DOI: 10.18503/1995-2732-2025-23-2-18-27
Abstract
Efficient beneficiation of polymetallic ores is an essential issue, which has become more difficult due to the mineral complexity of ores, lower metal grades and fine dissemination of minerals. The purpose of the study was to identify the relative importance of changes in pulp density, airflow rate and impeller speed at their aggregate impact on reduction of the mechanical entrainment of fine gangue mineral particles, and to establish the control limits of their values in the zinc cycle of polymetallic ore flotation. In this study the effect of mechanical entrainment of silica-containing minerals on the reduced quality of froth product of zinc cycle of polymetallic ore flotation was evaluated. The experiments were performed to establish the operating range of optimal process parameters, providing efficient sphalerite flotation and minimizing the extraction of SiO2 in the concentrate. The negative impact of excessive reduction of each of the controlled parameters has been experimentally revealed. By mathematical processing of the results of the complete factorial experiment the regression equation was obtained, which appropriately describes the correlation between the controlled process parameters and the ratio of mechanical entrainment of gangue minerals that enables more accurate prediction of the results when altering flotation conditions. Airflow rate was found to be the most significant factor. The reasonable decision on streamlining performance parameters of the existing production by implementation of the obtained results provided, at the initial stage, reduction of mass fraction of SiO2 in zinc concentrate by 15.66% of the initial level.
Keywords
ratio of mechanical entrainment, zinc flotation, optimal process parameters, silica, airflow rate, impeller speed
For citation
Arabadzhi Ya.N., Orekhova N.N., Tyulenev A.Yu., Baranova L.P. Reduction of Mechanical Entrainment of Silica- Bearing Gangue Minerals to Concentrate by Optimizing the Operating Parameters of the Technological Process. Vestnik Magnitogorskogo Gosudarstvennogo Tekhnicheskogo Universiteta im. G.I. Nosova [Vestnik of Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University]. 2025, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 18-27. https://doi.org/10.18503/1995-2732-2025-23-2-18-27
1. Chanturiya V.A. Innovation processes in technologies for the processing of refractory mineral raw materials. Geologiya rudnyh mestorozhdeniy [Geology of Ore Deposits], 2008;50(6):491-501. (In Russ.)
2. Gorlova O.E., Orekhova N.N., Kolodezhnaya E.V., Kolkova M.S., Glagoleva I.V. Providing a rationale for an integrative criterion to predict the potential selective disintegration of technology-related, complex structured raw materials. Vestnik Magnitogorskogo Gosudarstvennogo Tekhnicheskogo Universiteta im. G.I. Nosova [Vestnik of Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University], 2023;21(3):15-26. (In Russ.)
3. Ignatkina V.A., Bocharov V.A., Tubdenova B.T. Selective flotation modes for sulfide ore based on combination of different rank colltctors.. Fiziko-tekhnicheskie problemy razrabotki poleznyh iskopaemyh [Journal of Mining Science], 2010;46(1):97-103. (In Russ.)
4. Lavrinenko A.A., Kuznetsova I.N., Lusinyan O.G., Golberg G.Yu.. Utilizing Russian polymer anion active depressants in the flotation of out-of-balance talcose copper nickel ore. Izvestiya vysshih uchebnyh zavedenij. Tsvetnaya metallurgiya [News of higher educational institutions. Non-ferrous metallurgy], 2023;29(5):5-14. (In Russ.)
5. Arabadzhi Ya.N., Orekhova N.N., Abdrakhmanov K.I., Abdrakhmanov E.I. Aspect analysis mechanisms contamination of sulfide concentrates by slime from host rock minerals and a review of its reduction methods. Vestnik Zabaykalskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta [Transbaikal State University Journal], 2024;30(4):55-70. (In Russ.)
6. Wang C., Sun C. Liu Q. Entrainment of Gangue Minerals in Froth Flotation: Mechanisms, Models, Controlling Factors, and Abatement Techniques—a Review. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration. 2021;38:673-692.
