The development of a metallurgical flowsheet to treat tails

SAIMM_J_57-65:ml Jul 2/1/8 9:59 AM g 45 Sy h dvlm f mllugl flwh l by J.R. Wlkl* d H. Jm h lm, ul d z f h Ml S l g lg m, whh ll vlubl ml. h du mb f f, whh lud qum ffy, l z ff d ff g (qum vldg, blkg,.). R dvlm by mllugl qum ul hv ld d ml fm blg vy f vuly l vlubl ml. Mlgl ud w dud ug QEM*SEM d MLA hqu dfy d qufy ggu ml d dm ml. Lby d l-l wk w h dud dvl ubl flwh f h vy f lm, ul d z fm u d kld lg. Idu Rhd By Ml (RBM) fu mg l dug uff hvy ml (HMC) fy h qum f h mlg. h hvy ml d d h d w hgh y mg v lm. h mg f ubjd gvy l du ul/z h. h dd d h d l d mg du lbl ul d z du. h vu lg m dud vlubl ml vd by h. h l mbd d ud h mg l wh hy kld f fuu m. um, zum d. I wll, hwv, dfy h. I d dvl mllugl u v vlubl ml, h hyl d hml f h ml mblg qud. Mlgl hz w d u ug QEM*SEM (quv vlu f ml by g l my) l d mglly fd lg ml1. h mdl ml bud h f h lg m hw Fgu 1, d h hyl f h ml ummzd bl I. Eh lg m d vyg f lm, ul/lux d z. Ifm h lml y dmd hmlly d luld fm QEM*SEM d hwd gd gm. h Fd lg (F) ml d bud z (18%) dd ul/lux (13%) d lm (5%). Quz d fld dmd h l d gh wh d, mhbl d g bud m h 5% f h ml. h W Z lg (WZ) ml w dmd by z (53%) wh xmly % ul/lux d l h 1% lm. Mz w h m mm hhu-bg ml h ml (3%) wh d d mhbl h m mm l. h Svg lg (S) ml d 34% lm, % z d 7% ul/lux wh d, mhbl d g mkg u 33% f h ml. Mlgy f h lg m h lg b mglly fd ug hgh y mg d h ul f lyd X-y flu m (XRF) dm lml bud. h wll dm h mu f mg d -mg * Rhd By Ml. Hh Ad Ld h Suh Af Iu f Mg d Mllugy, 8. SA ISSN 38 223X/3. +.. h w f ublhd h SAIMM Cf, Hvy Ml, 14 Smb 7 h Jul f h Suh Af Iu f Mg d Mllugy VOLUME 8 REFEREED AER JANUARY 8 45

SAIMM_J_57-65:ml Jul 2/1/8 9:59 AM g 46 h dvlm f mllugl flwh l Ml bud % 9 8 7 6 5 4 F WZ S yx Quz + Fld Sl G Amhbl Ed Mg/ Hm Ilm Sh Rul/ Lux Mz Z Fgu 1 Ml bud 9 8 Rvy f % 7 6 5 4.8A Mg 1.2A Mg 1.6A Mg 2.A Mg 2.4A Mg 2.4A N/Mg Z Rul Ilm M % Fgu 2 Ilm, ul d z vy mg f (F ml) h dm f h ml f (lm, ul d z) h mg f w dmd f h l m. h vy f ggu ml, whh bu gfly m f h bud f ly lm uh hhu, w l dmd. h d d Fgu 2 d 3 f ml F. F h F ml m h 89% f h ul d z d h -mg f. Ilm hwd vbl mg wh 92% umuld h mg f. h vy f l ml dd h d, mhbl d g l xhbd vbl mg, wh quz w mg. I h WZ ml m h 9% f h ul d z d h -mg f, wh d, mhbl, g d mz hwg vbl mg. F h S ml ly 9% f h lm w vd h f mg f. Sgf w fud bw lm d ul, whh bud h mg f h ml h -mg d mg f - bl I Ml 2 Ml Sf Mg El gvy Z 4.7 N-mg N-du Mz 5.3 mg N-du Rul 4.2 N-mg Cdu Lux 3.9 /-mg Cdu Sh 3.4 N-mg N-du Ilm 4.7 mg Cdu Mg 5.2 Fmg Cdu Hm 5.2 mg Cdu Ed 3.4 mg N-du Amhbl 3.2 mg N-du G 3.9 /-mg N-Cdu Sl 3.6 N/mg Cdu Quz 2.7 N-mg N-du yx 3.4 / -mg N-du 46 JANUARY 8 VOLUME 8 REFEREED AER h Jul f h Suh Af Iu f Mg d Mllugy

