Challenges and opportunities for cobalt

recovery at copper plants

Romke Kuyvenhoven, SMI-ICE-Chile

Brian Townley, AMTC-Universidad de Chile
Year 2015 First report with chemical head assays
April 2018 Additional chemical assays done on 5 samples by AMTC
May 2018 AMTC contacts SMI-ICE-Chile to explore options for a
joint research effort
June 2018 CORFO approves co-funding of the project together with
SMI/UQ through SMI-ICE-Chile. First site visit takes place.
July 2018 Fifteen (15) grab samples are sent to the SGS Minerals
facilities in Santiago and Lima for further characterisation
Aug 2018 First exploratory metallurgical work is done
Nov. 2018 Where is the cobalt?
March 2019 Universidad Mayor joins the research team
April 2019 Second site visit takes place
August 2019 SMI/UQ coordinates further coordination work to be done at
the University of Tasmania (Australia)
Year 2018 – additional chemical data
Year 2015 First report with chemical head assays
April 2018 Additional chemical assays done on 5 samples by AMTC
May 2018 AMTC contacts SMI-ICE-Chile to explore options for a
joint research effort
June 2018 CORFO approves co-funding of the project together with
SMI/UQ through SMI-ICE-Chile. First site visit takes place.
July 2018 Fifteen (15) grab samples are sent to the SGS Minerals
facilities in Santiago and Lima for further characterisation
Aug 2018 First exploratory metallurgical work is done
Nov. 2018 Where is the cobalt?
March 2019 Universidad Mayor joins the research team
April 2019 Second site visit takes place
August 2019 SMI/UQ coordinates further coordination work to be done at
the University of Tasmania (Australia)
Year 2015 First report with chemical head assays
April 2018 Additional chemical assays done on 5 samples by AMTC
May 2018 AMTC contacts SMI-ICE-Chile to explore options for a
joint research effort
June 2018 CORFO approves co-funding of the project together with
SMI/UQ through SMI-ICE-Chile. First site visit takes place.
July 2018 Fifteen (15) grab samples are sent to the SGS Minerals
facilities in Santiago and Lima for further characterisation
Aug 2018 First exploratory metallurgical work is done
Nov. 2018 Where is the cobalt?
March 2019 Universidad Mayor joins the research team
April 2019 Second site visit takes place
August 2019 SMI/UQ coordinates further coordination work to be done at
the University of Tasmania (Australia)
 Cu and Co content per sample number Cu and Ni content per sample number P and Y-La-Tb-Yb-Lu content per sample number
12.000 1.800 12.000 3.500 20.000 250
copper fosforo Y-La-Tb-Yb-Lu
1.600 copper 18.000
10.000 10.000 3.000
cobalt 1.400 16.000 200
nickel
2.500 14.000
8.000 1.200 8.000
2.000 12.000 150
1.000
6.000 6.000 10.000
800 1.500 8.000 100
4.000 600 4.000
1.000 6.000
400 4.000 50
2.000 2.000 500
200 2.000
0 0 0 0 0 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Cu and V content per sample number Cu and S content per sample number Cu and Ti content per sample number
12.000 3.500 12.000 12 12.000 0,35
copper copper copper
10.000 3.000 10.000 10 10.000 0,30
vanadium sulphur
2.500 0,25
8.000 8.000 8 8.000
2.000 0,20
6.000 6.000 6 6.000
1.500 0,15
4.000 4.000 4 4.000
1.000 0,10

2.000 500 2.000 2 2.000 0,05

0 0 0 0 0 0,00
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Difractograma General
3000
COMPOSITO 1

1100
COD 9001922 Al0.252Ca1.904F0.726Fe0.905H1.566K0.096Mg4.083Mn0.02Na0.232O23.274Si7.788Ti0.014 Actinolite
COD 9001631 AlNaO8Si3 Albite
COD 9009591 C2Ca1.05Fe0.63Mg0.27Mn0.05O6 Ankerite
COD 9000095 CCaO3 Calcite
COD 9008287 Cu2S Chalcocite
2400

COD 2104742 CuFeS2 Chalcopyrite

COD 9009233 Al1.2Fe2.482H10Mg2.518O18Si3.8 Chamosite
COD 9000062 CuS Covellite
700

COD 9016199 Al2.09Ca2Fe0.91HO13Si3 Epidote

2100

COD 9001880 Ca5FO12P3 Fluorapatite

COD 9013529 Fe3O4 Magnetite
COD 9002779 Al2Ca0.5O12Si4 Montmorillonite
500

COD 9000595 FeS2 Pyrite

1800

COD 5000035 O2Si Quartz

COD 9008297 H2Mg3O12Si4 Talc
25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39
Counts

