2.1. Sampling, chemical and mineralogical analysis
The copper ore samples used in this study were prepared from working benches of the Sarcheshmeh copper mine. They represented a range of different alteration and aluminosilicate minerals as well as different feeds to the plant. The samples were divided into four groups based on the amount of Al2O3, SiO2 and Cu (%)and on mineralogy considerations. The chemical compositions and the mineral constituents of the samples were determined by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively.The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.