632 That said, any proposed circuit must ultimately be dictated by the ore itself. Key parameters such as mineralogical composition, degree of surface liberation, particle size distribution, specific gravity differences, and variability across the deposit all play a decisive role in determining the most appropriate technologies, electrochemical conditions, and circuit layout. Consequently, the flowsheet described here represents just one possible configuration. Depending on ore characteristics and project objectives, sections of the circuit may operate in open configuration, additional cleaner stages may be required, or alternative equipment selections may be more suitable. In the proposed arrangement, the Metso CPF Cell is installed on the screened SAG mill discharge. Depending on liberation characteristics, other placement options—such as cyclone overflow or underflow— could also be evaluated. CPF can be implemented in either one or two stages, achieving approximately 94% copper recovery in about 67% of the total mass, corresponding to an upgrade ratio of roughly 1.5. Notably, more than 30% of the ore mass can be rejected prior to ball milling, significantly reducing downstream grinding requirements. In some cases, the conventional ball mill may even be replaced by a more energyefficient tower mill. Following grinding to a target P80 below 120 µm, the slurry is directed to a Concorde Cell operating as a rougher scalper. In this duty, the cell selectively recovers the finest and most liberated copper particles, with an anticipated stage recovery of 40–60% at final concentrate grade. Downstream of this stage, a rougherscavenger bank of mechanical cells is installed to maximize overall copper recovery and provide operational flexibility. This scavenger system acts as a buffer against feed variability, stabilizing circuit performance under fluctuating ore or process conditions. The rougher-scavenger concentrate is then reground in a HigMill to achieve the required liberation before entering a Concorde Cell configured as a cleaner scalper. In this cleaner role, the cell is expected to deliver a 60–80% stage recovery. A cleaner-scavenger circuit, again consisting of mechanical cells, ensures high overall recovery. The concentrate from this stage is recycled back to the Concorde cleaner scalper, while its tailings are combined with the rougher-scavenger tailings for disposal or further handling. When benchmarked against a conventional copper concentrator flowsheet, this simplified configuration offers significant advantages. The reduced equipment count, smaller equipment sizing, and more compact plant layout can translate into capital expenditure (CAPEX) savings of approximately 20%. In addition, operational expenditure (OPEX) reductions of around 25% are achievable, largely driven by lower energy consumption and reduced water usage. These improvements are realized while maintaining— or even enhancing—metallurgical performance, contributing to a more sustainable and economically attractive processing solution. REFERENCES Austin, J. (2025, January 21-23, 2025). The Reduction of Re-Grind Tonnages and Power Requirements in Low/Moderate Grade Copper Operations Using a Flotation Cleaner Stage Prior to Re-Grinding 57th Canadian Mineral Processors Conference, Ottawa, Canada. Chelgani, S. C., Parian, M., Parapari, P. S., Ghorbani, Y., & Rosenkranz, J. (2019). A comparative study on the effects of dry and wet grinding on mineral flotation separation–a review. Journal of Materials Research and Technology. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2019.07.053 de Avila Carvalho, M., Sherrell, I., Bayarmagnai, E., Kravtsov, T., & Rinne, A. (2024, October, 2024). The effects of process parameters on a pathbreaking coarse particles flotation device International Mineral Processing Congress, Washington, USA.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0Mzk2