COD 9001326 CaO5SiTi Titanite

1500
1200
900
600
300
0

10 20 30 40 50 60 70
2Theta (Coupled TwoTheta/Theta) WL=1.54060
 MINERAL Comp 1 Comp 2 Comp 3
Cuarzo 4,12 5,11 3,95
Plagioclasa 0,55 0,77 0,44
Albita 0,87 1,02 0,95
Feldespato K 0,12 0,16 0,03
Sericita 0,23 0,11 0,14
Biotita 0,15 0,24 0,16
Clorita 1,19 1,55 2,54
Calcita 1,16 2,21 2,09
Arcillas/Esmectitas 1,55 1,33 1,32
Anfíbola 1,22 2,04 2,33
Actinolita 9,34 11,15 10,55
Talco 2,11 1,93 -
Granate - - 1,88
Piroxeno - - 0,21
Epidota 0,87 1,12 0,25
Apatito 10,33 9,77 7,01
Siderita 0,22 0,33 0,35
Ankerita 0,33 0,45 0,48
Esfeno 0,16 0,08 0,43
Limonita 0,44 0,50 0,62
Rutilo 0,12 0,09 -
Opacos ** 64,92 60,04 64,27
TOTAL 100,00 100,00 100,00
Year 2015 First report with chemical head assays
April 2018 Additional chemical assays done on 5 samples by AMTC
May 2018 AMTC contacts SMI-ICE-Chile to explore options for a
joint research effort
June 2018 CORFO approves co-funding of the project together with
SMI/UQ through SMI-ICE-Chile. First site visit takes place.
July 2018 Fifteen (15) grab samples are sent to the SGS Minerals
facilities in Santiago and Lima for further characterisation
Aug 2018 First exploratory metallurgical work is done
Nov. 2018 Where is the cobalt?
March 2019 Universidad Mayor joins the research team
April 2019 Second site visit takes place
August 2019 SMI/UQ coordinates further coordination work to be done at
the University of Tasmania (Australia)
Line scan to confirm cobalt presence as replacement of iron
C D

Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy for Co

E F

1 2 4 3
Year 2015 First report with chemical head assays
April 2018 Additional chemical assays done on 5 samples by AMTC
May 2018 AMTC contacts SMI-ICE-Chile to explore options for a
joint research effort
June 2018 CORFO approves co-funding of the project together with
SMI/UQ through SMI-ICE-Chile. First site visit takes place.
July 2018 Fifteen (15) grab samples are sent to the SGS Minerals
facilities in Santiago and Lima for further characterisation
Aug 2018 First exploratory metallurgical work is done
Nov. 2018 Where is the cobalt?
March 2019 Universidad Mayor joins the research team
April 2019 Second site visit takes place
August 2019 SMI/UQ coordinates further coordination work to be done at
the University of Tasmania (Australia)
 Seven alteration events are identified with a total of
five different types of pyrite.

Samples are taken of the five types of pyrite for further

mineralogical characterisation
The objective the following characterisation stage, is to quantify the cobalt
grade and distribution for the different types of pyrite.

With that information, the actual cobalt content that should be considered
for the Resource & Reserves model, can be better estimated.

The overall recovery of cobalt is very variable and dependent on the

metallurgical process, and that process that will depend largely on how
cobalt is present.
Year 2015 First report with chemical head assays
April 2018 Additional chemical assays done on 5 samples by AMTC
May 2018 AMTC contacts SMI-ICE-Chile to explore options for a
joint research effort
June 2018 CORFO approves co-funding of the project together with
SMI/UQ through SMI-ICE-Chile. First site visit takes place.
July 2018 Fifteen (15) grab samples are sent to the SGS Minerals
facilities in Santiago and Lima for further characterisation
Aug 2018 First exploratory metallurgical work is done
Nov. 2018 Where is the cobalt?
March 2019 Universidad Mayor joins the research team
April 2019 Second site visit takes place
August 2019 SMI/UQ coordinates further characterization work to be
done at the University of Tasmania (Australia)
 The ICP-MS-LA characterisation technique at the
University of Tasmania can analysis individual pyrite
grains and identify Co-grade and distribution with each
pyrite grain.

The samples are shipped in the suitcase of SMI

personnel to Australia.
Py3Aiii (b)
Py5Aii
IOCG ores can contain economically attractive amounts of cobalt
associated to the pyrite phase, typically around or above 500 ppm Co.
Production of a pyrite concentrate should give up to 4000 ppm of
cobalt and requires a relatively minor investment.

Mineralogical characterisation of cobalt is challenging because of the

relatively low Co grades in the head samples (< 1000 ppm) and because
of the absence of crystalline cobalt minerals

Apart from cobalt, valuable elements such as nickel, REE and vanadium
should be studied

Further study should focus on solubilization of cobalt from the pyrite

concentrate