Iran Zinc mines Development Company: Industry Overview and… 147

Iran Zinc Mines Development Company: Industry

Overview and R&D Center Research Activities
A. Rashtchi*, D. Moradkhani** and H.A. Ghanbari
*Mineral Processing Leadership, **Managing Director Associated Professor,
R&D Center, Iran Zinc Mines Development Company Faculty of Engineering, Zanjan University

ABSTRACT: Ever since the establishment of Iran Zinc Mines Development Company in 1996, it has played a
significant role in promoting positive potentials for the Zinc metal industry in Iran. For the reason that the
Angouran ore has a distinct nature, and as one of largest nonsolfide reserve in the world, any other contemporary
techniques failed to process the suitable minerals efficiently. Research and development center in IZMDC
pursues efficient and feasible approach to the processing and recovering the Zinc and Lead minerals. Main
purposes of these studies are to increase the recovery of Zinc metal in refineries and moreover to undertake new
methods and techniques. These studies categorized as: Conventional methods of mineral processing, Modern
techniques such as SX and recovering the residuals in tailing and very low grade ore.

1. BRIEF BACKGROUND an intense intention to build a 100,000t capacity

1.1 Company
Ever since the establishment of Iran Zinc Mines
Development Company in 1996, it has played a
significant role in promoting positive potentials
for the Zinc metal industry in Iran.
Company's contribution to Iran's overall
Zinc and Lead metal production constitutes 85%
and 95% respectively. This make company
largest producer of zinc in Middle East.
Subsidiaries of IZMDC consist of largest Iran
lead and zinc mineral processing plant (Calcimin
Co.) in Dandi Zanjan province and 100,000 ton
capacity calcination plant in Zanjan (Zangan zinc
industry Co.) and also seven zinc refinery plant
as below:
• 30,000tpy Bafgh Smelting Co. plant
• 20,000tpy Calcimin Co. Qeshm plant
• 12,000tpy Calcimin Co. Bandar Abbas plant
• 18,000tpy Calcimin Co. Dandi plant
• 12,000tpy Calcimin Co. Zanjan plant
• 15,000tpy National Iran Lead and zinc Co.
plant
• 18,000tpy Faravary Mavad Maadani Co.
plant
In addition there is a 30,000t Lead smelting
plant in National Lead and Zinc Co. site. There is
plant in cooperation of consortium Iranian and
European companies, is in progress. This plant
designed to recover 94% of zinc content of feed
ore and 84% of lead.
1.2 Angouran Mine
Angouran mine is the most important ore supply
for Iran lead and zinc industry. More than 80% of
zinc product in Iran is dependent to excavated
ore from this mine that is mostly oxide ore. This
mine cosidered as non sulphide lead and zinc
reserve carrying >16 Mt 26% Zn and 4%
Pb.Location of the deposit is about 120 Km NW
Zanjan in Zagross montains.
Ore body hosted by complex consists of
marbels and schists overlayed by sedimentary
and volcanic sequence. Complex ore body
consisists of an oxid cap, underlyed by a mixed
sulphid-oxid body, then downwarded into Zn-Pb
sulphide ore (Approximate grade: Pb < 3%, Zn
> 40%)The upper level of the ore body are
dominated by smithsonite-rich ore. Other phases
are composed of carbonated oreand supergen
weatherd ore. In this phase minerals are Zn–rich
clays, mimetite,smithsonite,hydroxy and oxide of
Fe and Mn, calcite, hydrozicite and hemi-
morphite. Beneth of the ore body is limited to
footwal schist; proximity to fottwall schist
mixture of oxid and sulphide ore is present. Main
148  Mineral Processing Technology (MPT 2007)
composition of sulphide-oxide ore are
smithsonite,arsenopyrite, galena, pyrite and
quartz (Approximate Grade: Pb > 5 , Zn > %33).
Angouran
Ore body
Sulfide Mix Carbonate
Ore Ore Ore
Brecciated
Hard Carbonate
Soft
Very low
Carbonate
Carbonate Grade
