Study on the enrichment of refractory oxidized lead ores from mining stockpiles using combined electrochemical polarization
Abstract
Man-made oxidized nonferrous metal ores accumulate in large quantities in mining plants, causing environmental problems and polluting the soil, groundwater, and atmosphere with toxic heavy metals. Traditional flotation is often ineffective and fails to yield acceptable levels of nonferrous metal recovery. This study aims to use refractory oxidized lead ore electrochemical enrichment to increase lead recovery into flotation concentrates to 93–95% from mining stockpiles. Cerussite is the primary lead mineral in the ore. Voltammetric measurements established that cerussite reduction proceeds partly via decomposition, with the formation of Pb ²⁺ ions, and partly through the direct solid-state discharge of mineral particles to elemental lead. To convert the mineral cerussite to an easily floatable sulfide form, the traditional flotation reagent sodium sulfide was used. Under microelectrolysis conditions in a weakly alkaline solution of sodium sulfide, lead cations formed during the solid-phase decomposition of cerussite interact with sulfide ions and form lead sulfides. The electrode mechanisms of cerussite mineral sulfidization were used for the electrochemical enrichment of oxidized lead ore. Sulfidization of ore from the Alaigyr deposit (Republic of Kazakhstan) was carried out by electrolysis under galvanostatic conditions in a specially designed electrolyzer with separated cathodic and anodic compartments. A multifactorial model of lead recovery into sulfide concentrate was obtained, indicating that a high degree of recovery of 98.56% was achieved under the experimentally determined optimal conditions. The chemical and phase compositions of the initial oxidized lead ore, cerussite, lead sulfide, and sulfide concentrate were determined using chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction, and electron microscopy.
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BibTeX
@article{dospayev2026study,
title = {{Study on the enrichment of refractory oxidized lead ores from mining stockpiles using combined electrochemical polarization}},
author = {Мurat Dospayev and Irina Figurinene and Аnel Jashibekova and Darkhan Dospayev},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-76892-0},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-76892-0},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Study on the enrichment of refractory oxidized lead ores from mining stockpiles using combined electrochemical polarization
AU - Мurat Dospayev
AU - Irina Figurinene
AU - Аnel Jashibekova
AU - Darkhan Dospayev
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-76892-0
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-76892-0
AB - Man-made oxidized nonferrous metal ores accumulate in large quantities in mining plants, causing environmental problems and polluting the soil, groundwater, and atmosphere with toxic heavy metals. Traditional flotation is often ineffective and fails to yield acceptable levels of nonferrous metal recovery. This study aims to use refractory oxidized lead ore electrochemical enrichment to increase lead recovery into flotation concentrates to 93–95% from mining stockpiles. Cerussite is the primary lead mineral in the ore. Voltammetric measurements established that cerussite reduction proceeds partly via decomposition, with the formation of Pb ²⁺ ions, and partly through the direct solid-state discharge of mineral particles to elemental lead. To convert the mineral cerussite to an easily floatable sulfide form, the traditional flotation reagent sodium sulfide was used. Under microelectrolysis conditions in a weakly alkaline solution of sodium sulfide, lead cations formed during the solid-phase decomposition of cerussite interact with sulfide ions and form lead sulfides. The electrode mechanisms of cerussite mineral sulfidization were used for the electrochemical enrichment of oxidized lead ore. Sulfidization of ore from the Alaigyr deposit (Republic of Kazakhstan) was carried out by electrolysis under galvanostatic conditions in a specially designed electrolyzer with separated cathodic and anodic compartments. A multifactorial model of lead recovery into sulfide concentrate was obtained, indicating that a high degree of recovery of 98.56% was achieved under the experimentally determined optimal conditions. The chemical and phase compositions of the initial oxidized lead ore, cerussite, lead sulfide, and sulfide concentrate were determined using chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction, and electron microscopy.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -