Ore Texture and Mineral Dissemination in a Yunnan Sulfide Copper Ore: Implications for Beneficiation

This study focuses on a low-grade sulfide copper ore from Yunnan, China. Through chemical multi-element analysis, reflected-light microscopy, and Tescan Integrated Mineral Analyzer (TIMA), systematic process mineralogy research was conducted. Results indicate that the ore contains 0.49% Cu, with chalcopyrite (1.32%) and pyrite (17.57%) as the primary metallic minerals, and quartz (67.07%) as the dominant gangue mineral. Chalcopyrite and pyrite are closely associated, exhibiting medium to fine dissemination sizes (0.2–5.0 mm) and complex intergrowth relationships. Based on these characteristics, the study suggests that the key to copper recovery via flotation lies in optimizing the grinding fineness to achieve effective liberation of target minerals, while enhancing selective collection of chalcopyrite and depression of pyrite to improve separation efficiency. This research provides essential mineralogical guidance for optimizing beneficiation strategies for similar ores.