Journals →  Tsvetnye Metally →  2021 →  #8 →  Back

BENEFICIATION
ArticleName Pilot tests of gravity-flotation technology for processing industrial waste from alluvial gold mining
DOI 10.17580/tsm.2021.08.01
ArticleAuthor Evdokimov S. I., Gerasimenko T. E.
ArticleAuthorData

North Caucasian Mining and Metallurgical Institute (State Technological University), Vladikavkaz, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania:

S. I. Evdokimov, Associate Professor, Chair of mining, Candidate of Technical Sciences, e-mail: eva-ser@mail.ru
T. E. Gerasimenko, Head of the Intellectual Property Chair, Candidate of Technical Sciences, e-mail: gerasimenko_74@mail.ru

Abstract

Large-scale development of technogenic resources with low recoverable value is constrained by the lack of technologies that ensure their break-even development. Most of the gold from dumps can be extracted using the least costly gravity methods. In the pilot industrial processing of this raw material, screw separators were used in the main metal concentration operation. The finishing of their heavy fractions was carried out on concentration tables. With the light fraction of gravitational apparatus, 28.7% of the gold was lost. The light fraction material (with gold in the form of thin leaves and scales) has a low contrast in density. Gold of hard-to-recover morphotype was isolated from light fractions of gravitational apparatus by flotation. It was found that with an increase in the content of gold in the feedstock, its recovery into concentrate by flotation increases. In the practice of flotation, the required increase in the metal content in the separation operation is achieved through the turnover of middlings. However, in this case, the gold content of the resulting mixture increases and the separability decreases. This result is due to the fact that grains with reduced flotation properties are returned with the middlings. During flotation, the rough concentrate separated from 1/2 part of the initial feed is mixed with another 1/2 part of the initial feed. As a result, in the main flotation operation, the metal content and the ability of the material to be separated by flotation increase. In this case, the pulp is aerated with a mixture of air with hot steam. Condensation of steam in bubbles is the reason for the increase in completeness of gold recovery and selectivity of the flotation process. The technological efficiency of the developed technology has been proven by the results of its pilot tests. The assessment of economic efficiency was carried out by extraction of metal from the waste of alluvial gold mining and by the amount of capital costs and operating costs associated with its production. When processing man-made raw materials with a low gold content and switching from gravity to gravity-flotation technology due to the profit from additionally obtained gold, the payback period for the discounted cash flow decreases by one year, the value of the net discounted income increases by more than an order of magnitude, and the profitability index by 12.5% (rel.), EBITDA margin — from 31.4 to 42.5%.

keywords Gold, alluvials, industrial waste, extraction, gravity concentration, flotation, economic efficiency
References

1. Kuznetsov I. V., Safronov P. P., Moiseenko N. V. Substance and mineral characteristics of technogenic placers — potential sources of noble metal (on the example of the Nizhnesemdzhinsky gold-bearing cluster of the Amur region, Russia). Georesursy. 2019. Vol. 21, No. 1. pp. 2–14.
2. Zaernyuk V. М., Chernikova L. I., Zabaykin Yu. V. Trends, challengis and prospects for the development of the gold mining industry in Russia. Finansovaya analitika: problemy i resheniya. 2017. Vol. 10. Iss. 9. pp. 972–986.
3. Zaernyuk V. М., Snitko N. О. Approaches to assessing technogenic risks in the mining industry. Izvestiya vysshikh uchebnykh zavedeniy. Geologiya i razvedka. 2016. No. 5. pp. 73–78.
4. Borisovich V. Т., Bukreev V. V., Bryukhovetskiy О. S. Analysis of the gold market state as the most important part of subsoil use. Izvestiya vysshikh uchebnykh zavedeniy. Geologiya i razvedka. 2012. No. 2. pp. 85–88.
5. Yatsenko B., Loza А., Baginyan К. et. al. Overview of the gold mining industry in Russia at the end of 2018. Moscow: Ernst & Young — Valuation and Consulting Services, 2019. 38 p.
6. Benevolskiy B. I., Shevtsov Т. P. On the potential of technogenic gold placers in the Russian Federation. Mineralnye resursy Rossii. 2000. No. 1. pp. 14–18.
7. Litvintsev V. S. On the resource potential of technogenic gold-placer deposits. Fiziko-tekhnicheskie problemy razrabotki poleznykh iskopaemykh. 2013. No. 1. pp. 118–126.
8. Litvintsev V. S. Scientific and technological challenges of the development of placer deposits in the Far East region of Russia. Gorny informatsionno-analiticheskiy byulleten. 2007. pp. 266–273.
9. Borisovich V. Т., Bukreev V. V., Bryukhovetskiy О. S. Analysis of the gold market state as the most important part of subsoil use. Izvestiya vysshikh uchebnykh zavedeniy. Geologiya i razvedka. 2012. No. 2. pp. 85–88.
10. Zaernyuk V. М., Snitko N. О. Risks of the gold mining industry: classification, methods of identification. Izvestiya vysshikh uchebnykh zavedeniy. Geologiya i razvedka. 2016. No. 4. pp. 58–63.
11. Mirzekhanov G. S., Litvintsev V. S. Mining waste management at precious metal placers in the Russian Far East: State-of-the-art and problems. Gorniy Zhurnal. 2018. No. 10. pp. 27–30. DOI: 10.17580/gzh.2018.10.04.
12. Rasskazov I. Yu., Litvintsev V. S., Mirzekhanov G. S., Banshchikova Т. S. Priority areas for the deve lopment of technogenic complexes of ore-placer deposits. Nedropolzovanie-ХХI vek. 2016. No. 1. pp. 46–55.
13. Mirzekhanov G. S., Mirzekhanova Z. G. Prospects of technogenic placers in the Far East region for re-mining. Marksheyderiya i nedropolzovanie. 2017. No. 5. pp. 14–20.
14. Kradenykh I. А. Study of the efficiency of functioning of gold mining enterprises using the SWOT analysis method. Gorny informatsionno-analiticheskiy byulleten. 2013. No. 4. pp. 363–375.
15. Barchukov А. V., Kradenykh I. А. The role of horizontal integration in the strategic development of small and medium-sized gold mining business. Vestnik Sibirskogo institute biznesa i informatsionnykh tekhnologiy. 2015. No. 4. pp. 10–15.
16. Uraev N. N., Vedin N. V., Nugumanova L. F., Safargaliev М. F. et. al. Methodological aspects of managing the production potential of a vertically integrated company. Vestnik Kazanskogo gosudarstvennogo tekhnicheskogo universiteta. 2015. Vol. 71, No. 3. pp. 90–97.

