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Decoupling the effects of alteration on the mineralogy and flotation performance of Great Dyke PGE ores
dataset
posted on 2021-12-13, 07:45 authored by Theophilus Dzingai, Belinda McFadzean, Margreth Tadie, Megan BeckerMegan BeckerRaw data from: Dzingai, T., McFadzean, B., Tadie, M. & Becker, M. 2021. Decoupling the effects of alteration on the mineralogy and flotation performance of Great Dyke PGE ores.
Abstract: Ores from the same deposit
may exhibit extensive variability in their mineralogy and texture. The ability
to quantify this variability while linking it to minerals processing performance
is one of the primary goals of process mineralogy. This study focuses on the
effect of alteration as a source of ore variability in three Great Dyke
platinum group element ore samples from Zimbabwe – two of which were more
pristine compared to the third that was locally classified as ‘oxidised’ ore.
These ores are known to be characterized by varying degrees of alteration
resulting in numerous challenges in flotation affecting both grade and recovery.
Alteration via near surface oxidation of the valuable base metal sulfides and
platinum group minerals resulted in lower flotation recoveries of Cu, Ni, Pt,
Pd. Evidence of incipient oxidation was more readily observed in the base metal
sulfide assemblage than the platinum group mineral assemblage, even though the
loss in recovery because of oxidation was most significant for Pd. The effect
of the alteration through hydration resulted in a significant increase in mass
pull and dilution of concentrate grade through the inadvertent recovery of
naturally floating gangue comprising composite orthopyroxene and talc
particles. In this study, the amount of naturally floating gangue was more
strongly correlated with the talc grain size distribution than the grade of
talc in the flotation feed. These oxidation and hydration alteration reactions
are not necessarily mutually exclusive although one may be more dominant than
the other giving rise to ore variability.
