Application of attainable region technique to optimize copper slag’s desired size class

Abstract:

Copper slag is a hard material produced from smelting copper-bearing ores. Over the years,

research has prioritized utilizing slag as a secondary source of base metals. This paper focuses on

the grinding/milling of copper slag collected from the BCL Mine in Botswana to obtain a maximum

amount of material in the desired size class with minimal energy consumption. This will then

be followed by an integrated flotation and leaching approach of the desired size class material to

recover copper. Our objectives are to determine the grinding time, ball loading, mill filling and

desired size class for maximum recovery of copper mineral. The attainable region technique is an

equipment-independent optimization tool employed here to determine the optimal specifications of

our experimentally manipulated variables to satisfy the set objective function.