For small copper mines with small ore scale and limited investment, the beneficiation process needs to take into account both economy and efficiency. The following are the core processes and equipment selection recommendations:

‌1. Ore pre-selection and crushing‌

Small copper mines (containing 0.5%-2% copper) often use "jaw crusher + cone crusher" two-stage closed-circuit crushing to reduce the particle size of the original ore to 10-15mm. It is recommended to use a mobile jaw crusher (PE250×400) with vibration screening, and the pre-throwing waste rock rate can reach 20%, reducing the subsequent processing cost. For mixed copper ores of oxide and sulfide ores, an X-ray separator can be added to separate high-grade ore blocks in advance.

‌2. Grinding-flotation combined process‌

‌Stage grinding‌: Use a wet grid ball mill (such as φ1.5×3m) and a spiral classifier in a closed-circuit operation to grind the ore to -200 mesh, accounting for 60%-70%, to avoid energy waste due to over-grinding.

‌Floatation optimization‌: Sulfide ores are mostly treated with the "roughing-scavenging-cleaning" process, using XJK flotation machines, xanthate (ethyl sodium xanthate) as collector, pine oil as frother, and copper recovery rate can reach 85%-90%; oxide ores can be activated by adding sodium sulfide, or using the leaching-extraction-electrodeposition (L-SX-EW) process.

3. Tailings treatment and resource utilization‌

Small factories recommend the "concentrator + filter press" dehydration combination, and the tailings moisture content is reduced to below 15%, which is convenient for dry storage or brick making. Sulfur-containing tailings can be added with lime to neutralize acidic water, and heavy metals can be recovered in sedimentation tanks to achieve a wastewater recycling rate of >80%.

4. Key Points of Cost Control‌

‌Equipment Selection‌: Modular equipment (such as integrated grinding and flotation system) is preferred, which reduces the floor space by 30%; ‌Reagent System‌: Determine the best reagent ratio through small-scale flotation test to reduce the unit cost (the dosage of yellow medicine is controlled at 60-100g/t); ‌Energy Management‌: Use variable frequency motor and solar energy auxiliary power supply, and the power consumption per ton of ore can be reduced to 25-35kWh.

At present, intelligent small-scale mineral processing systems (such as PLC automatic dosing, online grade analysis) can reduce labor costs by 40%, with an initial investment of about 100,000-150,000 US dollars, suitable for mines with an annual processing capacity of 50,000 tons, and a stable comprehensive recovery rate of more than 75%.