CERRO VERDE CONCENTRATING PLANT

The objective of the concentration process is to release and concentrate the

copper particles that are found in the form of sulfides in rocks
mineralized, so that it can continue to other stages of the process
productive. Generally, this process is carried out on a large scale.
facilities located on the surface, forming what is known as
plant, and that are located as close as possible to the mine.

What is a concentrator plant?

It is a metallurgical unit consisting of a series of equipment and

machines installed according to a flow diagram, where the ore is
fed and processed until obtaining one or more valuable products
called concentrates and a non-variable product called TAILINGS,
minerals do not undergo any chemical change.

PROCESSING FOR THE OBTAINING OF COPPER:

1. DRILLING AND BLASTING: drillers make holes,

once the ground is drilled, the explosives are placed,
the blasting process through which the rock remains
removed.
2. LOADING AND TRANSPORT OF THE MINERAL: the rocks are removed by
a excavator that allows for better selectivity of the ore to
transport to the concentrator plant located 8 km away
by means of 35TM payload dump trucks.
3. CRUSHING CIRCUIT

The mineral to be processed is transported to the circuit that is carried out.

dry and in successive stages.

The decision on what type of crusher to use will depend on the

type of material and application that is intended for the material. The
crushers are classified according to the size of the material processed,
with subdivisions in each size and according to the forms of application
of forces.
In general, crushing can be divided into coarse and fine crushing:
Coarse crushing Primary crusher.
Fine Crushing Secondary, Tertiary Crusher

PRIMARY CRUSHING: In this case, it is known that in primary crushing

you can use two classes of equipment and fragment large pieces until
a product from 8 degrees to 6 degrees. There are two types of [Link]
FROM JAWSand GYRATORY CRUSHERS.
Gyratory Crushers: the gyratory crusher processes
approximately 3 times more material than the jaw crusher,
due to it wearing out during the entire cycle.

It consists of a vertical shaft (tree) with a grinding element.

conical called head, covered by a layer of high hardness material
called mantle.
The head moves in an elliptical shape due to the effect of movement.
eccentric that delivers the motor.
The maximum movement of the head occurs during the discharge, avoiding the
swelling problems of the material. Because it breaks during the
full cycle, it has more capacity than a jaw crusher of the
same size (mouth), which is preferred in plants that handle high
material flows.
They normally operate in open circuit, although if the material of
Food has a lot of fine, this must be pre-classified. The size of
the Gyratory Crushers are specified by the throat (width of the opening
of admission) and the diameter of the mantle. The outer shell is made of steel
melted, while the crushing chamber is protected with
coatings or Dzconcavesdz of manganese steel. The head is
protected by a manganese steel cloak that is in turn
coated with some rubber or some other coating.

COMPARISON OF PRIMARY CRUSHERS

To decide whether to use a jaw crusher or a rotary one in a
plant determines, the main factor is the maximum size of the material to
grinding and the required capacity.
Gyratory crushers are generally used where required
high capacity. Since they crush in a complete cycle, and are more
more efficient than jaw crushers. In contrast, the crushers
jaws are used where the mouth opening of the feeding is
more important than the ability to crush large particles.

Through conveyor belts, the mineral passes to the process of

secondary crushing

SECONDARY CRUSHING: They fragment the product of the crushing

primary up to sizes of 3dz to 2dz.
The secondary crushers are smaller than the crushers.
primary. They deal with the product of primary crushing (usually
less than 6 inches in diameter) no longer containing harmful elements in the mineral
such as metal pieces, wood, etc. Just like the primaries,
they work dry and reduce the mineral to a suitable size for
tertiary grinding or crushing, if the material requires it.

- Chancadora Giratoria
Cone Crushers.

ROTARY CRUSHERS

In this case, the gyratory crushers described in the point are used.
previous, but smaller, in order to produce a size
product suitable. In addition, they are characterized by being less robust
that the primaries.