SAIMM_J_57-65:ml Jul 2/1/8 9:59 AM g 47 h dvlm f mllugl flwh l Rvy f % 9 8 7 6 5 4.8A Mg 1.2A Mg 1.6A Mg 2.A Mg 2.4A Mg 2.4A N/Mg Fgu 3 Sl vy mg f (F ml) 9 8 Ed Amhbl G Quz M% Cumulv % l 7 6 5 4 % % % 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% % Ig dg f lb Lb l.8a Mg 1.6A Mg 2.4A Mg 2.4A N/mg l ml Fgu 4 Lb h ul F ml 9 8 7 % ul l 6 5 4.8A Mg 1.6A Mg 2.4A Mg 2.4A N/Mg l ml Lkd wh lm Lkd wh Sl Lw gd y Hgh gd y lbd Fgu 5 Rul lkg h (F ml) vly. A xml f h lb h f ul h F ml hw Fgu 4 d llu h v lb h mg f. Z w fud b hghly lbd ll h lg ml lyd. h lkg f lm d ul wh h ml w vgd, d xml f ul hw Fgu 5. A g bw h w ml wh gf f -lbd (<9%) ul b wh lm. h Jul f h Suh Af Iu f Mg d Mllugy VOLUME 8 REFEREED AER JANUARY 8 47

SAIMM_J_57-65:ml Jul 2/1/8 9:59 AM g 48 h dvlm f mllugl flwh l hyl f h lg m l z dbu Sz ly w dud dvdul lg m d mbd lg m. h fl d umulv g z dbu f h dvdul lg m d Fgu 6 d h mbd lg m Fgu 7. h F m gfly u h h WZ d S m wh d 5 f xmly 17 m md 1 14 m. h z f f h mbd lg w lyd f vlubl d ggu ml. h mg h ml w hw b h h vlubl ml, wh quz xhbg bmdl dbu. h f gvy d z dbu f h mg h ml d h gvy (l hkg bl) uld b mlyd j h ml fm h lg. Rj f h f quz wuld, hwv, b m dfful. Gvy h l f gvy qum glly lw h mg u d uully h f g (f h g) f ml u. h u f h gvy u wll b mv quz d lw dy mg h ml whl mxmzg vy f h vlubl ml. lg ml w ubjd gvy Wlfly lby hkg bl dm h l gd d vy f h dud. Sml w dud ug vy f gvy l. fm uv f vy d ll ffy vu yld w dvld f mv u, d xml gv Fgu 8 d 9 f vy d ffy vly. h dl l f z d h l l hv b ludd. h d bw h ml vy uv d h l l mu f h ffy. h Wlfly bl xhbd vy uv f NM O 2 d fly fl uv f z. Quz j w l du h f f l. Sml vy uv w hvd ug h l. w dud ug Flx dy j f d lgh ml l. h vy f z d 9 8 7 M % d 6 5 4 F F (Cum) WZ WZ (Cum) S S (Cum) 5 15 25 l z (μm) Fgu 6 l z dbu (F, WZ, S) 4 35 M % d 25 15 l Ilm Mg h NM Z Quz 5 5 15 25 35 4 Sz (μm) Fgu 7 l z dbu (mbd) 48 JANUARY 8 VOLUME 8 REFEREED AER h Jul f h Suh Af Iu f Mg d Mllugy

