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Refractory Copper Ore from Nchanga, Zambia: A Materials Characterization Study

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Abstract

The Nchanga Cu-Co ore deposit of the Zambian Copperbelt, is hosted in Neoproterozoic siliciclastic-carbonate sedimentary rocks, and it consists of two orebodies: the Lower Orebody (shale) and the Upper Orebody (arkose). Refractory Cu ores present in the Upper Orebody comprise 150 Mt with average 0.87% Cu, and are characterized by inadequate recovery of copper by leaching. This materials characterization study, conducted on refractory ore samples from the Upper Orebody using optical microscopy, QEMSCAN®, and microprobe, has shown that copper occurs mainly in biotite, phlogopite, malachite, pseudomalachite and goethite. QEMSCAN® has quantified the abundance of each phase and total Cu deportment in each phase.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalProceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Society of Mining Engineers (2008, Salt Lake City, UT)
StatePublished - Feb 1 2008

Keywords

  • Carbonate Minerals
  • Copper
  • Copper Deposits
  • Copper Ores
  • Leaching
  • Materials Characterizations
  • Metal Recovery
  • Mica
  • Minerals
  • Neoproterozoic
  • Optical Microscopy
  • Ore Bodies
  • Ore Deposit Geology
  • Ore Deposits
  • Ores
  • QEMSCAN
  • Refractory Materials
  • Refractory Ores
  • Sedimentary Rocks
  • Sedimentology

Disciplines

  • Geology

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