One of the chief problems in the new UCHINOTAI project in KOSAKA division, DOWA Mining Company, is the determination of the milling tlowsheet treating “KUROMONO” (Black ore).
“KUROMONO” is a complex sulphides ore, extremely finely disseminated chalcopyrite, chalcocite, covellite, tetrahedrite, tennantite, galena, sphalerite, pyrite, gold and silver, barite and minor amount af gangue minerals.
Due to the difficulty of liberation and similar floatabilities of component minerals, this are has been known very hard to be separated by the usual flotation procedures using cyanide and/or zinc sulphate.
This article deals with the characteristics of liberation of component minerals obtained by microscopy and some flotation tests using sulphur dioxide which have given fairly better results than cyanide procedures.