Improving Buenavista del Cobre Flotation Performance with Outotec TankCell? e630 Technology

摘要

The first two Outotec TankCell? e630 flotation units were commissioned at Buenavista del Cobre concentrator No 1 during the first quarter of 2018. Buenavista del Cobre is a copper-molybdenum mine located in the state of Sonora, Mexico. Concentrator 1 has been in operation since 1986, currently processing 90,000 metric tons of ore per day and divided into parallel comminution-rougher sections. The new flotation cells were implemented as the first cells of the existing bulk rougher stage for parallel Sections 1 and 2, respectively. These are the first TankCell e630 units to be put into operation. The TankCell e630 is Outotec's largest flotation cell, with a nominal volume of 630 m3.The start-up of the e630 m3 cell in Section 1 took place in the middle of January while the second cell, in Section 2, was started up on March 1st. As part of the commissioning work performed by Outotec together with Buenavista del Cobre personnel, the operating and metallurgical performance of both flotation cells was closely evaluated. The operating conditions were adjusted in order to optimize the performance of the two cells, improve the copper recovery of the rougher stages, and the quality of the rougher concentrate, and most importantly to enhance the overall Cu recovery of concentrator No 1. In this paper, the TankCell e630 is described, together with a review of the first months of operation of the two flotation cells. A description is given of the operating conditions and their impact on Cu recovery, concentrate qualities, and power consumption.