Research Problem on the Profitability of Mining Activities in DRC, Face to New Technologies: Critical Analysis of the Extraction Chain of Copper and Cobalt Deposits (From Raw Materials to Metal)

The value of ore depends on various parameters, susceptible to influence its aptitude in subsequent processing. We could mention the grade, the presence of accompanying elements, the nature of its gangue and its useful mineralogical components, the grain size, its physical and chemical properties. Every mining activity usually starts with easy-to-value deposits that generally offer a short-range profitability, which are soon depleted. This causes lower quality ore and more and more fine and disseminated deposits to be exploited. Apart from huge investments, the development of these deposits requires, to treat greater and greater volumes of materials in order to obtain a given quantity of metal. This goes through a thorough milling of ores, to obtain a sufficient liberation, while ensuring the profitability of the whole process from raw material to metal. The price of raw materials, the increasing costs of labor and chemical reagents, the growing competition and environmental obligations no longer enable to use these techniques, and a judicious choice is needed. With the passage of time, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been able to acquire new techniques in terms of Reserves evaluation, planning, valuation and characterization of copper and cobalt ores.Government measures forbidding the exportation of raw ores in Katanga have favored the construction of a lot of metallurgical plants, nearby concentrators and mines. Softwares like Geovia Surpac and Minesched have come to the assistance to the mining industry.Compared to analytical and empirical methods, these tools present some advantages such as easiness and accuracy of calculations which were once difficult. In the valuation beyond gravity, physicochemical (flotation) techniques, leaching combined with solvent extraction and electrolysis has increased the quality of mining products exported, with an increase in the profitability of mining. In the valuation by flotation, the use of the "Image J.145" software allowed us in our doctoral research to predict the behavior of Ruashi I ore in grinding. X-ray diffraction has also enabled us through semi-quantitative analyses to control the quality of flotation products, while guiding this process for better profitability. Other new techniques at the laboratory or pilot stage are also being tested in the world we cite: centrifugal gravity concentration, advanced flotation, bacterial leaching and Geometallurgy. All of these technologies can only be used to the extent that the entire extraction chain is proven to be profitable, as each technology has a cost.