Diagram 1: Ore Classification of angouran mine
Mineralized schist consists of smithsonite,
cerussite and Clay mineral (Approximate Grade:
Pb > %1, Zn < % 13). In regards to these data;
Angouran ore could be categorized as shown in
(Diagram 1).
2. INDUSTRY'S PROCESS
2.1 Mineral Processing
There are 2 plant involving in concentration
within company; Calcimin complex and Zangan
Zinc Calcination plant.
Due to distinct nature of Angouran mine ore,
several methods are in use in order to consume
the excavated ore. Most of the Pb low grade ore
is used directly in refinery plants (Faravari
Mavad Madani plant). Calcimin plant uses
reverse flotation method to facilitate
concentration of the zinc from accompanying
lead and gangue minerals. This plant has a
capacity of 25,000 tpy lead concentrate and
270,000 tpy zinc concenterate.
Process in this plant is divided to two lines:
low grade and high grade. High grade ore
treatment begins by grinding the high grade
crushed ore, which is transported via ropeway,
with rodmill and ball mill.Lead concenterate is
being concentrated by flotation process in a
battery of rougher, scavenger and cleaner
flotation cells. The lead tailing after lead flotation
consists of 33-40% Zn and 15-25% silica; which
is treated az zinc concentrate. Recovery of lead
concentrate is 75-85% with grade of 54-60% Pb.
Both concentrates are dewatered in seperate
thickners and filtered in vaccum filters, belt
filters and filter press are used to reduce the
moisture. The coars zinc concentrate from belt
filter is sent to calcination plant for enrichment of
zinc from 35 to 50-55% by heating it up to
800oC.The fine zinc concentrate from filter press
is sent to zinc refinery plant in Zanjan and Dandi.
The low grade ore which contains about 15-
22% zinc,is washed and subjected to heavy
media seperation, after separating 0-2 mm
Calamine materials. Heavy media enriches the material
which leads to increase in zinc grad materials to
28-35% and afterward it is sent to plant for
furthur treatment, while the tailing which
contains 8-9% Zn tailed in the tailing dam in
order to recycl the water.
Zangan Zinc Calcination plant maintain heat
treatment on carbonated ore with the purpose of
increasing the grade. İn this plant after crushing
and miling the ore which contains 22-30% Zn,
direct heat calcination in furnace increases the
concentrate grade to 27-40%.
2.2 Hydro Metallurgy
Hydrometallurgy plants subordinated to IZMDC
mainly utilizes three kinds of ore in the
beginning of their process. Faravary Mavad
Madani consumes raw ore material excavated
from mine while other plants feed by raw or
calcined concentrate obtained from Calcimine
plant and Zangan Zinc Calcination plant.
Process in these plants (Diagram 2) begins
with leaching the feed by sulfuric acid then
contamination is removed and filtered in order to
purify the electrolyte. Electro winning procedure
takes place in separate cells using Pb-Ag-Ca
anodes and Aluminum cathodes. Produced zinc
metal grad varies from 99.95 to 99.98. Only
Bafgh smelting plant is capable of producing
SHG 99.99 zinc ingot.
Iran Zinc mines Development Company: Industry Overview and… 149
Raw ore Three major processes are designed and
adopted to recover the named elements from
residuals:
Mineral Tailing
Lead
3.1 Recovery of Zn from Leach Filter
Raw zinc Cake

Calcinat Recovering the Zn in the form of basic zinc

sulfate is sugested in many industrial
Calcined prescriptions.This process because of high
Sulfuric
Additive Concenttrate amount of Cl and F in this residual , faces lots of
Water Recycled difficulties. Most of the technical problomes in
Leachin this area solved and also techniques are
g Neutralizing
developed to produce thebasic zinc sulfate (BZS)
with grade of 22% Zn.
Neutralizing Leach
Additive