Through conveyor belts, the ore goes to the process of

tertiary crushing
TERTIARY CRUSHERS: They fragment the product of the crushing.
secondary up to sizes of 1/2" or 3/8", among these machines we have.

Cone Crusher
Roller Crusher.

CONICAL CRUSHER

It is a modified gyratory crusher. The main difference is the

flattened design of the crushing chamber in order to achieve a high
capacity and a high material reduction ratio. The objective is
retain the material for longer in the chamber and thus achieve a greater
reduction of material.

It is stored in the stockpile by means of a conveyor belt.

coarse minerals.
The mineral is then sent via conveyor belts to a hopper.
of compensation, where it is classified using screens with 3/8 meshes
of opening inch. The fine mineral goes to the grinding circuit.

4. GRINDING CIRCUIT:

Unlike crushing, grinding is generally carried out

when the material is in a pulp with water of 50 to 60% by weight for
ensure the quick download of the mineral. Milling is the reduction of
size of the relatively coarse particles left by crushing.
This reduction must be carried out to the optimal size for the process of
concentration.
The milling process is carried out using large rotating equipment.
the cylindrical mills, in two different forms: grinding
conventional or SAG milling. At this stage, the mineralized material is
they add water in sufficient quantities to form a milky fluid and the
necessary reagents to carry out the following process, which is flotation.
 CONVENTIONAL GRINDING:

The conventional grinding is carried out in two stages, using a mill of

bars and ball mill, respectively, although in the plants
only the second one is used. In both mills, the ore is
mix with water to achieve a homogeneous and efficient grind. The
pulp obtained in the grinding is taken to the next stage which is the
floating.
The main objective of milling is the production of particles that
have a given granulometric characteristic, expressed as a % of
particles smaller or larger than a certain size. Thus, a
particle can be ground many times while others cannot
they will never grind.

Normally, a rod mill is used followed by one or two of

balls in parallel.

The mineral is transported by conveyor belts to the mill.

of bars.

BAR MILL

These mills have a cylindrical body. It is usual to initially load a

mill with selected diameter bars. Most of the loads
initials contain steel bars 1 ½ to 4 inches (3.8 to 10.2 cm) in diameter,
in approximate proportion to the estimated quantities of the particles
thicker ones of the diet.
The average load of bars will weigh approximately 6,250 kilograms.
per cubic meter and will have approximately 21% voids between the
bars.
The consumption of bars and energy is significantly lower than
lower speeds. However, a finer grinding is achieved.
efficient at higher speeds. Therefore, it should operate as quickly
as necessary to obtain the desired product.
A coarse diet or a coarse product usually requires
predominance of large bars. The opposite applies to feedings
or fine products.
The mill rotates with the material coming from the tertiary crusher, which
It arrives continuously on a conveyor belt. The material goes away.
grinding by the action of the movement of the bars that are found
free and fall onto the mineral. The crushed mineral continues the process,
passing online to the ball mill.

BALL MILL

A thick feed or product requires predominance of balls.

of large diameter and conversely, feed or fine product require
smaller balls. The smaller the size of the medium of
milling, is more efficient and economical the milling operation. For
consequently, the maximum ball size must be just enough
great for breaking the largest particle present in food.
When selecting the minimum ball size, it should be considered that the balls
small ones wear out faster.
The grinding generally requires a graded load of balls of 4dz to
2dz.
The initial charge of balls generally fluctuates between 40% to 45% of the volume.
inside the mill. The volume of the initial load must be carefully
regulated, to avoid overload, which causes inefficient grinding
and an increase in ball consumption. The average load of balls will weigh
approximately 4,500 kilograms per cubic meter and will have
approximately 42% of voids between the balls.