SAIMM_J_57-65:ml Jul 2/1/8 9:59 AM g 49 h dvlm f mllugl flwh l Rvy % Fgu 8 Rvy v. yld Wlfly bl 9 8 7 6 5 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 C yld % QZ R MO R NM R NM ZR Flx QZ Flx MO Flx Nm Flx NM Z Idl (Z) Nll S S 9 8 Cll Effy % 7 6 5 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 C yld % Wlfly Z-Qz Wlfly Z-MO Flx Z-Qz Flx Z-MO Fgu 9 Cll ffy Wlfly bl d Flx j f quz w hgh f h Flx m h Wlfly bl, wh O 2 vy d mg h j bg ml. h lly hw Fgu 9, whh m h ll ffy f h w u. h dfd h dff vy bw h vlubl d h ggu gv yld3. h z-quz ffy w gfly hgh f h Flx whl h f z-mg h w ml. Mg h u f h mg g wll b mxmz h j f mg ggu ml fm h l du lm-h m d ul/z-h m f fuh g. Sml f lg w dd d d ug h lby dud ll mg (IMR) d h -h ll mg (RER) dm h l f mg h mvl. Exll ul w hvd d bh mg y xhbd ml fm uv f -mg d mg h vy. 95% f h -mg w vd -mg yld f 6%, wh dg j f 95% mg h. W mg w d u h l l w hgh y mg (WHIMS) d h ul md h dy mg Fgu. h WHIMS fllw h dy mg fm uv f bh mg h d -mg ml. h m yld h -mg du uld b dud blw 8%, hwv, d j f mg h w, ul. A Fgu, h mg huld b d -mg du yld f xmly 6% f h m ff. Alhugh h ffy f h WHIMS blw h f h dy mg, h j f % f h m dyg wuld b bfl fm l vw (du h z f h d qud d h umb f dy u qum). El h u f h l g du du f ubl f fuh g h ul l, -du f ubl f fuh g h z l, d j mddlg f g ylg ld f dfful ml bw h dy mll d h lg l. h Jul f h Suh Af Iu f Mg d Mllugy VOLUME 8 REFEREED AER JANUARY 8 49

SAIMM_J_57-65:ml Jul 2/1/8 9:59 AM g 5 h dvlm f mllugl flwh l 9 8 Rvy N/mg % 7 6 5 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 N-mg yld % IMR MO D IMR NM D RER MO D RER NM D WHIMS MO D WHIMS NM D Fgu Mg fm uv Rvy d % 9 8 7 6 5 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 Cd yld % l O 2 l Z Idl N FC FC Idl O 2 S O 2 Z Z Fgu 11 HR fm uv Sml f h -mg du gd w dd, hd d d v hgh ll (HR) du fv f. fm uv w gd fm h d f NM O 2 d z vy vu du yld (Fgu 11). h uv w md h hvd u dy mll fd (FC) dm whh dv bhvul dff uld b dd. Flwh dvlm Sml ml f wk w ud fm kld lg RBM. Cu lg fm h l w mxd wh h kld lg f v fd h d. Axmly 5 8 w ud f h u f wk h l l. Eh u f h d u w d dvdully. Sm w dud uly kld ml d h mb fd. h u ludd w gvy d mg, fllwd by dy mg d l. w dud ug h ml h l l fm h m bl f h d u d dm dg v d gd hvd f h du. h gvy u ludd Flx dy d l. h w mg u ludd lw y mg fllwd by hgh y mg du mg du h lm. h -mg f h w mg u w dd d d v l du du d -du fd m f dy mg. I Fgu 12 h b flw f ml d du h mg lm du d -mg z d ul du. Gvy h Flx dy w ud h f g f h gvy u mly j f quz d du h mu f mg h h fd h w mg u. h l f Flx h g u f w wuld bl h fd lfy lf dug u h h d hv l wll h udflw. hu, f quz h vflw du z d f gvy. h Flx w fd v h h d vy ym f h l l. h j f quz d mg h dd b mxmzd whl hvg gd vy f lm, z d ul. h flw dd h fd l z dbu, dy f h fd d h dd u f. md ml w k f h udflw, vflw d fd h u gul vl. Lg mlg m w ulzd g 5 JANUARY 8 VOLUME 8 REFEREED AER h Jul f h Suh Af Iu f Mg d Mllugy

