Tungsten mine tailings utilization

Tungsten tailings recovery of valuable metals tungsten deposits often associated with many useful metals, such as: tin, molybdenum, bismuth, copper, lead, zinc, antimony, beryllium, cobalt, gold, silver and the like. Some of them are harmful impurities to tungsten smelting process and tungsten products. By comprehensively recovering useful metals through metallurgy, the quality of tungsten products can be improved, and the comprehensive utilization rate of tungsten resources can be effectively improved. The valuable metals currently recovered are mainly tungsten, molybdenum and rhenium.

(1) Recovery of tungsten from tungsten tailings

Tungsten tailings sweeping and recycling tungsten is an effective way to increase the recovery rate of tungsten ore. Lu Youzhong [95] used the combination of metallurgy and metallurgy to recover tungsten from tungsten tailings and fine mud, and gave the ore grade 0.39% WO3, and obtained tungsten coarse concentrate (18% WO3) and microwave leaching. The total WO3 recovery rate can reach 82.60. %. Huang Guangyao et al [96] using techniques microbubbles recovered from Scheelite Discover micro-fine tailings scheelite, CMPT developed microbubble flotation column, feed grade 0.76% WO3, 24.52% average grade of ore is obtained, The recovery rate was 43.41%.

(2) Recovery of molybdenum and niobium from tungsten tailings

Many tungsten deposits are associated with molybdenum and niobium in varying degrees. Although some molybdenum and niobium can be recovered in the re-election operation, molybdenum and niobium are naturally floatable in the shaker operation. When discharged into tailings, the comprehensive recovery rate of molybdenum and strontium is very low.

Fu Lianhai [97] uses the flotation process to recover molybdenum and rhenium directly from the tungsten re-election tailings. The fine tailings are concentrated and directly floated to recover molybdenum and niobium. The molybdenum grade in the re-selected tailings is 0.024% Mo, niobium grade. 0.019% Bi, fine mud tailings molybdenum grade 0.056% Mo, niobium grade 0.044% Bi, achieved good production technical indicators, molybdenum concentrate grade reached 46.85% Mo, tantalum concentrate grade reached 23.05% Bi, The total recovery of molybdenum reached 41.34%, and the total recovery rate of rhodium was 32.5%.

(3) Recovery of non-metallic minerals in tungsten tailings

The non-metallic minerals in tungsten tailings mainly include quartz, feldspar, mica, garnet, fluorite and calcite. Among them, the non-metallic minerals with comprehensive recovery value are fluorite and garnet.

A. Recovery of fluorite from tungsten tailings

Fluorite is an important non-metallic mineral widely used in chemical, metallurgical and building materials industries. The grade of fluorite ore in China is generally low, and the associated deposits account for 43%. The recovery of fluorite minerals in tungsten tailings is of great significance.

The Shizhuyuan polymetallic mine recovers fluorite from its tailings after recycling the resources of tungsten, molybdenum and thorium. Industrial production indicators: the ore contains 25% CaF2, the fluorite concentrate grade 95% CaF2, the recovery rate is greater than 40%.

B. Recovery of garnet in tungsten tailings

Garnet is a weak magnetic mineral with high hardness and chemical stability. It is mainly used in abrasives, building materials and polymer fillers. The garnet ore grade is not high, and the industrial grade content is more than 14% [98]. Improving the garnet grade through a suitable beneficiation process is the basis for deep processing of garnet.

Zhu Yimin et al. [99] respectively used a single magnetic separation and gravity and magnetic combined process beneficiation process to recover garnet from Huangshaping tungsten tailings, and all of them can obtain garnet concentrate products, and the recovery rate of concentrate obtained by magnetic separation method High, 76% garnet concentrate can be obtained, the recovery rate is 87.78%. Shen Shaohua et al. [100] aimed at the characteristics of garnet resources in the persimmon garden polymetallic ore, using the floating-magnetic floating main process and the spiral chute pre-selection-pre-selected ore magnetic and shaker to recover garnet from the tailings, which can be tasted. Up to 89% of the garnet concentrate has a recovery rate of over 40%.

