Potential control flotation of galena in strong alkaline media

The electrochemical oxidation of galena in collectorless and collector flotation systems, particularly in strong alkaline media, was studied. The results show that, with pH value higher than 12.5 and potentials below 0.17 V, the oxidation products of galena are elemental sulfur and HPbO2^- . Elemental sulfur was present on the mineral surface in excess of oxidized lead species due to dissolution of HPbO2^- , which is beneficial to the flotation of galena. Under the same conditions, sphalerite and pyrite were depressed as a result of significant surface oxidation. Diethyldithioearbamate (DDTC) was found to be the most suitable collector for galena flotation in strongly alkaline media. The very potential produced hydrophobic PbD2-the surface reaction produet of DDTC with galena, is 0 to 0.2 V. Meantime DDTC can depress the surface over-oxidation of galena.Investigations also indicate that, in the range of - 0.9 V to 0.6 V, hydrophobic PbD2 can be firmly adsorbed on galena.     

Galvanic coupling and its effect on origin potential flotation system of sulfide minerals

The galvanic coupling formed in origin potential flotation systems of sulfide minerals can be divided into three types: sulfide mineral-sulfide mineral-water system; sulfide mineral-steel ball-water system; and sulfide mineral-sulfide mineral-collector system. In this paper, taking lead, zinc, iron sulfide mineral systems for examples,several models of galvanic coupling were proposed and the effects of galvanic coupling on flotation were discussed. A galvanic contact between galena (or sphalerite) and pyrite contributes to decreasing the content of zinc in lead concentrate, and enhances remarkably the absorption of collector on the galena surface. During grinding, due to galvanic interactions between minerals and steel medium, Fe(OH)3 formed covers on the cathodic mineral surface, affecting its floatability.     

Effect of depressants on flotation separation of magnesite from dolomite and calcite

The flotation separation of magnesite from calcium-containing minerals has always been a difficult subject in minerals processing. This work studied the inhibition effects of carboxymethyl cellulose(CMC),sodium lignosulphonate, polyaspartic acid(PASP) and sodium silicate on flotation behaviors of magnesite, dolomite and calcite, providing guidance for the development of reagents in magnesite flotation.The micro-flotation results showed that among these four depressants, sodium silicate presented...     

Effect of Flotation Reagents on the Cake Moisture of Copper Concentrate

The effect of reagents used in separating chalcopyrite from pyrite on the cake moisture of the copper concentrate at Daye Iron Mine Mineral Processing Plant was investigated. The results showed that the dosage of lime used for depressing pyrite was the main factor that increased the filter cake moisture of copper concentrate. With increasing the dosage of lime, the cake moisture of copper concentrate increased sharply. The cause was concluded to be the addition of lime to the pulp, which resulted in the formation of floc and a high pH value. The collector Z-200#, used for collecting chalcopyrite, had, as well, an adverse effect on the cake moisture of copper concentrate, but its effect was inferior in respect to that of lime. The cake moisture of copper concentrate can be decreased by changing the method with which lime is added and the pH value of pulp is regulated. The experiment results showed that the sulfuric acid was the best regulator. When the clarified liquor of lime was used as a depressant and the pH value of the pulp was regulated to 6.5?7.0 by adding sulfuric acid, the cake moisture of copper concentrate was reduced from 15.49% to 13.13%. The examination of chalcopyrite surface by using ESCA (Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis) showed that calcium sulfate and iron hydroxide had formed on the surface of chalcopyrite when lime was added to the pulp. The formation of calcium sulfate and iron hydroxide on its surface increased the hydrophilicity of chalcopyrite so that its cake moisture increased. The addition of sulfuric acid to the pulp not only removed the calcium sulfate, but also reduced the concentration of iron hydroxide on the surface of chalcopyrite so that the cake moisture of copper concentrate was decreased.     

Effect of radiation on wettability and floatability of sulfide minerals

The feasibility for modifying the wettability and floatability of sulfide minerals by electron beam irradiation has been studied experimentally. The wettability of crystalline pyrite and floatability of some sulfide as pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite and marmatite after irradiation were examined by flotation in a modified Hallimond tube. Experimental results show that the hydrophobicity of crystal-line pyrite enhances with the increase of irradiation dose in a low dose range. And the flotation responses of sulfide minerals on irradiation dose vary with the mineral species and particle size. The floatability of minerals can be regulated by altering irradiation dose. An explanation for the mechanism has been suggested based on the principle of radiation chemistry.     

Nanobubble generation and its applications in froth flotation(partⅢ):specially designed laboratory scale column flotation of phosphate

##正##Froth flotation is used widely for upgrading raw phosphate.The flotation recovery of coarse phosphate(-1.18+0.425 mm) is much lower than that achieved on the-0.425+0.15 mm size fraction.Enhanced recovery of coarse phosphate particles is of great economic and environmental importance for phosphate industry.In this investigation,four different phosphate samples were aquired,characterized and tested in a specially designed laboratory-scale flotation column.Significant recovery improvement of coarse phosphate flotation was achieved using cavitation-generated nanobubble though its effects differ among the four testing phosphate samples.The laboratory-scale flotation column test results indicate that nanobubble increased P_2O_5 recovery by up to 10%～30%for a given Acid Insoluble(A.I.) rejection,depending on the characteristic of phosphate samples.The improvement effect of nanobubble on the hard-to-float particles was more significant than that on easy-to-float particles,especially at lower collector dosages.Nanobubbles reduced the collector dosage by 1/3 to 1/2.Nanobubbles almost doubled the coarse phosphate flotation rate constant and increased the flotation selectivity index by up to 25%.     

