Beneficiation of precious metals bearing iron ores of Chilghazi, Pakistan

Abstract EN

The iron ore of Chilghazi contains significant quantities of copper, gold, silver, and platinum.

The mineralization of iron and precious metals show separate phases and paragenesis.

€halcopyrite, which is the main copper mineral, occurs as matrix mineral in magnetite; the precious metals were found to be associated mainly with chalcopyrite by substitution.

The ore can be utilized for the production of iron after low intensity magnetic separation.

Appreciable contents of precious metals, enriched in the gangue during magnetic separation, can be further concentrated by flotation and leaching.

The flotation of chalcopyrite was also found suitable for the recovery of precious metals.

More vigorous concentration at neutral pH, and cleaning at pH 9 to 10 using xanthate, gave a product containing 22 % Cu, 45.8 ppm Ag, 5.3 ppm Au, and 21.8 ppm Pt