7. Abidi A., Elamari K., Bacaoui A., Yacoubi A. Entrainment and true flotation of a natural complex ore sulfide. Fiziko-tekhnicheskie problemy razrabotki poleznyh iskopaemyh [Physical and technical problems of mineral resources development], 2014;(6):181-189. (In Russ.)
8. Hans-Jürgen Butt, Karlheinz Graf, Michael Kappl. Physics and Chemistry of Interfaces. 2013:355.
9. Bhondayi C., Moys M.N. Effects of gas distribution profile on flotation cell performance: An experimental investigation. International journal of mineral processing. 2015;135:20-31.
10. Chen G., Gran S., Sobieraj S., Ralston J. The effect of high intensity conditioning on the flotation of a nickel ore, Part 1: size by size analysis. Minerals Engineering. 1999:1185-1200.
11. Qiu Ya., Mao Z., Sun K., Zhang L., Qian Yu., Lei T., Liang W., An Ya. Understanding the entrainment behavior of gangue minerals in flake graphite flotation. Minerals. 2022:1-15.
12. Xu Q.D., Hu W., Zhang M. High-turbulence fine particle flotation cell optimization and verification // Scientific Reports. 2024:1-32.
13. Strategy for the development of the metallurgical industry of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030 // https://sudact.ru/law/rasporiazhenie-pravitelstva-rf-ot-28122022-n-4260-r/?ysclid=mbpepvf4xc607086226 (accessed 22.05.2025). (In Rus.).
14. Tan P. Challenges to treat complex zinc concentrate and latest technical development. Journal of physics: Conference series. The 10th International Conference on Lead and Zinc Processing (Lead-Zinc 2023). 2024:1-14.
15. Terentyev V.M. Issledovanie i razrabotka tekhnologii obzhiga v pechah kipyashchego sloya tonkodispersnyh sulfidnyh tsinkovyh kontsentratov [Research and development of technology for roasting finely dispersed sulfide zinc concentrates in fluidized bed furnaces. Dissertation for the degree of candidate of technical sciences]. Chelyabinsk, 2017.
16. Khramov A.N., Kuptsova A.V. Features of the mineral recovery of polymetallic ore of the Korbalikhinskoye deposit. XIV Mezhdunarodnaya nauchno-prakticheskaya konferentsiya: v 3-chastyah. Tom Chast 1 [XIV International scientific and practical conference: in 3 parts. Volume Part 1]. Chita: Transbaikal State University, 2014, pp. 122-128. (In Russ.)
17. Ross V. Flotation and entrainment of particles during batch flotation tests. Minerals Engineering. 1990:245-256.
18. Aleksandrova T.N., Afanasova A.V., Kuznetsov V.V., Aburova V.A. Selection of copper–nickel sulfide ore flotation parameters based on floatability ranking of flotation components. Gorniy informatsionno-analiticheskiy byulleten [MIAB], 2022;(1):131-147. (In Russ.)
19. Kuznetsov V.V. Razvitie metodov opredeleniya pokazateley flotiruemosti mineralov dlya razrabotki effektivnyh tekhnologicheskih resheniy pri pererabotke zolotosoderzhashchih rud. Dissertatsiya na soiskanie uchenoy stepeni kandidatata tekhnicheskih nauk [Development of methods for determining mineral flotation indicators for the development of effective technological solutions in the processing of gold-bearing ores. Dissertation for the degree of candidate of technical sciences]. St. Petersburg, 2023.
20. Kozin V.Z., Pelevin A.E. Teoriya inzhenernogo eksperimenta [Theory of engineering experiment]. Yekaterinburg: Electronic publication of UGMU, 2016. (In Russ.)
21. Kozin V.Z. Eksperimentalnoe modelirovanie i optimizatsiya processov obogashcheniya poleznyh iskopaemyh [Experimental modeling and optimization of mineral enrichment processes]. Moscow: Nedra, 1984. (In Russ.)
22. Oliferovich D.S., Shilin L.Yu., Batyukov S.V., Prigara V.N. Analysis and accounting of factors influencing the technological process of flotation of potassium ores. Doklady BGUIR [Reports of BSUIR], 2009:59-66. (In Russ.)