Incidental concentrating of valuable elements in processing sulphide-copper ores yields supplementary semi-products enriched with osmium, rhenium, and selenium. Peculiar features of processing properties of rhenium, radiogenic osmium, and selenium are shown in this paper, as well as concentrators for rare microelements and ways of their extraction.
Dump slag dust products of man-made deposits of Norilsk region are a promising source of precious metals. Methods for concentrating precious and base metals in sediment cores of multiponds slag products are studied.
The mineral resource base is characterized by the depletion of large fields with relatively good quality of minerals, that’s why natural and man-made deposits with a low content of useful components are involved in the processing. Their development was previously uneconomical considered. This article gives a technology of pressure leaching of low-grade sulphide copper concentrate and the results of experiments to improve the quality of the product obtained during the pressure leaching – copper concentrate II.
At present time high grade and free-milling ore reserves have been exhausted in our country as well as in nearly all other countries in consequence of intensive development of nonferrous metal deposits. Relatively low-grade crude ore, which is deaf and therefore rebellious, is involved into processing. Moreover, after the collapse of the Soviet Union the more free-milling ores turned out to be abroad and so sulphide copper-zinc complex ores which are dressed with lower grade became the major sources of copper and zinc concentrate production in Russia. At the same time the metallurgical production is making higher and higher requirements to concentrate quality every year, and it is possible to meet the requirements only by application of mixed dressing, chemical, hydro- and pyrometallurgical technologies.
The article says about complex processing copper matte and copper-zinc materials are considered. The thermodynamic estimation this process is given. The new way of processing of copper-zinc materials and new metallurgical aggregate is offered.
The processes occurring at nitric acid leaching of copper-electrolyte slimes are described. The influence of firing temperature and concentration of nitric acid on the degree of transition of silver and related elements into solution is investigated. Optimal modes providing high extraction of silver into solution and concentration of gold in the insoluble residue have been established.
Methods of refining of tellurium of technical purity have been developed and introduced. Due to application of oxidative smelting and distillation industrial batches of tellurium were obtained, in which the content of guest impurities meets semiconductor grades.
The behavior of silver selenide in the whole range of pH values has been studied using thermodynamic calculations and polarization measurements. Pourbae diagrams at temperatures of 25 and 80°C have been constructed. The forms of selenium in acidic and alkaline solutions were determined.
This type of deposits is the main exploration target for Pt, Ir, Os, Ru. Inferred resources of platinum group elements (PGM) from Ray-Iz are estimated at several tons. Methods of separation of rich concentrates of platinum metals by mechanical enrichment have been studied. Hydrometallurgical technology of PGM concentrates extraction from chromite ores is recommended. The expediency of PGM precipitation during processing of chromite materials at chemical plants even at low PGM content is shown. The prospectivity of chromite ores of the Polar Urals as a source of PGMs is substantiated.
Medelectrolyte sludge is the main concentrator of rare and noble metals, the processing efficiency of which is determined by the depth of extraction of valuable components. The final operation of sludge processing is smelting for gold-silver alloy. According to the industrial practice, smelting leads to 05-07% of gold, 4-5% of silver and 30% of tellurium in the circulating dust, slag and scrap, which are utilized in the own production and accompanied by loss of noble and rare metals. The aim of the present study is to increase the recovery of gold-silver alloy smelting exclusion. The phase analysis of the main components of copper electrolyte slurry using chemical and X-ray microanalysis was carried out. The influence of the oxidation roasting temperature on the ratio of the phase components of the slurry has been established. It has been shown that silver in the sludge cinder is present in three forms sulfate, chloride and in the metallic form. The concentration of silver sulfate increases with increasing firing temperature, the process of silver sulfatization occurs due to lead sulfate present in the slime. On the basis of the obtained information the ways of creation of hydrometallurgical technology of sludge processing are outlined.
