JSC “Uralgipromez”, Ekaterinburg, Russia:

Yu. V. Kolesov, Chief Technologist of Metallurgy Department, e-mail: KolesovJV@uralgipromez.ru
L. F. Tazetdinova, First Category Project Engineer
E. A. Stepanov, Leading Engineer
A. I. Zagudaev, Director of Metallurgy Department, e-mail: ZagudaevAI@uralgipromez.ru

A brief evaluation of the worldwide antimony extraction and production is given in the article. It is emphasized that the major antimony producer and exporter is China. Deposits mined in Yakutia and discovered recently in Trans-Baikal (Chita Region) enable Russia to establish itself at the leading positions in mining of antimony containing ores. The gold-antimony deposits mined in Yakutia (Sarylakhsk and Sentachansk) are characterized by the record high metal content reaching 30% and 58% respectively. However, concentrates obtained from gold-antimony ores are virtually not used in Russia and being sold abroad because of the absence of large Russian enterprises capable of effectively process antimony concentrates with high gold content. The attempts to solve this problem at present are made by the group GeoProMining which became one of the investors for the antimony processing plant project in Sverdlovsk Region. The feasibility of organizing of an enterprise for processing of antimony concentrates with high gold content was assessed by the specialists from JSC “Uralgipromez” (the General Design Contractor for this project). The analysis of the experience of leading companies in the production and processing of antimony ores and concentrates was carried out. The main technical decisions and variants of antimony concentrate processing, including a high gold concentration, were considered. There was made the considerable contribution in production of antimony and its compounds in search of perfect technologies. The researches of roasting in rotary furnace and distillate roasting of the Sarylakhsky antimony float concentrate were carried out by the specialists of JSC “Uralgipromez”. The technological scheme of the production of metallic antimony, antimony trioxide and gold-containing slime from gold-antimony float concentrate was designed. The scheme includes a number of technological processing, including roasting in rotary furnace and the precipitation-reduction smelting. The choice of technology as well as the choice of equipment for its implementation was carried out. On the basis of this technology, the regulations for design of gold-antimony processing plant in Sverdlovsk Region were developed by JSC “Uralgipromez”. The plant is being designed at present.

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