Complex processing of oxidized copper and zinc oxide ores with simultaneous production of several products

Modern production of non-ferrous metals is imperfect due to the loss of rock mass and metal in the technological chain ore mining to metal production. Processing of zinc oxide and oxidized copper ores by hydrometallurgical, pyrometallurgical and flotation methods is associated with formation of dump cakes, clinkers and flotation tailings. Therefore, all these methods are characterized by a low coefficient of complex use of raw materials (for example, for the Waelz process this coefficient is not higher than 35%). To increase the degree of complex processing of oxide raw materials, it is necessary to change the attitude to raw materials and create industrial technologies based on new principles. The article presents theoretical and applied research results on complex processing of oxidized copper and zinc oxide ores based on the new attitude to raw materials and new effective technologies allowing us to increase significantly the level of raw materials’ complex processing. Theoretical regularities, features and optimal technological parameters of new methods of complex processing of oxide, zinc and oxidized copper ores were found based on the ideology of a universal technological raw material and the simultaneous production of several products in one furnace unit.