Abstract
The results of a study on the material composition of stored flotation tailings considered as potential technogenic raw materials, are presented. Chemical, phase, optical mineralogical, and particle size analyses were carried out using ICP-MS, microscopic examination, and sieve analysis. The tailings were found to contain 0.17% copper, 1.19 g/t silver, and 1.03% sulfur, with copper occurring in both sulfide and oxidized mineral forms. Mineralogical studies revealed a predominantly fine and ultrafine dissemination of copper-bearing minerals, with grain sizes mainly below 30 μm. The distribution of copper across particle size classes was shown to be proportional to the mass yield of the fractions, indicating a relatively uniform mineralization. The obtained results can be used to substantiate rational processing approaches for stored tailings and to select effective technological schemes for copper and associated metal recovery