Abstract
Flotation launder upgrade effect on coarse particle recovery at Bagdad Copper and Molybdenum Concentrator
Weiping Liu1, Ochirbal Bolookhuu 2, 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.