Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, Russia:

A. A. Plotnikova, Postgraduate Student, e-mail: alena_plotnikova_0909@inbox.ru
V. I. Bragin, Head of Mineral Beneficiation Department

The biggest problem for obtaining commercial concentrates from lead-zinc ores is primarily related to the composition of such ores, as well as the nature of associations formed by valuable minerals with one another and with the gangue minerals. Better beneficiation indicators for lead-zinc ores could be achieved through the use of processes that combine several beneficiation techniques, which are related to different physical properties of minerals. To understand the composition of sphalerite contained in the Gorevsk deposit ores, the authors analysed the composition of zinc concentrate produced by the concentration plant. The authors also looked at possible causes of the high magnetic susceptibility in sphalerite. It was established that in zinc concentrate, sphalerite is mainly associated with galenite, and to a lesser degree — with pyrite, pyrrhotite, quartz and siderite. Sphalerite is rich in iron, the average concentration of iron in it is 6.63 wt.%. That’s why sphalerite accounts for more than 64% of all the iron contained in the concentrate. The authors also looked at the possibility to use high-gradient magnetic separation to enhance the quality of the flotation lead concentrate and reduce zinc losses. During high-gradient magnetic separation, iron-containing sphalerite, as well as unbonded grains of pyrrhotite and siderite, transfer to the magnetic product, while galenite remains in the non-magnetic part. The authors found that the introduction of high-gradient magnetic separation with the magnetic force of 880 kA/m as a recleaner stage for the lead concentrate of the Gorevsk deposit helps increase the lead concentration in the recleaner lead concentrate by 23.04% and, at the same time, reduce the concentration of zinc from 4.91 to 1.5%. The recovery of lead can reach 73.41%. The magnetic recovery of zinc can reach 84.07%, with the concentration of 8.6%.

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