Evaluación hidrometalúrgica por cianuración de los concentrados de flotación de la empresa Ecoluxen S.A

Abstract

This research studies the behavior of a concentrated mineral of the flotation process from the Ecoluxen plant, through sodium cyanide cyanidation tests using a mechanical agitation for the purpose of implementing a plant cyanidation. In the present study as a first phase, previous operations were performed for the preparation of the sample, physical and mineralogical characterization, analysis by mesh valued, grinding, preceded by an oxidant roasting. In a second phase, the grinding and roasting samples were cyanided to 170 and 200 with a concentration of initial NaCN of 1.5 g/L; the process with the best results was the cyanidation of the grinding material to the grain size 74um (mesh 200). Once these data were obtained, an economic evaluation of the process was performed with the pretreated and untreated material, giving a gain for a production of 11 tons per day of 4,037.76 $/day for 200 mesh without roasting and 1,064.13 $/day for the material pretreated by oxidative roasting, being the material without pre-treatment the most efficient and profitable.