Preliminary Study of Geochemical, Mineralogical and Magnetic Susceptibility Properties of Flotation Tailings from the Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag Rudnik Mine, Serbia

Samples of flotation tailings generated during the exploitation and processing of Zn–Pb–Cu–Ag ore from the Rudnik mine (Serbia) were investigated for their mineralogical, geo-chemical, and magnetic susceptibility properties. The flotation tailings consist of a com-plex mineral assemblage, including silicates, carbonates, sulfides, phosphates, sulfates, oxides, hydroxides, and native elements. Quartz and calcite dominate the coarse fraction (>500 µm), accompanied by epidote, andradite, and diopside. Sulfide minerals are con-centrated in finer fractions (400 µm), with pyrite and arsenopyrite being the most abun-dant, followed by pyrrhotite, sphalerite, galena, and chalcopyrite. These sulfides form in-tricate intergrowths or occur as dispersed grains within a silicate–carbonate matrix. Post-depositional oxidative alteration is moderately developed, with pyrite being replaced by hematite, galena by cerussite, and chalcopyrite by malachite. Geochemical analyses reveal that SiO₂ (avg. 38.98 wt%), Fe₂O₃ (avg. 23.68 wt%), and Al₂O₃ (avg. 8.95 wt%) domi-nate the composition. Economically significant metals include Zn (avg. 0.47 wt%), Pb (avg. 0.20 wt%), Cu (avg. 0.11 wt%), Ag (max. 19 µg/g), and Bi (max. 130 µg/g). Mass mag-netic susceptibility shows a significant correlation with S (r = 0.92), Co (r = 0.90), and Bi (r = 0.87); moderate correlation with Fe₂O₃, Al₂O₃, and As; and negative correlation with Mn, TiO₂, Zn, and Pb. The ferromagnetic phase (sensu lato) most likely originates from hematite formed during pyrite alteration, as well as from pyrrhotite and goethite.