Complex silver ore dressing method

Common silver ores can be divided into independent silver, associated silver and complex silver according to their mineral composition. In the previous article, we introduced independent silver dressing and associated silver dressing respectively. This article focuses on the complex silver ore dressing method.

Complex silver ore minerals usually contain a variety of silver-based and multiple paragenetic metals and non-metallic minerals. In this type of silver ore, the silver is embedded in a fine particle size and unevenly distributed. The symbiotic relationship with other minerals is complex, and there are often multiple types of symbiotic relationships. This makes the dressing and smelting of complex silver ore difficult. The common methods are mainly flotation, full mud oxidation and combined methods with flotation and oxidation.

011. Complex silver ore flotation method

Due to the complex mineral composition of complex silver ore, it is necessary to select appropriate silver ore flotation methods, including choosing suitable flotation agents and process conditions according to the characteristics of different minerals. In the flotation process, step - by - step flotation is usually adopted. First, easy - to - float minerals such as copper sulfide minerals and lead sulfide minerals are floated, and part of the silver is recovered at the same time; then, by adjusting the flotation reagents and process parameters, other minerals are floated and silver is further recovered.

022. Complex silver oxidation method

For some complex silver ores with extremely fine grains of silver minerals, closely coexisting with a variety of metal minerals and difficult to effectively separate by flotation and gravity separation, the full mud oxidation method is also a feasible option. Similar to the full mud oxidation of independent silver mines, the ore is first crushed and ground to a suitable particle size to fully dissociate the silver minerals; then oxidation and leaching are carried out to recover silver from the leachate. However, due to the complex composition of complex silver ores, the oxidation conditions and leaching process parameters need to be more strictly controlled during the full mud oxidation process to avoid interference of other metal ions on silver recovery

033. Complex silver flotation-gravity separation-oxidation combined method

For complex silver ores, it is often difficult to obtain ideal silver concentrate and other valuable elements by using a single method. Therefore, a combined method is often used for recovery. The flotation-gravity-oxidation combined process is a commonly used method. Generally, most of the sulfide minerals and silver minerals are first recovered by flotation to obtain flotation concentrate; then the flotation concentrate is re-selected to further enrich the coarse silver minerals; finally, the re-selection concentrate is oxidized to effectively recover the difficult-to-select silver minerals.

The above introduces the beneficiation method of complex silver ore. The beneficiation methods are different for different silver ore properties. Whether it is independent silver, associated silver or complex silver, the ore properties are different. If you want to obtain an ideal silver ore recovery rate, it is recommended to conduct a beneficiation test. Through experimental analysis, a suitable process plan can be designed for your own silver ore to achieve an ideal recovery rate.