Flotation Of Low Grade Gold Ores At Golden Cycle Corporation

PRIOR to World War II, approximately 500 tons per day, or one-third of the ore being shipped to the Golden Cycle Mill at Colorado Springs, Colo., from the Cripple Creek district, was being treated in the flotation plant. The remaining 1000 tons, along with the flotation concentrates, received the usual roasting and cyanide treatment. Since it was not possible to make a disposable tailing on the general run of Cripple Creek ores by flotation alone, it was necessary to treat the flotation tailings by cyanidation, along with the roasted ore. By this treatment, an overall economical tailing could be made. The gold ores from the Cripple Creek district are the highly siliceous sulphotellurides with approximately 3 pct total sulphides. In the lower grade ores most of the values are found in very finely disseminated pyrite. In some of the higher grade ores the tellurides, calaverite and sylvanite, can be recognized. After several years of floating Cripple Creek gold ores, having a very low mineral content, it was concluded that this type of ore required a Type of flotation machine that would give a rather violent aeration and agitation. This action produced a fairly deep froth column which contained not only the free mineral, principally pyrite, but also most of the middling product; this was most essential in producing a low grade tailing by flotation alone that could be discarded to waste. After investigating most of the current types of flotation machines, it was decided to convert to the Fagergren type. During World War II, the flotation plant was modified to handle lead and zinc ores. The treatment of these ores was carried on until April 1946. At this time the flotation plant was again reconverted to handle the Cripple Creek ores. SELECTING ORES FOR FLOTATION During the period of reconversion a considerable amount of experimental work was carried on in the laboratory to determine if a disposable tailing could be made by flotation alone, on certain selected ores from the Cripple Creek district. It was found that most of the dump ores and a few of the low grade mine ores could be treated by this method with very satisfactory results. After the preliminary test work in the laboratory, it was decided to carry on further work on a plant-size scale to see if similar results could be obtained. On April 15, 1946, a part of the plant was put into operation as a pilot plant. The various ores that had been found suitable for treatment by this method in the laboratory, were run through the pilot plant at the rate of 200 tons per day for a period of several months. Results were so encouraging that it was decided to put the plant in full-scale operation. Since that time plant capacity has been increased from 500 to 1000 tons per day. This has been done not by the installation of more machinery but by (I) crush-