SRC Hydrometallurgy (LLC), Saint Petersburg, Russia:

A. Yu. Lapin, Principal Researcher, Candidate of Technical Sciences, e-mail: lapin-a@gidrometall.ru
T. Yu. Kositskaya, Senior Researcher, Candidate of Technical Sciences, e-mail: kositskaya-t@gidrometall.ru
Ya. M. Shneerson, R&D Director, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, e-mail: shneerson-y@gidrometall.ru

Geoprominvest LLC, Khabarovsk, Russia:
V. I. Bogdanov, Deputy Director, e-mail: tatjna.1950@mail.ru

The problem of processing raw materials from man-made deposits, which are basically ore tailings, is currently of relevance. Thus, for instance, man-made Sn – Cu raw materials can be processed into marketable products. This paper describes the results of a study that looked at the production of commercial Sn and Cu concentrates using well-known processing techniques. Two different processing schemes were developed for the primary Cu and Sn concentrates, which are the result of the beneficiation stage. The problem of removing As, the concentration of which in the primary raw material is higher than that of the other non-ferrous metals, was also resolved for both processing schemes. The process of producing commercial copper concentrate containing 60–70% Cu and less than 0.3% As involves the following stages: pressure oxidation of the sulfide raw material; purification of the solution; and recovery of metal into a high-grade concentrate. A few process options were considered for the tin ore. The final proposal is to use the following production scheme: the Sn middlings are first to be treated in acid medium (autoclaving) and then – in the alkaline medium at normal atmospheric pressure. This process uses minimum alkali and produces almost no sodium salts that are not easily disposable of. Besides, it allows to process high-arsenic tailings while producing commercial Sn concentrates containing 45–47% Sn and less than 0.3% As. All the operations of these two processes were tested, and it helped define and optimize the key parameters and indicators of the Cu and Sn production lines.

1. Khanchuk A. I., Kemkina R. A., Kemkin I. V., Zvereva V. P. Mineralogy- and geochemistry-based substantiation for processing of mature fine tailings of Solnechny GOK (Komsomolsky rayon, Khabarovsk kray). Bulletin of Kamchatka Regional Association “Educational-Scientific Center. Earth Sciences”. 2012. No. 1, Iss. 19. pp. 22–40.
2. Yusupov Т. S., Kondratyev S. А., Baksheeva I. I. Production-induced cassiterite-sulfide mineral formation structural-chemical and technological properties. Obogashchenie Rud. 2016. No. 5. pp. 26–31. DOI: 10.17580/or.2016.05.05.

3. Classification of deposits and predicted resources of solid minerals: Application guidelines. Tin ores. Moscow, 2007.
4. Shneerson Ya. M., Muravin K. A., Chugaev L. V., Kasatkin S. V. et al. Autoclave processing of tin concentrates. Tsvetnye Metally. 1995. No. 5. pp. 20–23.
5. Conway M. H., Gale D. C. Sulfur’s impact on the size of pressure oxidation autoclaves. JOM. 1990. Vol. 42 (9). pp. 19–22.
6. Zaytsev P. V., Pleshkov M. A., Lapin A. Y., Shneerson Y. M. Pressure oxidation process development for treating complex sulfide copper materials. Proceedings of ALTA 2016 Nickel Cobalt Copper Session. Perth, 2016. 14 p.
7. Fokina S. B., Zotova I. E. Studying the behaviour of arsenic in autoclave processing of polymetallic concentrates containing noble metals. ICHTE – 2018. Proceedings of the International Conference. Saint Petersburg, June 2018. pp. 108–110.
8. Alkantsev M. I. Cementation processes in non-ferrous metallurgy. Moscow : Metallurgiya, 1981. 351 p.
9. Naboychenko S. S., Shneerson Ya. M., Kalashnikova M. I., Chugaev L. V. Autoclave hydrometallurgy of non-ferrous metals. Yekaterinburg : GOU VPO UGTU-UPI, 2008. Vol. 1. 376 p.
10. Lapshin D. A., Lapin A. Y. et al. Development of hydrometallurgical processing technology for processing of sulphide copper concentrates of Udokan copper deposit. Proceedings of Copper 2013. Santiago, Chile. pp. 312–318.
11. Walton R. Zinc Cementation. Advances in Gold Ore Processing. Ed. M. D. Adams. 2005. Vol. 15. pp. 589–603.
12. Chugaev L. V., Korzhenevskaya M. M. On gold leaching with sulphuric acid solutions. Izvestiya vuzov. Tsvetnaya Metallurgiya. 1972. No. 5. pp. 57–62.
13. Khryashchev S. V., Berezkin O. P., Sirotinin V. G., Lobanova T. A. Autoclave processing of gold-containing concentrates. Tsvetnye Metally. 1969. No. 7. pp. 15–20.
14. Lapin A. Yu., Kositskaya T. Yu. et al. Processing of dumped tin-copper middlings and production of commodities: A case study of the Solnechny GOK tailings. ICHTE – 2018. Proceedings of the International Conference. Saint Petersburg, June 2018. pp. 62–64.
15. Swash P. M., Monhemius A. J. Hydrothermal precipitation from aqueous solutions containing iron (III), arsenate and sulphate. Hydrometallurgy ‘94, Chapman & Hall. New York, 1994. p. 177.
16. Technical encyclopedia. Vol. 14. Ed. by L. K. Martens. Moscow : Izdatelstvo “Sovetskaya entsiklopediya”, OGIZ RSFSR, 1931. 484 p.
17. Naboychenko S. S., Mamyachenkov S. V., Karelov S. V. Arsenic in nonferrous metallurgy. Ed. by S. S. Naboychenko. Yekaterinburg : UrO RAN, 2004. 204 p.
18. Shneerson Ya. M., Filippov G. F., Borbat V. F. Wastewater treatment in hydrometallurgical processing of copper-nickel sulfide ores and concentrates. Moscow : TsNIITsvetmet ekonomiki i informatsii, 1981. 49 p.
19. Nevatalo L., Aho A., Pieska V. et al. Sulfate removal from process water in Agnico Eagle Kittila. Seminar: Comprehensive sulfate management in cold mining waters. Oulu : University of Oulu, 2018. p. 13.