17. Denisov М. N., Komarov М. А. Strategic approach to prospecting and exploration for solid mineral deposits. Mineralnye resursy Rossii. Ekonomika i upravlenie. 2014. No. 2. pp. 51–53.
18. Kradenykh I. А., Barchukov А. V. Issues of investment appraisal of horizontally integrated enterprises in the gold mining sector. Finansovaya politika: problemy i resheniya. 2014. No. 48. pp. 2–12.
19. Aleksandrova Т. N., Aleksandrov А. V., Litvinova N. М., Bogomyakov R. V. Study of the possibility of mining technogenic dumps of alluvial gold mining by methods of “ore” technology. Gorny informatsionno-analiticheskiy byulleten. 2013. No. 3. pp. 65–69.
20. Rosa A. F., Rubio J. On the role of nanobubbles in particle–bubble adhesion for the flotation of quartz and apatitic minerals. Minerals Engineering. 2018. Vol. 127. pp. 178–184.
21. Evdokimov S. I., Panshin А. М. Optimization of the equipment operation of the finishing complex of the PGShOK-50-2 washing plant. Obogashchenie Rud. 2008. No. 2. pp. 5–9.
22. Batugina N. S., Dzhemakulova I. D., Tkach S. М. New assessment of ore dilution and its impact on the efficiency of deposit development. Gorny informatsionno-analiticheskiy byulleten. 2007. No. 2. pp. 124–130.
23. Jameson G. J. The effect of surface liberation and particle size on flotation rate constants. Minerals Engineering. 2012. Vol. 36-38. pp. 132–137.
24. Samygin V. D., Grigoryev P. V. Modeling the influence of hydrodynamic factors on selectivity of the flotation process. Part 1. Influence of bubble diameter and turbulent energy dissipation. Fiziko-tekhnicheskie problemy razrabotki poleznykh iskopaemykh. 2015. No. 1. pp. 145–152.
25. Albijanic B., Bradshaw D. J., Nguyen Ahn V. The relationships between the bubble–particle attachment time, collector dosage and the mineralogy of a copper sulfide ore. Minerals Engineering. 2012. Vol. 36–38. pp. 309–313.
26. Zhou Y., Albijanic B., Tadesse B., Wang Y. et al. Investigation of bubbleparticle attachment interaction during flotation. Minerals Engineering. 2019. Vol. 133. pp. 91–94.
27. Darabi H., Koleini S. M. J., Deglon D., Rezai B. et al. Investigation of bubble-particle interactions in a mechanical flotation cell. Part 1. Collision frequencies and efficiencies. Minerals Engineering. 2019. Vol. 134. pp. 54–64.
28. Evdokimov S. I., Evdokimov V. S. Processing of ores and technogenic Cu–Ni raw materials using the technology of jet steam-air flotation. Izvestiya vuzov. Tsvetnaya metallurgiya. 2015. No. 2. pp. 3–8.
29. Evdokimov S. I., Gerasimenko Т. Е. Use of placer gold as carrier minerals in flotation of gold-bearing ores. Gorny informatsionno-analiticheskiy byulleten. 2020. No. 2. pp. 139–151.
30. Barskiy L. А., Kozin V. Z. System analysis in mineral processing. Moscow: Nedra, 1978. 486 p.
31. Dinariev O. Yu., Evseev N. V. Modelling of flotation processes by density functional hydrodynamics. Minerals Engineering. 2018. Vol. 125. pp. 239– 251.
32. Gautam S., Jameson G. J. The detachment of particles from bubbles at various locations in a turbulent flotation cell. Minerals Engineering. 2019. Vol. 132. pp. 316–325.
33. Rosa A. F., Rubio J. On the role of nanobubbles in particle–bubble adhesion for the flotation of quartz and apatitic minerals. Minerals Engineering. 2018. Vol. 127. pp. 178–184.

Language of full-text russian
Full content Buy
Back