MINERALOGICAL OCCURRENCE OF RARE METALS IN THE INGICHKA DEPOSIT AND DEVELOPMENT OF TUNGSTEN EXTRACTION TECHNOLOGY..

Abstract

Growing global demand for tungsten and the gradual depletion of high-grade primary resources
have increased interest in the utilization of technogenic mineral deposits. The mineralogical occurrence
of tungsten-bearing minerals in the tailings of the Ingichka deposit was investigated, and the potential for
tungsten recovery using combined beneficiation methods was evaluated. Mineralogical and granulometric
analyses revealed that tungsten occurs predominantly as hubnerite, whereas scheelite is present in minor
quantities. The highest tungsten content was identified in the fine particle-size fractions, particularly within the
−0.1–0.044 mm size range. The applicability of radiometric separation, gravity concentration, and magnetic
separation was assessed. The results demonstrated that radiometric separation is ineffective because of the
low contrast characteristics of the material. In contrast, gravity concentration ensured efficient recovery of
tungsten from high-density fractions, while subsequent magnetic separation significantly improved concentrate
quality. Based on the obtained results, an optimized technological scheme incorporating classification, gravity
concentration, centrifugal separation, and high-intensity magnetic separation was developed. The proposed
approach enhances tungsten recovery from technogenic tailings and contributes to the sustainable utilization
of secondary mineral resources.