Open AccessBeneficiation Studies on Low-Grade Complex Polymetallic Lead-Zinc Ore of Duddar (Lasbela) Balochistan, Pakistan
Author(s) -
Muhammad Arif Bhatti,
Kamran Raza Kazmi,
Abdul Ahad,
Anila Tabassum,
Rashid Mehmood,
Adnan Akram
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
pakistan journal of scientific and industrial research. series a: physical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.136
H-Index - 4
eISSN - 2223-2559
pISSN - 2221-6413
DOI - 10.52763/pjsir.phys.sci.59.3.2016.130.143
Subject(s) - beneficiation , sphalerite , froth flotation , metallurgy , galena , zinc , reagent , recovery rate , mineral processing , iron ore , chemistry , environmental science , materials science , quartz , chromatography
A bench-scale beneficiation study was performed on low-grade complex lead-zinc ore of Duddar area, District Lasbela, Balochistan Province, Pakistan. The polymetallic ore under investigation contains galena and sphalerite as valuable minerals of lead and zinc. The low-grade ore was upgraded by selective sequential froth flotation technology to recover both minerals. An effort was made to investigate the effect of important variables on grade and recovery of concentrates and to design the process flow sheet. Different parameters of flotation process such as particle size of the feed, pH and % solids of the pulp, speed of impeller, type of reagents (collectors, frothers, regulators and modifiers) and their quantities, conditioning time and flotation time were optimized to attain maximum grade and recovery of respective concentrates. The rougher concentrates obtained were subjected to one regrinding and two cleaning operations to achieve higher-grade concentrates of both metals. Bench-scale flotation tests show that it is possible to obtain a lead concentrate assaying 65.24% Pb with recovery rate of 81.32% and a zinc concentrate containing 55.63% Zn content with recovery rate of 80.28%. Both the concentrates meet the specifications required for metallurgical and chemical grades.