measured recovery improvements associated with launder upgrades were statistically significant and unlikely to be attributable to random process variability alone. Given the review nature of the present paper, detailed descriptions of sampling protocols, data filtering, assay balancing, and statistical test results are not reiterated here. Readers interested in the full statistical methodology, assumptions, and numerical outputs are encouraged to consult the case studies references, where these aspects are presented comprehensively and transparently for each individual installation. 4.3 Launder Retrofit Effect on Copper Recovery According to the results from the case studies, the center launder upgrade significantly increases copper recovery. As mentioned earlier, all three case studies—Constancia, Kennecott Copperton, and Bagdad—are operating with a similar Cu-Mo ore type. In all cases, the improvements in copper recovery were consistent and the gained results represent statistically significant net recovery gains of copper. These consistent results indicate the high potential for copper recovery with the center launder retrofit, thereby increasing the profitability of the operation. To further understand the impact of center launder retrofit in Bagdad’s rougher circuit, the size-by-size analysis was conducted to calculate the achieved copper recovery. From two similar lines, A and B, the last three out of six flotation cells of line A were upgraded with a center launder upgrade. Measurements from each line were taken using down-to-bank sampling during a onemonth process survey, and the collected samples were analyzed by size and balanced using HSC® Software. The results are presented in Fig. 7 (Liu et al. 2022). Figure 7 – Cumulative copper recovery increase in Bagdad (Reproduced from Liu et al. 2022). Taken measurements illustrates that the recovery of copper in the upgraded Line A was 2.3% higher at the end of the line, despite the underperformance of Line A compared to Line B at the beginning. The reduced froth recovery in fourth cell (RC-4) may be attributed to equipment
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