Geometallurgy aims to develop and deploy predictive spatial models based on tangible and quantitative resource characteristics that are used to optimize the efficiency of minerals beneficiation and extractive metallurgy operations. While most current applications of geometallurgy are focused on the major commodity to be recovered from a mineral deposit, this contribution delineates the opportunity to use a geometallurgical approach to provide an early assessment of the economic potential of by-product recovery from an ongoing mining operation.As a case study for this methodology, possible rare earth element (REE) recovery as a by-product of Nb production at the Chapadão mine in the Catalão I carbonatite complex is used. Catalão I is part of the Alto Paranaíba igneous province in the Goias Province of Brazil. Currently, niobium is produced in the complex as a by-product of the Chapadão phosphates mine. This production is performed in the Tailings plant, the focus of this study. REEs, albeit present in significant concentrations, are currently not recovered as by-products.Nine samples from different stages of the Nb beneficiation process in the Tailings plant were taken and characterized by mineral liberation analyzer, X-ray powder diffraction, and bulk-rock chemistry. The recovery of REEs in each of the tailing streams was quantified by mass balance. The quantitative mineralogical and microstructural data are used to identify the most suitable approach to recover REEs as a by-product—without placing limitations on niobium production. Monazite, the most common rare earth mineral identified in the feed, occurs as Ce-rich and La-rich varieties that can be easily distinguished by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-based image analysis. Quartz, Fe-Ti oxides, and several phosphate minerals are the main gangue minerals. The highest rare earth oxide content concentrations (1.75 wt % total rare earth oxides) and the greatest potential for REE processing are reported for the final flotation tailings stream. To place tentative economic constraints on REE recovery from the tailings material, an analogy to the Browns Range deposit in Australia is drawn. Its technical flow sheet was used to estimate the cost for a hypothetical REE production at Chapadão. Parameters derived from SEM-based image analysis were used to model possible monazite recovery and concentrate grades. This exercise illustrates that a marketable REE concentrate could be obtained at Chapadão if the process recovers at least 53% of the particles with no less than 60% of monazite on their surface. Applying capital expenditure and operational expenditure values similar to those of Browns Range suggests that such an operation would be profitable at current REE prices.

中文翻译：

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使用地球冶金方法限制副产品回收的经济潜力：巴西CatalãoI的稀土元素回收实例

地质冶金学旨在根据有形和定量的资源特征开发和部署预测性空间模型，以优化矿物选矿和提取冶金业务的效率。虽然目前大多数的地质冶金应用都集中在要从矿藏中回收的主要商品上，但这种贡献为利用地质冶金方法提供了机会，以便对正在进行的采矿作业中回收副产品的经济潜力进行早期评估。作为此方法的案例研究，使用了可能在CatalãoI碳酸盐复合物中Chapadão矿中作为Nb生产副产品回收的稀土元素（REE）。CatalãoI是巴西戈亚斯省AltoParanaíba火成岩省的一部分。目前，铌是Chapadão磷酸盐矿的副产品中产生的铌。这项生产是在尾矿工厂进行的，这是本研究的重点。稀土元素虽然浓度很高，但目前仍未作为副产物回收。采自尾矿厂的铌选矿工艺不同阶段的9个样品，并用矿物释放分析仪，X射线粉末衍射仪和块状岩进行了表征。化学。通过质量平衡对每个尾矿流中REE的回收率进行定量。定量的矿物学和微观结构数据可用于确定最合适的方法来回收作为副产品的稀土元素，而不会限制铌的生产。独居石是饲料中最常见的稀土矿物，富含Ce和La的品种可以通过基于扫描电子显微镜（SEM）的图像分析轻松区分。石英，铁钛氧化物和几种磷酸盐矿物是主要的脉石矿物。对于最终浮选尾矿流，报告了最高的稀土氧化物含量浓度（占总稀土氧化物的1.75 wt％）和最大的REE处理潜力。为了对从尾矿中的稀土元素回收施加暂时性的经济限制，我们以澳大利亚的布朗斯山脉矿床为例。它的技术流程图被用来估算在Chapadão进行的假设REE生产的成本。从基于SEM的图像分析中得出的参数用于建模可能的独居石回收率和精矿品位。这项工作表明，如果该工艺回收了至少53％的颗粒且表面上有不少于60％的独居石，则可以在Chapadão获得可销售的REE精矿。应用与Browns Range相似的资本支出和运营支出值，则表明该运营将在当前REE价格下获利。