Polymetallic ore - what is it? The main deposits, extraction and enrichment of polymetallic ores

Throughout all stages of civilization development, the main wealth of mankind was the natural resources. They can be divided into two types: renewable and non-renewable. The first category includes resources of animal or vegetable origin. The second kind is the minerals that are the basis of the existence of modern mankind. After all, they are the main raw material for mineral production. The article will consider such minerals as polymetallic ores. What is this mineral raw material? Where are its largest deposits? How are polymetallic ores mined and enriched? The answers to these questions will be given below.

What is polymetallic ore ?

Polymetallic ores are minerals that contain a whole complex of chemical elements. The main constituents that form this mineral raw material are galena and sphalerite. The most important elements are lead and zinc. Also in this ore can contain such components as copper, silver, gold, cadmium. More rarely, such minerals have tin, gallium, indium and bismuth in their composition.

Scientists in the course of research have found out that polymetallic ores were formed during various geological epochs. These minerals are found mainly in rocks of volcanogenic origin.

World deposits of polymetallic ores

These minerals are found on any of the continents of the globe. The largest reserves of polymetallic ores are in Australia. Currently, on this continent, work is under way on the three largest fields: Broken Hill, Mount Isa and McArthur River.

In North America, large reserves of such minerals are located in the US and Canada. In Spain there is the largest European deposit. In the Asian continent, polymetallic ores are mined in China, Kazakhstan and Japan.

Large reserves of such minerals are located in Russia.

Deposits of polymetallic ores in Russia

The main territory, where the unique reserves of polymetallic ores are located in Russia, is the Altai Territory. In this region there are more than ten large deposits of such mineral raw materials. These ores contain a large amount of zinc, lead, copper and precious metals.

The largest and most promising deposits are Rubtsovskoye, Korbalikhinskoye, Zarechenskoye, Stepnoye, Zakharovskoye and Talovskoye. All of them were discovered in the fifties and sixties of the twentieth century. In polymetallic ores, a high content of copper, zinc and lead is observed from the Zarechensky deposit. Mineral raw materials from the Rubtsovsk deposits are rich in silver and gold.

Polymetallic ores in Russia are also found in the Far East. Currently, work is underway to extract such minerals in three fields: Nikolaev, Upper and Partizansk. Mineral raw materials from the deposits of the Far Eastern region of the Russian Federation are distinguished by a high content of lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten and tin.

How are polymetallic ores mined?

In the modern world, there are two ways of mining polymetallic ores:

• underground;
• open.

Underground mining method involves the extraction of mineral raw materials from the depths of the Earth, in which there is a minimum violation of the integrity of its surface. With this method, three stages are distinguished:

1. Surface opening.
2. Carrying out preparatory work.
3. Excavation of minerals.

An open method is the extraction of polymetallic ores by extracting them from the depths of the earth by means of open mines that form a quarry. This method ensures a high efficiency of excavating mineral raw materials. Open industrial development of the deposit consists of the following technological stages:

1. Preparation of the rock to the excavation by mechanical and explosive loosening.
2. Loading of the received mass in vehicles.
3. Transportation of raw materials to the industrial site for further processing.

However, to extract polymetallic ore is not to extract the necessary metals. Raw materials must undergo the process of enrichment.

Description of the process of enrichment of polymetallic ores

From the extracted polymetallic ore, it is impossible to immediately obtain the metals contained in it. Their smelting becomes possible, provided that the content of these elements in the concentrate is not less than 30 percent. In the ore extracted from the Earth's interior, such a ratio is much less than necessary.

Enrichment of polymetallic ores is a set of interrelated processes of processing of mineral raw materials, resulting in two products:

• Concentrate with a rich content of chemical elements, which is sent to metallurgical redistribution for the smelting of metals from it;
• Waste of enrichment is an empty breed, freed from useful substances.

The process of enrichment of polymetallic ores consists of three stages:

1. Crushing and grinding of minerals.
2. Direct enrichment.
3. Preparation of the finished concentrate.

Conclusion

Polymetallic ores are minerals that contain a complex of necessary chemicals. Such mineral raw materials are used in various industries. By mining and enriching these minerals, humanity provides itself with such necessary elements as lead, zinc, copper, gold, silver.