SAIMM_J_57-65:ml Jul 2/1/8 9:59 AM g 51 h dvlm f mllugl flwh l Fgu 12 Blk dgm flwh 9 8 7 6 Rvy % 5 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 Yld (%) Qz Mg MO NM NM Z Fgu 13 Rvy v. yld f my l g wk v ml f bh vflw d udflw v h full d. Bulk ml w lld f fuh g. A ml lb ly (MLA) u g l m d gy dv X-y mbd wh quv mlgl fw du mlgl fm ml d ml m. MLA ul buld bl II f h h m g d xg h Flx. I d h d, yx d quz fm f h mj uwd ml. Hv ml h udflw uh mg d h vlubl ml, whl lgh ml uh quz, mhbl d fld h vflw. h udflw fm h Flx w lld d ubquly fd my g f l. h h du f h l (, mddlg d lg) w lld dum d md ml w k gul vl. h lg w ddd. h mddlg f w d d g f l. h l w djud dug by vul. w g f l w ud bl mxmum vy f vlubl ml. I Fgu 13 h j f quz d mg h ml mxmzd fuh fm h l. h NM O 2 d NM z v bl II Cm f fd d du m f Flx dy Ml Flx H/F % Flx O/F % Flx U/F % Amhbl 7.29 7.39 6.14 Cb-l.75 1.83.28 Chm.97.14 2.2 Cly 4.41 2.19 5. Ed 12. 8.5.65 Fld.56 2.57.21 G 5.24 1.16 5.9 Hm 2.5.4 2.47 Ilm 13.45.6 16.24 Ilm-l 1.27.25 1.68 Ky & Sl.5.1.13 Lux 1.85.71 1.69 Mg 2.86.34 3.86 Oh.34.14.39 hh.89.32 1.12 yx 11.5.73 12.76 Quz 13.3 6.43 2.76 Rul 5.47 1.1 6.56 Sl.19.1.46 Sul.67.4.75 -h.48.46.69 uml.14.26.11 Z 14.45.84 18.94 l... h Jul f h Suh Af Iu f Mg d Mllugy VOLUME 8 REFEREED AER JANUARY 8 51

SAIMM_J_57-65:ml Jul 2/1/8 9:59 AM g 52 h dvlm f mllugl flwh l fllw l h dl vl (dhd l) wll. Sml vy f ml w d f h dy g l m f h my g mddlg f. h my d dy g l w dd f fuh mg h l l. W mg h mbd l w d v w -h dum mg j hghly mg ml WHIM. w dud 5 kg f mbd l ml m. A Rdg WHIMS 8 l u h l l w ulzd f ll. h ml w dy fd lld d lud wh dmd vlum f w g h WHIMS fd bx. w dud flw f 2.5 d 2. H fd h l l WHIMS u. Imvd w hvd lw fd. I kw h l u d, h mg vy hgh du h mg flux dy; hwv, h m f mg d mg h ml. w du w lld. h lm w d h mg du. h du w dd d l f ly. h mg du fm h f g f WHIMS w d dud m. Fuh g f m w ulzd h gd f h lm, wh h fd C 2 O 3 d CO muy lvl f ml fd. h -mg du fm h f g w d hgh m g mv h mxmum mu f mg ml fm h z d ul h du. h -mg du w dd d l f dy u mul. El l w dud h dd -mg du fm h dy WHIMS g f kld d mxd ml h C hgh ll d h Iy -h ll mg. bl III HR fm ul d z gd d v fm WHIMS -mg du Yld % O2 Z Gd%Rvy%Gd%Rvy% Cdu 14.3 61.9 5.5 9.3 2.2 N-du 72.2 4.3 19. 69.7 9.1 Sml z gd fm 3 5 kg f dy u mul. h fd d 14% O 2 d 56% z f h. HR wk w dud xmly 95 C. h dy WHIMS -mg ml w hd h lby flud bd dy. h m dy w ud h h md f h-g m h m mu. h ll d w 6 Hz h ul u. h vlg w 25 kv d fd f 2. H/m. h md f f h hd g md u 12.7% m yld wh 39.9% O 2 d 34.5% z gd. Fgu 14 ud llu h yl v m yld bw du d -du wh mddlg h H ll wk. A h md f w d ubqu g, h m yld g d fm 43.7% 22.6% 13.5% h hd g. h -du yld fm 49.6% 66.2% 72.2% h fl g. h du f h hd g w lyd f l hvy ml (HM) d mg f w dud ug C lf mg. NM O 2 d NM z w dmd by XRF ly. h du du (ul) w 5.6% O 2 wh 9.8% z. h -du du (z) w 2.7% O 2 d 7.5% z. h NM f h fd w 8.3%, whh wh h 86.5% mbd du d du m yld. h NM d fm 89.9% 98.1% f h du du f RER, wh h NM d fm 77.3% 95.2% f h -du du. h O 2 d z gd f % 8% N Cd. 49.6 M yld 6% 4% N Cd. 66.2 N Cd. 72.2 % Md. 43.7 Md. 22.6 Md. 13.5 % Cd. 6.6 Cd. 11.2 Cd. 14.3 1 Sg 2d Sg 3d Sg Fgu 14 yl v f m yld f HR 52 JANUARY 8 VOLUME 8 REFEREED AER h Jul f h Suh Af Iu f Mg d Mllugy

