Beneficiation of Copper and Nickel Ores

Abstract

COPPER ores in India are of low grade like any other deposits elsewhere in the other parts of the world. Chalcopyrite is the most common and usual copper mineral; the other minerals have been chalcocite, covellite, bornite, which are all copper and copper-iron sulphides while enargite, tetrahedride and tenantite are copper, antimony/arsenic sulphides. Apart from these, oxide and carbonate ores of copper such as cuprite, tenorite, mala-chite and azurite also occur in minor quantities. The copper minerals are concentrated by flotation process usually employing xanthates as collectors and pine oil as frother. Most of the deposits are of complex nature and needed complicated processes for their beneficiation.