Abstract
It is well known that manganiferous silver ores containing manganese intimately associated with silver are not amenable to conventional extraction methods. The segregation process has been applied primarily to the recovery of copper from oxidized and oxide-sulfide ores. A new alternative process, consisting of segregation roasting followed by flotation to recover the silver from refractory manganiferous silver ores, was studied using a 23-factorial experimental design. Laboratory investigations were conducted on a manganiferous silver ore analyzing 0.02% copper, 0.09% lead, 0.33% zinc, 12.55% manganese and 187 g/t silver. The investigation was designed to study the effects of the addition of salts, coke and copper (II) oxide on silver recovery. The results indicated that 79.3% of the silver can be recovered in the absence of copper oxide and 88.4% of the silver can be recovered with a copper oxide content of 1.5% at 750° C, 2% salt (NaCl), 1% coke and 30 min of roasting. It was concluded that the addition of copper oxide improves silver recovery.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Avraamides, J., and Parker, A.J., 1981, “Recovery of Precious Metals Via Segregation Roasting,” TMS Paper Selection A81–43, pp. 7.
Box, G.E.P., Hunter, W.G., and Hunter, J.S., 1978, “Statistics for Experimenters,” Wiley, New York, NY.
Chamberlain, P.Q., Pholman, J.E. and Rhoades, C.A., 1983, “Recent Research on Leaching Manganese,” SME-AIME Preprint No. 83–399.
Chase, C.K., 1981, “Treatment of Manganiferous Silver Ores for Recovery of Silver in View of Changed Precious Metal Economics,” Proceeding. 110th Meeting, Illinois. February 22–26, pp. 23–33.
Cochran, W.G., and Cox, G.M., 1957, “Experimental Design,” 2nd ed., Wiley, New York, NY.
Davies, O.L., ed., 1956, “Design and Analysis of Industrial Experiments.” 2nd ed., Hafner, New York, NY.
Flores, C., 1990, M.S. Thesis, Montana Tech. Butte, MT 59701
Flores, C., and Jordan T.S., 1993, “Factors Influencing Silver Extraction from Refractory Manganiferous Silver Ores by Segregation-Cyanide Leaching,” Proceeding, The Milton E. Wadsworth IV Symposium on Hydrometallurgy, Salt Lake City, UT, August 1–5, pp. 327–339.
Iwasaki, I., 1972, “A Thermodynamic Interpretation of the Segregation Process for Copper and Nickel Ores,” Miner. Sci. Eng., Vol 4, No. 2, pp. 14–23.
Johnson, N.L., and Leone, F.C., 1977, “Statistics and Experimental Design in Engineering and the Physical Sciences”, Vol. 2, Wiley, New York, NY.
Kudryk, V., 1970, “Silver from Low-Grade Refractory Ore,” TMS-AIME Paper No. A70–54.
Mallet, R.C., 1970, “A Review of Techniques for the Determination of Gold and Silver by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy”, Miner. Sci. Eng., Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 28–37.
Mellen, R.J., 1963, “How Silver-Gold Ores Respond to Salt Roasting-Cyanidation,” Eng. Min. Journal, Vol. 164, No. 4, pp. 76, 77 and 83.
Pinkney, E.T., and Plint, 1968, “Treatment of Refractory Copper Ores by the Segregation Process,” Trans. TMS-AIME, Vol. 241, pp. 157–70.
Plackett, R.L., and Burman, J.P., 1946, “The Design of Optimum Multifactorial Experiments,” Biometrica, Vol. 33, pp. 305–325.
Pollandt, F., and Pease, M.E., 1960, “Extraction of Copper and Silver by the Segregation Process in Peru”, Trans. Instn. Min. Metall., Vol. 69, pp. 687–697.
Rampacek, C., Fuller, H.C., and Clemmer, J.B., 1959a, “Operation of a Dithionate Process Pilot Plant for Leaching Manganese Ore from Maggie Canyon Deposit, Artillery Mountains Region, Mohave County, AZ,” US Bureau of Mines, RI 5508, 54 p.
Rampacek, C., McKinney, W.A., and Waddleton, P.T., 1959b, “Treating Oxidized and Mixed Oxide-Sulfide Copper Ores by the Segregation Process,” US Bureau of Mines, RI 5501, 28 p.
Rey, M.R.W., 1977, “Early Development of the Copper Segregation Process”, Trans. Inst. Min. Metall. (sect. C: Mineral Process Extra. Metall.) Vol. 76, pp. C101–C107.
Rhoades, C.A., Pholman, J.E., and Chamberlain, P.G., 1984, “Recovery of Silver from Manganese Ores”, SME-AIME Preprint No. 84–140.
Twidwell, L.G., July 1990, Private Communication, Professor of Metallurgy, Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology, Butte, MT.
Wright, J.K., 1973, “The Segregation Process,” Miner. Sci. Eng., Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 119–134.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
SME Preprint 94-65, SME Annual Meeting, Feb. 14–17, 1994, Albuquerque, NM.
M&MP paper 94–620. Discussion of this peer-reviewed and approved paper is invited and must be submitted, in duplicate, prior to May 31, 1995.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Flores, C., Jordan, T.S. & Twidwell, L.G. Statistical approach for the recovery of silver from manganiferous silver ores. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 12, 4–7 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03403071
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03403071