SAIMM_J_57-65:ml Jul 2/1/8 9:59 AM g 53 h dvlm f mllugl flwh l h RER du d f h fd bl IV. h m yld -mg f bh du d -du RER w 79% d 73% vly f h g wh h -mg f d. Dy mg RER mg w dud ug hg -mg fgu bh h du d -du du. h ll d w dud f h ubqu g. h 15 mm dm ll w fd v h d vby fd. h fd w luld b 3. H/m. lmy w dud 3:1 d 4:2 (mg: l) g fgu f h ll. h mg d md f w mbd lg. h l w djud dug h ju uh h uv f -mg ml w ld fm h ll. I bl IV h ly d yld l h fm f h RER h du d du f h HR. h vy bd h fd h HR. h -mg fm h du m wuld b fd h ul u h ml l. h -mg fm h -du m wuld h z u. Sml gd f O 2 w dud vu, quly md f dff fd y. h -mg m yld gv d f h hgh NM gd h ul-h fd. MLA ly vd f h mg fm h RER wk vl h h -du mg d 26.8% d, 29.6% z d 28.9% yx. h du mg d 6.6% d, 13.9% lux, 5.1% ul d 6.9% z. bl IV RER fm ul d z du gd d vy M yld % N/mg Mg N/mg O2 Z Gd%Rvy% Gd% Rvy% Cdu 21. 79. 7.1 45.2.1 1.9 N-d 27. 73. 5.4 17.4 86. 81.2 bl V Fd d du fm bulk mul mxd fd du m Fd% Ilm% Z% Rul% Amhbl 7.29.62.2. Chm.97 1.89.. Ed 12..33 1..19 Fld.56.9.5.3 G 5.24 3.96.43.4 Hm 2.5 3.21 1.61.48 Ilm 13.45 69.95.2.12 Ilm-Al 1.27 2.92.. Lux 1.85.81.65 8.77 Mg 2.86 9.43..2 Oh.34..3.67 yx 11.5.54 1.88.6 Quz 13.3.24.36.79 Rul 5.47.76 3.32 78.12 -h.48..97.7 uml.14... Z 14.45.14 88.58 9.66 Clu h m yld f h g f h bulk mul w luld fm h d d, ug h hyl ly gd f h md du, h ulg v v h ml u w luld. h luld vy f h l vlubl ml fm h fd 56% f lm, 34% ul d 77% z. bl V hw h MLA ul vd h fd h full u (MS l) d h ubqu ly f h du f h wk. h mhbl, fld, uml, d d yx fm h fd m w jd v h whl h Flx vflw, l l, WREDMS d WHIMS l, HR md d RER mg. h l ly (bl V) fm h m bl gd d v luld f h wk dud. A m dld ly h h mg f gv b d f h ml h du fm h bulk mul. Mg, g, hm d hm d h lm du. Ilm gd d v fv m fm h fd h. Ald lm u f ly 3% f h du f h mxd fd y. Rul, yx, hm d d m h z-h du. h ul-h du xmly 9% lux d % z. Img dud by MLA wll l gv b f lu h my b h du. Ug h mhd f bulk mul h l l, h m bl wh d gd d v h b fmd f mbd kld d u MS lg. h du fm h dy u f ubl quly ulm h fd h dy mll h Ml S l. h -mg ml wuld udg l bf mg. Fuh bulk mul b ud dm h v f du gd wh v hd fd. h dd f WREDMS h d ff f h WHIMS l f kg h ml fd lm du wh h qud muy f. h l bw h hyl ly d MLA gv f d f h lbly f h bulk mul mhd. Gd l d qum kwldg u h h ul dubl lg l f h b l md. Rf 1. WIGHMAN, E. Mlgl Ch f RBM l Sml, Uublhd, Ju 5. 2. Oukumu hlgy, hyl Ch f Sl Ml d Ml, My 6. 3. HOLLAND-BA, A.B. Aly f Ml S Sym by m f Rvy Fu,. I. M. Mll. vl. 94, Mh 1985.. C17 C29. h Jul f h Suh Af Iu f Mg d Mllugy VOLUME 8 REFEREED AER JANUARY 8 53