Lead-Zinc Ore Beneficiation Process

Lead-zinc ore is a mineral rich in the metallic elements lead and zinc. There are 11 industrial lead minerals and 6 industrial zinc minerals in lead-zinc ore, with galena and sphalerite being the most important. Lead and zinc have wide applications in the electrical, machinery, military, metallurgical, chemical, light, and pharmaceutical industries. As a mineral resource, lead-zinc ore has a relatively low grade, therefore it needs beneficiation and purification before it can be used in industrial production. Lead-zinc ore beneficiation and purification requires lead-zinc ore beneficiation equipment, technology, and related processes.

Lead-zinc ore beneficiation equipment generally refers to flotation equipment, as flotation is a mature method used in lead-zinc ore beneficiation, and its various beneficiation indicators are widely recognized. Lead-zinc ore flotation equipment includes crushers, vibrating screens, ball mills, classifiers, stirring drums, flotation machines, thickeners, filter presses, etc. The equipment investment is relatively large, the production process requires the addition of chemical reagents, and the beneficiation plant occupies a large area.

Besides flotation, lead-zinc ore can also be separated by gravity separation, a method based on the specific gravity difference of the lead-zinc ore gangue. This method has low investment, low cost, high efficiency, and no pollution. The required equipment includes crushers, vibrating screens, jigs, and dewatering screens. The overall investment, floor space, and production cost are all significantly lower than flotation equipment.

The concentrate obtained by gravity separation is a mixed lead-zinc ore concentrate. Although it cannot separate lead and zinc, the beneficiation effect is still very ideal. It is suitable for the beneficiation of most lead-zinc ores and can also be used for pre-concentration of low-grade lead-zinc ores, making it a popular lead-zinc ore beneficiation method currently.