Polymetallic ores

This type contains a variety of ores, including(a) gold-pyrite ores, (b) gold-copper ores, (c) gold-polymetallic ores and (d) gold oxide ore, usually upper zone of sulphide zones. The pyrite content of the ore varies from 3% to 90%. Other common waste minerals are quartz, aluminosilicates, dolomite etc. 

Fig. 1. Regional geological map of Chehelkureh polymetallic ore deposit (modified from Valeh Saeedi 1989).

Maanijou, M., Lentz, D., Rasa, I., Aletaha, B. 2006. Petrography, Geochemistry and Geotectonic Environment of Arc-Related Granitoids in the Chehelkureh area. Southeast Iran Implications for the Formation of the Polymetallic Ore Deposit in the Region. 1 iAGOD, Moscow, 4 p. 

ANNs were compared with univariate linear regression in order to calibrate an XRF spectrometer to quantify Ti, V, Fe, Ni and Cu in polymetallic ores by Kierzek et al. [85]. 

J. Kierzek, A. Kierzek and B. Malozewska-Bucko, Neural networks based calibration in X-ray fluorescence analysis of polymetallic ores, Pol. Nukleonika, 40(3), 1995, 133-140. 

Fig. 2-2. Jet halo of lead, over a blind polymetallic ore body, overlain by allochthonous clays of thickness 30 to 100 m with different intervals between measurement points (a- 50 m, b- 20 m, c- 5 m). Schematic geological section 1- silts, 2- clays, 3- clay-siliceous siltstones, 4- quartzites, 5-mudstone with pyrite, 6- mudstones, siltstones, 7- pyrite-polymetallic ore (reproduced with permission from Ryss ct al., 1987b).

Fig. 2-22 Results obtained by the CHIM method over polymetallic mineralisation in Rudny Altay, Russia PbniiM- concentration of mobile forms of lead (CHIM) Pb,otar total concentration of lead (lithogeochemistry) 1- unconsolidated sandy-clay overburden 2- volcaniclastic strata 3- polymetallic ore 4- low-grade disseminated ore (reproduced with permission from Ryss,1983).

The first publication on CHIM (Ryss and Goldberg, 1973) contains some examples of the successful applications of the method. For ground mode CHIM these include investigations of known polymetallic ore bodies at Altay and the copper-nickel composition at depths of 10-100 m of ore bodies in the Kola peninsula. The detection of copper-nickel ores in boreholes by logging mode CHIM is demonstrated. 

The Korbalikhinskoe deposits (Rudny Altay) are blind cupriferous pyrrhotite and polymetallic ore bodies in bedrock patchily covered by soft autochthonous sediments 5-10 m thick. The ore bodies take the shape of ribbons and lie on the contact of acid tuffs, tuff-sandstones and aleurolites at depths of 75-350 m in the southeast of the area and 500-1000 m in the northwest. The MDE results for copper and lead concentration distribution allow the detection of the ore bodies at depths of 75-450 m. A cupriferous ore body corresponds to a copper anomaly (Fig. 2-32, southeast), whilst the polymetallic ore bodies correspond to anomalies of copper and lead (Fig. 2-32, northwest). 

Fig. 2-42. The CPC polarisation curves of the great polymetallic ore body in Rudny Altay, Russia (reproduced with permission from Ryss, 1973).

The CPC method gives information not simply in the vicinity of a borehole but about the whole ore body, for example, at a distance 200-300 m from the measurement borehole. Thus CPC is considered a remote sensing method (Ryss, 1973 Putikov, 1995). For example, Fig. 2-43 shows two boreholes, 2012 and 2014, originally drilled to check an electrical survey anomaly. Both intersected only the pyrite ore. However, CPC results obtained from borehole 2012 show the presence of polymetallic mineralisation. This polymetallic ore body was subsequently intersected by underground borehole 326, at a distance of 200 m from borehole 2012. 

Fig. 2-43. The CPC polarisation curves of a zoned polymetallic ore body at Rudny Altay, Russia, with current electrode in borehole 2012 1- unconsolidated overburden 2- acidic tuffites 3-scricite-quartz slates 4- dacitic porphyrites 5- limonitisation 6- polymetallic ore 7- pyrite ore.

A survey carried out over a polymetallic ore deposit in Kyrgyzstan is described by Glebovskaya and Glebovskii (1960). The traverse shows an increase over the background CO2 concentration of 1-1.5% to a diffuse anomaly of 2-3.5% over the suboutcrop of the ore zone. There is an intense O2 anomaly, with the O2 concentration falling sharply from a consistent background of 20-20.5% O2 immediately over the mineralisation (Fig. 14-8). 

Fig. 14-8. Oxygen and carbon dioxide in soil air (from 1.5 m) over polymetallic ore deposits in Kyrgyzstan (reproduced with permission from Glebovskaya and Glebovskii, 1960).

Such bacteria multiply in very aidic solutions (pH < 4.5). Their greatest amoxmt (on average 10 -10 cell-g" ) are discovered in water of copper sulphide and sulphide-polymetallic ore. The source of energy for them are oxidizing processes of not only protoxide metals in water solutions but also almost all reduced forms of sulphur. Bacteria Leptospira ferrooxidans are also capable of oxidizing protoxide iron with getting energy. These bacteria are close in a number of properties to Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, but as opposed to them do not oxidize sulphur. 

Figure 1- Current Economic Situation for Polymetallic Ores...

It was concluded that none of the known smelting routes could be adapted to smelt zinc rich sulphide feed with a high slag fall and that, therefore, they would not be suitable for raising the recoveries of value from polymetallic ores. 

In Figure 1, the current economic situation is shown in diagrammatic form. The chart shows performance for a representative polymetallic ore. The cost data are presented in an unfamiliar way all the costs (vertical axis) are in US per tonne of ore ex mine. The bars on the left of the chart are concerned only with revenue from the values in the mine (Zn, Cu, Pb, Ag, Au) and those to the right are all of the costs (i.e., mining, concentration, concentrate reduction to metals as represented by treatment and penalty charges paid by the mine, and concentrate transport from mine to smelter). The figures in the chart do not include capital charges, which are very site specific. 

Once Warner had established from detailed test and computational work that the process was fundamentally feasible and asked no engineering questions that would not be solvable, it was possible to make an assessment of what the value of such a process could be for the processing of polymetallic ores. 

It is shown that the Velikanov model [6] of polyfunctional conductor (PEC) is a good approximation for the properties of the LVl film. The electrochemistry of PEC had attracted considerable attention in the 1970s with regard to the practical problem of electrochemical processing of chalcogenide (sulphide) compounds, the components of natural polymetallic ores. 

I) Mercapto-benzothiazole performs very strong collecting capability toward galena. And it can be used to llotate blende, towanite, and Cu-Ni ore. It also performs very good selectivify in the separation of Pb-Cu-Zn polymetallic ore. 

Table 4.2 Reagent combination used in the flotation of polymetallic ore without cyanide...

---