Recovery Characteristics of Critical Elements in Tailings from Abandoned Metal Mines

Yo Seb Kwon; Inho Hwang; Jongmun Cha; Myung Chae Jung; Uikyu Choi

doi:10.32390/ksmer.2024.61.1.043

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2024 Vol.61, Issue 1 Preview Page Next Page

Technical Report

Recovery Characteristics of Critical Elements in Tailings from Abandoned Metal Mines 광물찌꺼기에 함유된 핵심광물 회수 특성 평가

28 February 2024. pp. 43-52

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Abstract

Four tailings representative of mineralization types were taken at abandoned metal mines, and 32 elements classified as from critical minerals were analyzed. Among the elements, vanadium (V), bismuth (Bi), manganese (Mn), and antimony (Sb), contained at concentrations exceeding the average abundance of the earth's crust, were examined in terms of their recovery characteristics by heavy liquid and magnetic separations. Although tailings from the Fe–Ti mine contained 1,354 mg/kg of V, improvement of V grade was limited by the separations. Tailings from the W mine with 153 mg/kg of Bi were increased by 3.5 and 6.3 times by concentration by heavy liquid and magnetic separations, respectively. In addition, tailings from the Cu–Pb–Zn mine with 13,756 mg/kg of Mn were concentrated about 1.8 times by heavy liquid separation. Tailings from the Zn mine with 87 mg/kg of Sb were concentration by 1.7 times by magnetic separation. This study promotes recycling through the mineral processing of abandoned tailings.

Keywords

tailings

critical minerals

abundance of elements in earth's crust

recovery characteristics

resource recycling

폐금속광산에서 광화작용 유형으로 대표되는 4종의 광물찌꺼기를 채취하여 핵심광물로 분류되는 32종의 원소를 분석하였다. 이들 원소 중에서 지각 평균 함유량 이상으로 검출된 바나듐(V), 비스무트(Bi), 망간(Mn), 안티모니(Sb)를 중액 및 자력 선별에 의한 회수 특성을 조사하였다. Fe-Ti 광산의 광물찌꺼기에는 1,354 mg/kg의 V가 포함되어 있지만 중액 선별과 자력 선별을 통해 V의 농도를 증가시키는 데에는 한계가 있었다. 153 mg/kg의 Bi를 함유한 W 광산의 광물찌꺼기는 중액 선별과 자력 선별에 의해 각각 3.5배와 6.3배로 농축되었다. 또한, 13,756 mg/kg의 Mn을 함유한 Cu-Pb-Zn 광산의 광물찌꺼기는 중액 선별에 의해 약 1.8배 농축되었다. 87 mg/kg의 Sb를 함유한 Zn 광산의 광물찌꺼기는 자력 선별을 통해 1.7배 농축되었다. 이 연구는 광물찌꺼기의 선광처리를 통한 재자원화 촉진에 활용될 수 있다.

키워드

광물찌꺼기

핵심광물

지각 평균 함량

회수 특성

재자원화

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Information

Publisher :The Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers
Publisher(Ko) :한국자원공학회
Journal Title :Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers
Journal Title(Ko) :한국자원공학회지
Volume : 61
No :1
Pages :43-52
Received Date : 2023-12-01
Revised Date : 2023-12-28
Accepted Date : 2024-02-27
DOI :https://doi.org/10.32390/ksmer.2024.61.1.043

Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers ISSN:2288-0291(Print) 2288-2790(Online) 한국자원공학회지

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