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Date submitted2020-04-15
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Date accepted2020-05-13
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Date published2020-10-08
Processing of platinum group metal ores in Russia and South Africa: current state and prospects
- Authors:
- Tatyana N. Aleksandrova
- Cyril О’Connor
The presented study is devoted to a comparative review of the mineral raw material base of platinum group metals (PGMs) and technologies of their processing in South Africa and Russia, the largest PGM producers. Mineralogical and geochemical classification and industrial value of iron-platinum and platinum-bearing deposits are presented in this work. The paper also reviews types of PGM ore body occurrences, ore processing methods (with a special focus on flotation processes), as well as difficulties encountered by enterprises at the processing stage, as they increase recovery of the valuable components. Data on mineralogical features of PGM deposits, including the distribution of elements in the ores, are provided. The main lines of research on mineralogical features and processing of raw materials of various genesis are identified and validated. Sulfide deposits are found to be of the highest industrial value in both countries. Such unconventional PGM sources, as black shale, dunites, chromite, low-sulfide, chromium and titanomagnetite ores, anthropogenic raw materials, etc. are considered. The main lines of research that would bring into processing non-conventional metal sources are substantiated. Analysis of new processing and metallurgical methods of PGM recovery from non-conventional and industrial raw materials is conducted; the review of existing processing technologies for platinum-bearing raw materials is carried out. Technologies that utilize modern equipment for ultrafine grinding are considered, as well as existing reagents for flotation recovery; evaluation of their selectivity in relation to platinum minerals is presented. Basing on the analysis of main technological processes of PGM ore treatment, the most efficient schemes are identified, i.e.,gravity and flotation treatment with subsequent metallurgical processing.
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Date submitted2018-01-06
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Date accepted2018-02-26
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Date published2018-06-22
Extraction of platinum metals during procssing of chromium ores from dunnite deposits
- Authors:
- G. V. Petrov
- Ya. M. Shneerson
- Yu. V. Andreev
Currently, the main raw materials sources of platinum group metals in Russia are complex sulfide copper-nickel ores of the Taimyr region and placer deposits. However, in view of the inevitable loss of platinum metals during the metallurgical processing of initial ores and the deterioration of the quality of ore raw materials, along with a decrease in the share of platinum mining from placers, there is a need to look for new non-traditional sources of platinum group metals. Dunnites of the Middle Urals are promising platinum-bearing raw materials. The use of the gravitational-magnetic processing of chromium ores of dunnite deposits makes it possible to identify a magnetic platinum-bearing concentrate with a high content of magnetite and platinum-iron alloys, they can be refined using chemical-metallurgical methods. This article presents the results of research of identifying peculiarities of technological behavior of chromium, iron and noble metals during mechanical processing of ledge chromium ore. The kinetic regularities of the sulfuric acid decomposition of magnetite are determined. Optimum technological parameters of sulfuric acid leaching of iron from magnetic products of chromium ore dressing are established. Based on the conducted studies, the PDF and PID for the complex processing of chromium ores of dunnite deposits is proposed, which ensures the production of a rich platinum-bearing concentrate and a high-quality chromite concentrate that meets the requirements of chemical production.
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Date submitted2008-10-01
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Date accepted2008-12-05
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Date published2009-12-11
Nickel-containing iron oxides in the Buruktal deposit, South Urals
In the Buruktal supergene nickel deposit, iron oxides possess vertical mineralogical zoning (bottom-up): magnetite-maghemite-goethite-hematite. The main rock- and ore-forming mineral in the iron-oxide zone of the deposit is magnetite, presented by three generations: primary relic magnetite, surviving from ultramafic rocks; secondary magnetite, forming at serpentinization process and neogenic supergene magnetite. Supergene magnetite, like a goethite, is nickel ore mineral, containing about 1 % NiO. Under the complex thermal analysis data, maghemite-magnetite and goethite have two main diagnostic maximums: exothermal effect of magnetite, caused by magnetite oxidation to maghemite in the interval 317‑340 °С, displays maximum at 327 °С («magnetite» point), and endothermic effect of goethite, connected with loss of constitutional water of the mineral and its transition to hematite in the interval 269‑296 °С, displays maximum at 288 °С («goethite» point).