows the results of semi-industrial testings of the developed flotation-hydrometallurgical flowsheet for Udokan deposit ore processing, carried out in 2013–2014 at the experimental-industrial complex of LLC “Baikal Mining Company”. The Complex productivity was 1.0–1.5 t of ore per hour. Approximately 850 t of ore was totally processed for the period of testings. Extraction of oxidized copper in solution during the atmospheric leaching of bulk concentrate was stably high. Consumption of the “fresh” sulfuric acid on rock minerals during the atmospheric leaching in the balance period of operation was 8–12 kg of ore per ton. The performance standards of the contour of counter-current decantation and band filter were defined during the testing process. According to this, there was made a conclusion about the reasonability of application of counter-current decantation operation in flowsheet. The extractants ACORGA M5774 (Sytec) and Lix 984N (BASF) were tested. There was semi-industrially confirmed the possibility of copper concentrate obtaining with more than 40% of copper and cathode copper М00К (according to the State Standard GOST 859–2001). During the semi-industrial testings, the throughout recovery of copper into marketable products was 83–84%. The obtained results confirmed the indicators of laboratory flowsheet testings. The developed technology was the basis of technological regulations and technical-economic substantiation of constant exploration conditions of Udokan deposit.
This work was carried out with the participation of P. M. Baskaev.

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