Abstract:

Flotation launder upgrade effect on coarse particle recovery at Bagdad Copper and Molybdenum Concentrator

Weiping Liu¹, Ochirbal Bolookhuu², Guillermo Bermudez³, Raghav Dube⁴, Graham Cooper², Leonard Hill¹, David Kashuba¹

¹Freeport-McMoRan Inc, Phoenix Technical Service, AZ, USA

²Freeport-McMoRan Inc, Bagdad Technical Service, AZ

³Metso Outotec (Canada) Inc., Lachine, Quebec,

⁴Metso Outotec USA Inc., Englewood, CO

Author e-mail addresses:

Weiping Liu: wliu@fmi.com

Ochirbal Bolookhuu: obolookh@fmi.com

*Corresponding author: Guillermo Bermudez: guillermo.bermudez@mogroup.com

Raghav Dube: raghav.dube@mogroup.com

Graham Cooper: gcooper@fmi.com

Leonard Hill: lhill@fmi.com

David Kashuba: dkashuba@fmi.com

Abstract

Freeport-McMoRan’s copper and molybdenum concentrator operation in Bagdad has been focusing on increasing throughput capacity of the plant in recent years. Two parallel lines of 300 m³ large flotation cells were installed in 2013 in the bulk rougher circuit as part of an initiative to replace the aging rougher flotation circuit. These larger cells could sometimes cause challenges for froth management due to associated longer transport distance and large froth surface area. Such froth zone conditions potentially hamper the metallurgical recovery of coarser dense particles. This paper discusses the benefits of the center launder design which was implemented in bulk flotation circuit of Bagdad Cu-Mo flotation circuit.

The last three cells in one of the parallel rougher lines (Line A) were upgraded with the center launder design during April 2021 and similarly, the last three cells of Line B were upgraded in July 2021. The staggered installation enabled the comparison of Line A metallurgical performance relative to Line B during the three-month period. Overall metallurgical recovery for both copper and molybdenum metals showed significant improvement in cells with center launders. Particle size analysis of froth showed coarser P80 suggesting that these center launders also improve flotation of coarser particles.

Keywords: froth flotation, metallurgical recovery, upgrades, launders, crowders.

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Weiping Liu