Recupero di specie utili dai residui minero-metallurgici: potenzialità e problematiche della situazione in Sardegna

The paper discusses the hypothesis of reprocessing of mineral waste according to the following items: general distribution in Sardinia; distribution of Pb and Zn mining wastes in the Sulcis Iglesiente Guspinese; results of the first batch flotation tests. The application of the mining waste treatment as a reclamation technique is mostly based on the flotation technique that proved to be useful for separating the remaining minerals from the gangue. This provides both an environmental benefit and an economic advantage, which in some cases repays the reprocessing costs, even though several difficulties could be encountered in the application of flotation to mining waste. The paper presents the results of the experimental laboratory batch tests, which proved to be encouraging in the case of the Montevecchio mining district (SW Sardinia). Nevertheless, future work is needed to clarify, as much they are valid for the different situations present on the site.