Project Overview
This project covers a 250TPD hard rock gold flotation processing facility located in Turkey, targeting sulfide-bearing refractory gold ore. The client operated a small-scale gold mining project for years, yet primitive processing equipment and irrational beneficiation flows resulted in low gold recovery and high operational OPEX. To unlock ore potential and increase final concentrate output, the client decided to upgrade and build a dedicated gold flotation processing plant.
Zhongyi took charge of the whole EPC scope, including raw ore testing, process layout design, equipment fabrication, site erection, cold/hot commissioning and on-site crew training. All adopted processes and equipment were customized to adapt to local complex geological conditions and humid climate features, delivering a fully functional gold flotation processing plant for commercial gold concentrate production.
On-Site Pain Points
- Ore Dressing Difficulty: Raw ore average gold grade stabilized at 1.8-2.5g/t; fine gold particles encapsulated in pyrite and chalcopyrite. Direct cyanidation only achieved 55% recovery, causing massive precious metal waste.
- Defective Grinding Circuit: Previous open-circuit grinding produced excessive fine slime below 200 mesh, increasing flotation reagent dosage by 30% and raising production cost directly.
- Unoptimized Flotation Parameters: Fixed reagent addition ratio and simplified single-stage flotation failed to separate gangue and sulfide efficiently, final concentrate grade could not reach smelter purchasing standard.
- Insufficient After-Sales Support: Local operators only mastered basic equipment operation, lacking experience in daily parameter calibration, fault troubleshooting and regular equipment maintenance.
Tailored Gold Flotation Beneficiation Solution
After multiple batches of ore dressing tests and data simulation, Zhongyi’s mineral processing team confirmed the most feasible technical route: two-stage closed-circuit crushing → closed-circuit grinding & classification → four-stage flotation (roughing, twice scavenging, triple concentrating) → thickening & pressure filtration. We adjusted grinding fineness and optimized flotation reagent formula for this gold beneficiation plant, effectively dissociating gold-bearing sulfides from gangue minerals. Meanwhile, we delivered full-lifecycle EPC services to help the client control daily operating cost and stabilize long-term production.
Process Flow & Core Equipment Deployment
1. Crushing & Screening Circuit
The plant adopts standard two-stage closed-circuit crushing to reduce ore particle size steadily. Run-of-mine ore is fed into primary jaw crusher for coarse crushing, then delivered to circular vibrating screen for grading. Oversize materials above 15mm are reprocessed via cone crusher for secondary fine crushing and returned to the screening system to form closed circulation. Final qualified feed size is controlled at 0-15mm, which meets the feeding requirement of subsequent grinding operations.
2. Closed-Circuit Grinding & Classification Circuit
This grinding section consists of a matched MQY2136 overflow type ball mill and hydrocyclone group, forming a typical single closed-circuit grinding system. Pre-stored fine ore is fed into the ball mill at constant feeding capacity. The discharged slurry is pumped to hydrocyclones for particle classification; coarse particles from underflow are sent back to the ball mill for regrinding. After repeated testing, we controlled grinding fineness at 70% passing 200 mesh, the optimal range for this refractory gold ore.
3. Flotation Separation Circuit (Core)
We applied segmented flotation technology for gold sulfide separation. The whole flotation circuit includes one roughing stage, two scavenging stages and three concentrating stages. Xanthate collector, frother and pH regulator are added separately at different flotation nodes according to real-time slurry status. This segmented dosing method inhibits gangue floating and improves the grade of gold concentrate, solving the sorting difficulty of fine encapsulated gold ore fundamentally.
4. Concentrate Dewatering & Tailings Management
High-grade gold concentrate obtained from flotation is sent to deep cone thickener for static sedimentation and pre-dewatering, then processed by chamber filter press. After pressure filtration, the surface moisture of gold concentrate is controlled below 12%, fully satisfying smelter’s commercial purchasing standard. Flotation tailings are transported to anti-seepage tailings pond for centralized stacking. All domestic and process wastewater is collected, clarified and recycled to crushing and flotation circuits, realizing 100% wastewater recycling without external discharge.
Project Core Specifications
| Parameter | Specification |
| Project Location | Turkey |
| Daily Processing Capacity | 250 tons per day (TPD) |
| Raw Ore Type | Hard rock refractory gold ore, pyrite-type associated gold ore |
| Raw Ore Gold Grade | 1.8g/t – 2.5g/t |
| Target Grinding Fineness | 70% passing 200 mesh |
| Beneficiation Process | Two-stage closed-circuit crushing + closed-circuit grinding + multi-stage gold flotation + concentrate pressure filtration |
| Main Equipment | Jaw crusher, cone crusher, circular vibrating screen, MQY2136 overflow ball mill, hydrocyclone unit, gold flotation cell, deep cone thickener, membrane filter press |
Actual Operational Performance
After 60 days of stable trial operation, the upgraded gold flotation extraction plant delivered measurable data growth. Benefiting from optimized closed-circuit grinding and segmented flotation parameters, the overall gold comprehensive recovery rate increased from 55% to 82%-85%; finished gold concentrate grade steadily maintained at 48-52g/t, completely meeting local smelter access standards. The closed water circulation system eliminated external water purchasing cost, cutting overall operating cost by roughly 18%. The standardized tailings disposal mode also helped the client pass local environmental inspection with zero violations.
Client Feedback
“We have tried multiple suppliers to improve our refractory gold ore recovery, yet no one solved the fundamental problem until cooperating with Zhongyi. The MQY2136 ball mill and flotation cells show stable running status with low wearing parts consumption. The customized flotation formula greatly boosted our gold recovery. Besides equipment supply, their engineers provided on-site guidance and systematic operation training, which helped our crew master the whole process quickly. This is a practical and high-return gold flotation project for us.”
Get Your Custom Ore Beneficiation Plan
If you are facing low recovery problems in processing hard rock refractory gold ore, Zhongyi offers professional customized gold flotation processing plant, cyanide leaching and gravity separation solutions. We provide ore testing, process design, equipment manufacturing, installation commissioning and full-cycle EPC services for global mining investors. Contact our mineral processing engineers to get accurate test data and a detailed project budget.
