Recovery of lead and copper from cyanide tailings

The flowsheet of the selective flotation of lead and the activation flotation of copper was adopted to recover lead and copper from cyanide tailings. Closed circuit test results show that the qualified lead concentrate with the recovery of 90.48% and the grade of 45.24% can be produced with lime as a stabilizer, sodium diethyl dithiocarbamate (N, N-diethyldithiocarbamate) and butylxanthate (butyl sodium xanthate) as combined collectors, and by using the flotation flowsheet of one roughing, two scavengings and two cleanings. The qualified copper concentrate with the recovery of 82.17% and the grade of 19.28% can be produced with NP (a combined reagent by inorganic copper salts and inorganic zinc salts) as an activator, organic depressant FM as a stabilizer, Z-200 (O-isopropyl-N-ethyhhioearbamate) and butyl ammonium aerofloat (ammonium dibutyl dithiophosphate) as combined collectors, and by using the flotation flowsheet of one roughing, two scavengings and two cleanings. Gold and silver are also simultaneously enriched within the two kinds of concentrates.