For efficient milling, forged steel balls must be used.

good quality, with uniform roundness, hardness, toughness, and density.
The consumption of balls varies considerably with their application and depends
of factors such as the hardness of the material, the size of the
feeding and the desired product.
When the mill turns, the grinding media are lifted on the side
ascending of the mill until a state of equilibrium is achieved
dynamic where the grinding bodies fall in cascade and in waterfall
on the free surface of other bodies, around an area
dead where there is little movement until the 'foot' of the load
mill, as illustrated in the figure. Three types can be distinguished
movement of the grinding media in a rotary mill:

a) rotation around its own axis,

b) cascading fall, where the media roll down the surface of
the other bodies
c) waterfall drop that corresponds to the free fall of the means of
grinding on the load 'foot'.

The pulp emerges through pipes directly to a Hydrocyclone which are

mechanical classifiers used, so that the coarse discharge of
this is introduced into the ball mill, fulfilling the classifier two
functions, the supposed one to classify the coarse pulp from the fine, to then
transfer them to the flotation circuit.

FLOTATION CIRCUIT:

FLOTATION BY FOAM:

Floatation is a physical-chemical process that allows the separation of the

sulfide minerals of copper and other elements such as molybdenum, of
rest of the minerals that make up most of the original rock.
The pulp resulting from the grinding, which already has incorporated the
necessary reagents for flotation are introduced into some containers
como piscinas, llamados celdas de flotación. Desde el fondo de las celdas,
air is bubbled and the mixture is kept in constant agitation to
that the process is intensive.
The reagents incorporated during grinding have different
natures and fulfill different functions:
Foaming reagents: their aim is to produce bubbles
resistant.
Collector reagents: they are intended to impregnate the particles of
copper and molybdenum sulfides to separate from water (effect
hydrophobic) and stick to the bubbles.
Depressant reagents: intended to provoke the opposite effect to that of the
collector reagents to prevent the collection of other minerals such as the
pyrite, which is a sulfide that does not contain copper.
Other additives: such as lime, serve to stabilize the acidity of the mixture.
at a determined pH value, providing the appropriate environment
for the entire flotation process to occur.
The bubbles carry the sulfide minerals to the surface,
where they overflow from the edge of the cell into channels that lead them
towards special ponds, from where this pulp is sent to the
next stage.
The process is repeated in several cycles, so that each cycle goes
producing an increasingly concentrated product. In one of these
cycles, a special flotation process is carried out to recover the
molybdenum, whose concentrate reaches a grade of 49% molybdenite
(MoS2).

Cells are generally arranged in series, forming a circuit.

Rougher Cells:
Here the primary concentrate is obtained. It is the set of cells whose
Foams are collected along with those from the cell where the feeding occurs.
pulp to the circuit. It is the cell that receives the pulp load from the
conditioner or directly from the classifier.
Scavenger Cells:
They are the cells where the recovery of valuable species takes place.
They could not be recovered in the Rougher cells. There may be 1st.
Scavenger, 2nd. Scavenger, depending on the buoyancy of the mineral.
valuable.
The plant's final residue that does not contain any contents is returned.
Zinc valuables are arranged in order to care for and protect the environment.
Hence, the mining process ends with the disposal of the tailings.
generated by the plant.
Cleaning Cells:
These are the cells where the cleaning of the primary concentrate or the
product of the Rougher flotation.
Recleaner Cells: (Relimpeza Cells)
They are those where the cleaning of the foams coming from is carried out.
the Cleaner cells.
If there are more than two cleaning stages, the cleaning cells receive
el nombre de 1era. Limpieza, 2da. Limpieza, 3era. Limpieza, etc.

After several cycles in which the bubbles exceed the edge of the cells,
the concentrate is obtained from the recleaner cells, in which the content
copper has been increased from values around 1% (originally in
the rock) at a value of up to 31% total copper.

5. THICKENING AND FILTRATION: The maximum possible is removed.

moisture contained in copper concentrates. This is achieved by
through conventional thickening and press filtration.

And the final concentrate is obtained with a moisture content of 8.5% at

9% to facilitate its storage and transport.