Study of the mineral composition of promising copper ores of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Abstract

The article provides a brief overview of the problems of copper production in Kazakhstan. It is shown that the main current problem of copper-smelting production is the involvement of low-grade ores of complex mineral composition. Existing technologies are focused on the processing of ore with higher copper content, accordingly, it is necessary to adjust the existing enrichment and smelting technologies. To determine the mineral composition of some samples of promising copper-bearing ores of the Republic of Kazakhstan, an X-ray phase analysis was carried out. The identification and quantitative calculation of the mineral content were carried out using the DIFFRAC.EVA and DIFFRAC.TOPAS programs. It was shown that the main copper-bearing minerals in the samples are: chalcopyrite, bornite, chalcosiderite - group 1; malachite, lapis lazuli, atacamite, pseudomalachite, brochantite - group 2. The waste rock is represented by the following minerals: quartz, muscovite (mica), chlorite (layered silicate), albite (feldspar), pyrite, calcite, sodalite (feldspathoid), and gypsum. Based on the analysis, the mineral composition of the studied samples was established and a conclusion was made about the dominant nature of the ore. It is shown that in three samples the predominant nature of the ore is sulfide, in one sample it is oxide. The obtained results of the mineral composition and nature of the ore allow us to make practical recommendations on the most effective scheme for ore enrichment and further processing.