en.Wedoany.com Reported - China Changsha Institute of Mining Research Co., Ltd. announced on June 13, 2026, that it has completed an industrial trial for scheelite recovery from copper-sulfur tailings at the Dabaoshan Mine in Guangdong Province, successfully overcoming the industry challenge of recovering fine-grained scheelite in an acidic environment. This technology enables a tungsten concentrate grade of 22.60%, increases the total recovery rate by 33%, and is expected to generate approximately 380 million yuan in additional economic benefits annually.
The trial targeted copper-sulfur tailings from Guangdong Dabaoshan Mining Co., Ltd. These tailings have a daily discharge volume of 7,500 tons, with a tungsten grade of only 0.06%, and up to 70% of the tungsten resources are contained in fine particles below 25 microns. Previously, due to the lack of efficient recovery methods, these tailings resulted in annual losses of over 900 million yuan in tungsten resource value.
To address this technical bottleneck, the technical team at the Changsha Institute of Mining Research innovatively developed a combined process of "gravity classification—differential gravity separation—flotation." Trial results showed that the tungsten concentrate obtained through this process achieved a tungsten trioxide (WO₃) grade of 22.60% and a total recovery rate of 55.83%. Compared to the original technology, the recovery rate was significantly improved by 33%. According to estimates, the application of this technology can yield an additional 2,759 tons of tungsten concentrate annually, equivalent to 960 tons of standard tungsten concentrate.
Founded in 1956, China Changsha Institute of Mining Research Co., Ltd. is a core research institution under China Minmetals Corporation, headquartered in Changsha City, Hunan Province. As one of the first batch of central enterprise research institutes to undergo restructuring, the institute has long been dedicated to the research and development of metal mining, mineral processing technologies, and equipment, accumulating profound technical expertise in the recovery of complex and refractory ores. This technological breakthrough provides a mature solution for the resource utilization of low-grade, difficult-to-process tungsten tailings, not only enhancing the comprehensive utilization rate of mineral resources but also creating significant economic benefits for mining enterprises. Currently, the technology has reached the stage for industrial promotion and application, and is expected to be replicated and promoted in similar mines both domestically and internationally.
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