Residuals 3.2 Recovery of Zn, Ni and Cd from Leach

Decontamination containing
Co, Cd, Ni
Filter Cake

Electrowinnin Recycled
As shown in (Diagram 3) this process begins
electrolytes with leaching and then each of elements is
recovered by solvent extraction (SX) methods. İn
Zinc Metal this techinque residuals will be cobalt salt and
some amount of zinc sulfate.
Diagram 2: Process in Hydrometallurgical plants
Residuals containing
Co, Ni, Zn and Cd
3. RESIDUALS AND TAILING Additives Sulfuric Acid
Water
Angouran mine ore contains variety of other Recycled
Leaching Electrolyte
elements which most of them are valuable to
extract and also harmful to the environment
(Table 1) if being released. Hence recovering
some of these elements which are peresented
L
mostly in taling and filter cake residuals is one of S
the key researchs being conducted in IZMDC.
Cd Electrowinning Cd
Cementation
Table 1: element in hydrometallurgical plant
Residuals SX first Stage
Electrowinning Zn
Element Residuals Abundance
Pb Leach filter cake 8-25%
Zn Leach filter cake 4-10% SX Second
Electrowinning Ni
Cd Purification filter cake 11-17% Stage

Ni Purification filter cake 3-5%

Co Purification filter cake 1-2%
Recycled Electrolyte
Zn Purification filter cake Up to 40%
Ge Purification filter cake Up to 1000ppm
In Purification filter cake Up to 100ppm Diagram 3: Recovery of Ni, Cd and Zn
 150  Mineral Processing Technology (MPT 2007)
3.3 Recovery of Co and Zn Sulfate From installing new leaching, SX, EW, tailings-
Leach Filter Cake neutralisation and electrolyte-cooling circuits.
The SX circuit used DEHPA diluted with
As shown in (Diagram 4) the beginig of this kerosene as the organic phase and featured
process is to leach the sediments of the last Bateman Reverse-Flow Mixer Settlers
purification filter cakes. Produced zinc sulfate in incorporating extraction, stripping, scrubbing and
this method is seperated by spray dryer and organic regeneration. Bateman Pulsed Columns
crystalizator. were also used to test the SX unit operations.
Residuals
containing Co,
5. CONCLUSIONS
Additives Ni, Zn and Cd Sulfuric Acid

Recycled Research and development center in IZMDC

Leaching
Zinc
S Sulfate
L solution
Nitric Acid
Sulfuric Acid
Crystallizator or spray
Co oxide
leaching
Na OH Na ClO4
S Sulfate
L solution
Crystallizator or spray
Ni And
Cd
Diagram 4: Recovery of Co and Zinc sulfate
4. FOREIGN CONSULTANT
A demonstration plant, designed, constructed and
operated by BATEMAN for the Iran Zinc Mines
Development Corporation (IZMDC), confirmed
the process route selected for the feasibility study
on a proposed refinery for the Angouran Mine,
which could produce 100 000 t/yr of zinc from an
ore feed of 473 000 t/yr. The plant was located at
IZMDC's research centre, about 20 km from
Zanjan in North West Iran. The demonstration
plant was constructed by modifying an existing
hydrometallurgical plant, producing about 120
t/yr of zinc cathode. Modifications included
pursues efficient and feasible approach to the
processing and recovering the Zinc and Lead
minerals. Main purposes of these studies are to
increase the recovery of Zinc metal in refineries
Decontamina
tion solvent and moreover to undertake new methods and
techniques.
In revision of conventional methods, use of
dryer new agents and reagents are considered. Most of
the designated researches due to optimization
were conducted in grinding and milling process.
Zinc Sulfate
Using the modern techniques is one of the
challenges to survive in the competitive markets.
Co oxide And
Hydorxid
Therefore with participation of world's forgoing
companies, some recent advances in the field of
solvent extraction were examined in laboratory
and pilot scale.
dryer
Several laboratory researches and semi-pilot
experiences were related to recovering valuable
Co Oxid elements from leach and hydrometallurgy plants
filter cake and tailing. These include recovering
of residual Zinc and Lead in mineral processing
tailing and filter cakes. Also recovering the
Cadmium and Nickel metals are secondary
targets.
REFERENCES
[1] Bateman, Co., Final Report on demonstration
plant. Bateman Engineering (2001).
[2] Gilg, HA., Allen C., Balassone G, Boni, M,
Moore, F, Marble-hosted sulfide ores in the
Angouran Zn-(Pb & Ag) deposit, NW Iran.
Mineralium Deposita, Vol. 41, No. 1, May 2006.
[3] Iran Zinc Mines Development Co., 2004-2005
Annual report, 2006, Iran Zinc Mines
Development Co. Tehran. Iran.
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