October 7, 2026 | Mining Industry News

Glencore Technology has demonstrated a new application for its Jameson Cell flotation technology at Antapaccay's Tintaya Concentrator in Peru. The pilot test program focused on recovering coarse copper-bearing particles from flotation tailings that could otherwise be lost during mineral processing.

The results highlight new opportunities to improve copper recovery from existing flotation circuits without requiring major plant modifications.

The testwork investigated a modified Jameson Cell operating in a scavenger application. The objective was to recover valuable coarse copper-bearing particles remaining in the flotation tailings.

According to Glencore Technology, the pilot program recovered an average of 24.7% of the targeted copper-bearing particles larger than 150 μm. The recovered material was upgraded by approximately 5.3 times.

The test also explored minor modifications to the cell's downcomer design and operating conditions to improve coarse particle recovery while retaining the basic Jameson Cell platform.

The proposed process involves collecting the recovered coarse concentrate, regrinding it, and returning it to the rougher flotation circuit.

This approach could provide an additional recovery opportunity with relatively minor changes to existing plant operations. Glencore Technology estimates that the concept could potentially increase overall copper recovery by 2–6%, depending on the application and operating conditions.

Further validation across different ore types and processing conditions is planned.

Coarse particle recovery remains an important challenge in mineral processing. Larger particles can detach from air bubbles more easily, making their recovery difficult under certain flotation conditions.

The Antapaccay testwork demonstrates how modified flotation equipment and circuit configurations can create additional opportunities to recover valuable minerals from existing tailings streams.

For copper processing plants, understanding ore characteristics, particle size distribution, and flotation equipment performance is essential when evaluating opportunities to improve recovery and plant efficiency.

As mining operations seek to maximize metal recovery from existing resources, flotation circuit optimization and equipment selection will continue to play an important role in mineral processing development.