Pyrite flotation in the presence of metal ions and sphalerite

doi:10.1016/S0301-7516(97)00064-1

International Journal of Mineral Processing

Volume 52, Issues 2–3, December 1997, Pages 187-201

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-7516(97)00064-1 Get rights and content

Abstract

The effect of Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions on pyrite floatability with xanthate as a function of pH in the presence and absence of sphalerite was studied. In the alkaline pH region, these ions activated the pyrite when alone but not when sphalerite was present. Zeta-potential measurements and infrared surface characterization confirmed the different interaction with xanthate depending whether the pyrite was alone or with sphalerite.

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Cited by (114)

Effects of Au doping on the adsorption of xanthate on pyrite surface in presence of H<inf>2</inf>O: A DFT study
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Despite density functional theory (DFT) has been widely applied in the study of Au-doped pyrite, effects of Au doping on the structural properties and floatability of pyrite still remain uncertain. Most of the previous studies were carried out in vacuum disregarding the existence of water molecules, which were inconsistent with the real flotation system. This work aims to study the adsorption behavior of ethyl xanthate on the surface of perfect pyrite and Au-doped pyrite in presence of water molecules through DFT calculations. It was found that the doped Au expanded the lattice of pyrite (1 0 0) surface, with enhanced conductivity and chemical reactivity. After Au-doping, the population and covalence level of Fe-S bond of pyrite was reduced, making Fe atoms prone to interact with water molecules and xanthate. The binding energy and density of states (DOS) analysis indicated that Au-doping enhanced the binding ability of xanthate with pyrite surface more significantly than water molecules. Therefore, Au-doping promoted the adsorption of xanthate on pyrite surface in presence of water molecules. This study is of guiding significance for investigating the flotation behavior of Au-doped pyrite and flotation reagents design.
Nitric acid treatment of a pyrite rougher concentrate to oxidise differentially the pyrite types and modify the Au:S ratio in a resulting cleaner concentrate
2023, Minerals Engineering
The Lihir ore deposit is a sulfide associated refractory gold ore of epithermal origin containing different types of pyrite with a range of levels for gold. The presence of the low gold pyrite types decreases the Au:S value of the Lihir ores and its concentrates resulting in higher consumption of oxygen in the autoclave and thereby affecting the overall gold production at Lihir. This research, deriving from the fundamental principles of hydrometallurgy, is an attempt to develop a manipulative framework to modify the flotation response of gold-rich pyrite and low gold pyrite so that the Au:S ratio of the final pyrite concentrate from flotation can be upgraded. Metallurgical results confirmed that it is possible to upgrade the Au:S values of a pyrite flotation concentrate by using a hydrometallurgical scheme for preparation before flotation. A 144% increase in Au:S value was obtained with 25% oxidation of the pyrite concentrate with a gold recovery of 56%.
The effects of dry grinding and chemical conditioning during grinding on the flotation response of a Cu-Zn sulphide ore and a spodumene pegmatite silicate ore
2022, Minerals Engineering
Dry processing of metal containing ores is often easily discarded as a viable option because of the higher energy consumption of dry grinding and several other challenges introduced from the handling of the dry ore. However, possible positive aspects include improved surface properties, reduced wear of the grinding media, and improved efficiency of water usage, which will become increasingly important in the future due to the water scarcity and global warming.
Laboratory scale flotation tests with various grinding and conditioning methods were conducted with the Pyhäsalmi massive sulphide ore (Cu-Zn) and the Syväjärvi spodumene pegmatite silicate ore (Li) to determine the effects of dry processing on the flotation performance of these ores. Products were characterized utilizing XRF and MP-AES, and metallurgical efficiency was assessed. EDTA-leaching of the grinding products, and electrochemical measurements were conducted to further assess the chemical conditions after various processing atmospheres.
Dry grinding the Pyhäsalmi sulphide ore resulted in higher flotation mass recoveries compared to wet grinding, but at the cost of selectivity. Beneficial effects emerging from the chemical conditioning during grinding were observed regarding kinetics, selectivity, and overall performance. Conditioning the Syväjärvi spodumene ore with a fatty acid collector during dry grinding had a tremendous activating effect on the ore, and detrimental effect on the selectivity. Overall, the spodumene ore responded poorly to the dry processing conditions, but some potential applications were identified.
These initial results showed clear differences in the separation performance between the various grinding and conditioning conditions, and future efforts will be focused on determining the effects of these different processing conditions on the mineralś surface properties in a more precise manner.
Degradation mechanism of surface hydrophobicity by ferrous ions in the sulfidization flotation system of smithsonite
2022, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects
Metal ions commonly exist in the flotation pulp, which will affect the mineral surface properties and lead to a change in the mineral floatability. In this work, the effect of Fe²⁺ on the flotation behavior of smithsonite was investigated, and the interaction mechanism of Fe²⁺ with the smithsonite surface in the sulfidization flotation system was clarified. The results of microflotation tests showed that the presence of Fe²⁺ can greatly reduce the flotation recovery of smithsonite. The results of zeta-potential measurement, time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that addition of Fe²⁺ before sulfidization generated FeOOH species and hindered formation of active sulfide species on smithsonite. The results of infrared spectroscopy and contact-angle measurement showed that addition of Fe²⁺ was harmful for adsorption of the collector on smithsonite, and it was difficult to obtain hydrophobic smithsonite surfaces in the Fe²⁺–sulfidization–xanthate flotation system. Considering the above results, the presence of Fe²⁺ depressed adsorption of sulfide ions and the collector on smithsonite, making smithsonite show poor floatability, and it was difficult to obtain the ideal flotation recovery of smithsonite.
An integrated management strategy for acid mine drainage control of sulfidic tailings
2022, Minerals Engineering
The oxidation of sulfide minerals releases acidic leachate enriched in sulfate, iron, and toxic metals and metalloids (e.g., As, Sb, Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, Hg, etc.) known as acid mine drainage (AMD). This eco-hydrological hazard is imminent when mineralogical and geochemical analysis indicates that acid-generating (sulfides) overcome the acid-neutralizing (carbonate) minerals in the ore and mining waste. AMD represents a multifaceted problem faced by the mining industry. The most widespread management technique is to store the tailings into engineered impoundments and actively neutralize the acidity produced by the oxidation of the sulfide minerals by adding alkaline chemical agents. However, this method involves a constant and long-term commitment, elevated operational costs, and several geotechnical and environmental drawbacks. In a pre-mining stage, geological, geochemical, mineralogical, and textural characterization of the mine waste could guide proper and site-specific mining waste management.
In this paper, we present an integrated strategy to reduce the acid mine drainage (AMD) potential of the Dundee Precious Metals Chelopech (DPM-Ch) tailings through a combination of environmental desulfurization and cemented paste backfill (CPB) – the latter one being already practiced on-site. In the proposed scenario, a desulfurization plant would be installed downstream to re-float the non-valuable reactive pyrite. The reactive pyrite concentrate would be combined with the CPB material, whereas the remaining tailings would be discharged at the tailings management facility (TMF). The lack of neutralizing gangue (NP of untreated tailings < 8 kg CaCO₃/t) precludes converting the tailings into non-acid generating. However, reducing nearly six times the amount of lime required to neutralize the acidity produced by pyrite oxidation was feasible without substantially increasing operational costs. Supporting the environmental benefits of combining desulfurization and backfill, an X-ray mapping of the CPB material revealed that this approach effectively encapsulates the reactive gangue, ultimately avoiding pyrite oxidation and leaching of heavy metals.
The flotation separation of sphalerite from pyrite through a novel flotation reagent system of FeCl<inf>3</inf>-CuSO<inf>4</inf>-aminotriazolethione
2022, Journal of Molecular Liquids
Citation Excerpt :
Thus, the copper activation and APTT hydrophobization contributed faintly to the floatability of pyrite.FeS2|Fe(III)(OH)x3-xCu(OH)i(APTT)j ↔ FeS2|Fe(III)(OH)x3-x + Cu(OH)i(APTT)j For sphalerite, the replace of surface Zn atom by Cu atom might firmly anchor Cu atom on its interface [30,55–58], and APTT reacted with the surface Cu atom to generate the Cu-APTT complexes [52–54] which hydrophobized sphalerite and dramatically promoted its floatability. The FTIR in Fig. 9 deduced that the pretreatment with FeCl3 and CuSO4 in sequence significantly weakened APTT adsorption on pyrite, while the adsorption of APTT on sphalerite was unmistakably observed.
To reduce the consumption of lime in mineral processing means reducing CO₂ emission. Herein, a novel FeCl₃-CuSO₄-APTT (4-amino-5-pentyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-thione) approach was first developed to replace the common CaO-CuSO₄-xanthate technology during flotation separation of sphalerite from pyrite. APTT exhibited a stronger collecting power towards pyrite than sphalerite, while the attendance of ferric chloride significantly depressed the floatability of pyrite and sphalerite, and its inhibition against pyrite was stronger than that to sphalerite. The addition of cupric sulfate not only removed the inhibition of ferric chloride against sphalerite, but also promoted its floatability. Nevertheless, the floatability of the FeCl₃-depressed pyrite was hardly recovered by cupric sulfate. Using FeCl₃ as the depressor against pyrite and CuSO₄ as the activator for sphalerite, APTT realized a selective and efficient flotation recovery of sphalerite from pyrite in the weakly-acidic medium. FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) and contact angle indicated that the pretreatment with FeCl₃ and CuSO₄ in sequence significantly weakened APTT adsorption on pyrite, while benefited sphalerite adsorption towards APTT, resulting in creating a dramatical difference of surface hydrophobicity and flotation recovery between the two minerals. XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) elucidated that after modifying sphalerite surface successively through FeCl₃, CuSO₄ and APTT, the Cu-APTT complexes were detected on sphalerite, which were of significance to hydrophobizing its flotation.

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Pyrite flotation in the presence of metal ions and sphalerite

Abstract

Int. J. Miner. Process.

J. Colloid Interface Sci.

Colloids Surfaces

Int. J. Miner. Process.

Int. J. Miner. Process.

Miner. Eng.

Colloids Surfaces

The chemistry of pyrite flotation and depression

Flotation theory and mill control

Flotation characteristics of pyrrhotite with xanthate

AIME Trans.

On the mechanism of pyrite flotation with xanthate collectors