(4) Tungsten tailings for building materials

The main components of tungsten tailings are oxides of silicon and aluminum , and contain calcium, which is similar to traditional building materials. At the same time, the tungsten tailings particles are fine, and the building materials do not need to be crushed, and the energy consumption and cost are low. Has a natural advantage.

1) Tungsten tailings for the cement industry

The traditional fluorine sulfur mineralizer in the cement industry can improve the burnability of cement raw materials, but some of the fluorine sulfur will be exposed to the environment during the calcination process. The replacement of traditional fluorine-sulfur mineralizers in the cement industry by tungsten tailings can reduce the pollution of fluorine and sulfur and turn waste into treasure, which is also of great significance to the sustainable development of the cement industry.

Su Dagen et al. [101] used tungsten tailings as raw material for cement production to reduce the amount of fluorite, and the mass fraction of WO3 in raw meal was 1×10-6~6×10-4, which could improve the burnability of raw materials. It is beneficial to the formation of cement clinker mineral Alite, and the escape rate of tungsten is almost zero, and can reduce the escape of lead, septum and fluorine, and can be used as an environmentally friendly cement clinker mineralizer. Su Dagen et al. [101] also used tungsten tailings as one of the raw materials for cement clinker, replacing sulfur mineralizers, improving the quality and output of cement clinker, reducing the pollution of sulfur and sulfur in cement kilns, and utilizing waste resources. To save energy and reduce costs, but tungsten tailings for the production of cement raw materials need to control the amount of addition, excessive will have side effects. Yun Wang Choi et al. [102] used tungsten tailings for cement production, and all the products obtained met the relevant requirements. The maximum burning loss was 2.6%. The harmful elements such as lead and copper were lower than the corresponding standards, but with the tungsten tail. As the mine increases, product fluidity and compressive strength decrease.

2) Tungsten tailings for glass-ceramics

Glass-ceramic is a new building material with high brightness and toughness. As early as the early Soviet Union in the early 1960s, the research and production of glass-ceramics for tailings was carried out, and later developed in many countries and formed into large-scale production. Qi Jingzhong et al [103] used tungsten tailings as the main raw material, the amount of 55%~75%, no crystal nucleating agent was used, and the tungsten tailings glass-ceramics were prepared by casting crystallization. The main crystal phase was β- silicon. Gray ash , its nucleation and crystallization mechanism belongs to surface nucleation and crystallization, simple process and low cost.

(5) Other applications of tungsten tailings

In addition to the above applications, tungsten tailings are also used in other applications such as bioceramics, mineral polymeric materials, ceramic tiles, and the like. Arm Length etc. [104] Tailings tungsten, slag, pulverized coal ash, clay materials, prepared using calcined porous ceramic filter of biological, bio-ceramic particle density was 1.61 g / cm3, a bulk density of 1.10 g/cm3, specific surface area is 9.7 m2/g, acid solubility is 0.17%, alkali solubility is 0.33%, and cylinder strength is 8.1 MPa. Yan Jingzhong et al. [105] prepared mineral polymeric materials using tungsten tailings and metakaolin as the main raw materials, and water glass and NaOH as alkali activators. The results showed that when the tungsten tailings accounted for 75% of the solids, the curing temperature did not exceed 100. At °C, the prepared mineral polymeric material has the best performance, the main crystalline phase is α-quartz, and the product formed by the polymerization reaction is a gel phase aluminosilicate, which exists in an amorphous form.

At present, the domestic reserves of tungsten resources are declining year by year, the grade of ore is getting lower and lower, and tungsten tailings resources are recovered from valuable metals and non-metallic minerals, which can effectively improve resource utilization. The overall utilization of tungsten tailings is conducive to the promotion of the construction of tailings-free mines. It not only increases the added value of tungsten tailings resources, but also improves the mine environment. It is the development direction of comprehensive utilization of tungsten tailings in the future. Therefore, all tungsten ore enterprises should raise the awareness of tailings resource utilization, carry out research on the comprehensive utilization of tungsten tailings, and take the road of sustainable development of mineral resources.

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