Study on Occurrence States of Low-Grade Cu-Zn in Iron Tailings and Changes in Production Flowsheet

Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) are critical for global high-tech industries and national economic security. With high-grade mineral depletion, recycling valuable metals from iron ore tailings has become a sustainable solution. A Peruvian mining company’s iron ore tailing reprocessing faces a severe challenge: surging lead (Pb) content due to increased excavation depth has rendered the original Cu-Zn bulk flotation flowsheet ineffective, causing excessive impurities in concentrates. This study first characterized the occurrence states of Cu, Pb, and Zn via multi-analytical techniques. A novel Cu-Pb-Zn iso-flotation process with step-by-step depression, coupled with optimized reagents, was proposed. It abandons initial CuSO4 activation to reduce separation difficulty and uses targeted depressants for efficient impurity removal. Closed-circuit tests yielded a Cu concentrate (26.57% grade, 56.08% recovery) with Pb/Zn contents reduced to 2.97%/9.80%, and a Zn concentrate (44.95% grade, 75.56% recovery) with Cu/Pb controlled at 1.15%/8.31%. Experimental results demonstrate that this new flowsheet effectively mitigates the impact of high Pb content, restoring production efficiencies and offering a valuable precedent for industrial process modification.