Diagnostic metallurgy of porphyry copper-gold deposits in the Pan-Pacific

The variable flotation response ores from different deposits results basically from mineralogical association and their differences. Development of new techniques for analyzing the metallurgical performance of flotation and other concentration processes is demanded even in the treatment of rather simple ores such as porphyry ores. Diagnostic metallurgical analysis can be used to quantify the most possible recovery processes. Several porphyry copper/gold ores around the world were used to examine the responses in flotation, gravity separation and cyanidation in order to define the linkage between the recovery processes for both copper and old values. Laboratory batch flotation, gravity separation and cyanidation tests were carried out on these samples. All results were used to correlate the relative recovery of copper and gold, and to predict the highest possible metal recovery in the system. The metallurgical predictions were made according to the flotation conditions used and gravity separation. The results of various concentration processes on each porphyry ore samples are presented and discussed. All seven samples have shown significantly different gold/copper metallurgy. The grade/recovery relationships of gold and copper in the laboratory batch tests for the best results and the plants are given in the Figures below. The results of laboratory tests show that the copper recoveries converged to about $90\%$, but the gold recoveries were spread over $55-80\%$, except the K S ore. Series of standard cyanidation tests on the flotation concentrate samples and gravity separation using Knelson Separator on heads ores were carried out to cross-link the metallurgy and mineralogy of gold in the porphyry ores.