A novel collector RL for flotation of bauxite

The flotation properties of single minerals such as diaspore, kaolinite and pyrophllite in bauxites were investigated using RL as collector. The effects of regulators and unavoidable ions on flotation were studied. Based on the results of single minerals flotation, the separation experiments of mixed minerals and bauxite ore were carried out. The results of closed circuit test on the ore show that, using RL as collector, Na2CO3 and (NaPO3)6 as modifiers, the grade of Al2O3 and SiO2 are respectively 70.74% and 6.37% in concentrate(Al/Si 11.11 ), and the recovery of Al2O3 can reach 90.52 %.     

Flotation of a new chelate collector on fine refractory iron ore-containing carbonate

A suitable and efficient flotation collector at normal atmospheric temperature for Donganshan iron ore was developed.A new chelate collector W-2 was synthesized.At 30 °C,condition flotation tests on mixed magnetic concentrate of Donganshan sintering plant established the best reagent system.With the optimum reagent system,one direct flotation and one reverse flotation including one roughing,one cleaning and two scavenging stages have been conducted.After closed-circuit flotation,excellent indices were obtained with grade of siderite concentrate of 36.49%,recovery rate of 10.65%,and loss on ignition of 11.17%,and the grade of hematite concentrate reached 66.27%,with recovery rate of 78.25%,tailing grade of 16.22%,and recovery rate of 11.10%.To analyze the mechanism of action from W-2 to quartz and siderite,zeta potential and FTIR spectra were detected.Results showed that after reaction with W-2,the zeta potential of quartz and siderite evidently changed,which resulted from hydrogen bond between quartz and W-2,and a certain chemical action between siderite and W-2.In addition,the electronegativity equalization principle was used to calculate electronegativity of active adsorption sites and analysis on reagent molecular structure showed that W-2 molecule had five active adsorption sites.Results showed that the electronegativity of atoms N and O in W-2 presented a substantial increase,and the synergy of atomic sites allowed considerable enhancement of collecting ability.     

Thermodynamics and density functional theory study of potassium dichromate interaction with galena

The adsorption heat and reaction rate constant of potassium dichromate on the surface of galena were studied. The results indicate that potassium dichromate tends to adsorption on the galena surface. The reaction order is only 0.08385, suggesting that the concentration of potassium dichromate has little influence on its adsorption on the galena surface. In addition, the simulation of CrO2 4- adsorption on the PbS （100） surface in the absence and presence of O2 was carried out by density functional theory （DFT）. The calculated results show that CrO2 4- species adsorb energetically at the Pb-S bond site, and the presence of O2 can enhance this adsorption.     

Limestone-Concentrate-Pellet Roasting in wet Carbon Dioxide

A roast process for treating chalcopyrite concentrate was developed. The investigation of the reaction of limestone-concentrate-pellet in a wet carbon dioxide flow was carried out by means of a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to determine at which temperatures the roasting reaction would take place. The thermodynamic calculations on the roast reaction were made by the use of SOLGASMIX-PV program. The TGA curves and thermodynamic calculations indicated that the conversion of chalcopyrite into bornite took place at about 975K, and the conversion of bornite into chalcocite at 1065-1123K. The thermodynamic calculations also showed that the sulfur released was fixed as calcium sulfide within roasted pellets. X-ray diffraction examination identified these phases in products.     

Depression behaviors of N-thiourea-maleamic acid and its adsorption mechanism on galena in Mo-Pb flotation separation

In present study, a novel organic depressant N-thiourea-maleamic acid (TMA) was synthesized and applied as a galena depressant in the flotation separation of Mo-Pb ores. The depression behaviors of TMA were tested through flotation experiments. A wider separation window for single minerals over 90.0% was obtained at 30.0 mg/L TMA, confirming that TMA could depress galena significantly, while effected molybdenite floatability slightly. An effective separation was obtained for artificially mixed minerals and actual Mo-Pb ores. The adsorption mechanism on galena was revealed by UV–Vis spectra, zeta potential tests, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis, contact angle tests and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The zeta potentials of galena became more negative and the contact angle of galena dropped from initial 74.36° to 57.8° with 30.0 mg/L TMA depressant, inferring that TMA had adsorbed on galena surface. The analysis results of UV–Vis spectra, FT-IR and XPS gave further evidence that TMA might chemisorb on galena surface via Pb sites on galena surface and the thiourea group in TMA molecular structure, while the carboxyl group played a role of hydrophilicity.     

A nanoscale qualitative study on the role of sodium hydrosulfide in oxidized carrollite flotation

The surface species transformation of oxidized carrollite processing with NaHS and KBX was investigated. Flotation and contact angle tests indicate that the combination of NaHS and KBX takes a better flotation performance than adding NaHS or KBX alone. Thermodynamic analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results confirm the stronger chemisorption of KBX occurs on the oxidized carrollite surface with NaHS, which is beneficial to remove the cobalt oxides, thus contributing to the superior floatability. Interestingly, less elemental sulfur was observed on the carrollite surface as the interaction of NaHS and KBX than adding NaHS alone. It suggests that elemental sulfur is not the main contributor to the restored floatability of oxidized carrollite through sulfidisation. This study provided a new perspective to correlate the surface species with xanthate adsorption and oxidized carrollite flotation through determining the various intermediate products.     

方铅矿磨矿体系表面电化学性质及其对浮选的影响

采用电化学测试技术研究方铅矿磨矿体系中磨矿介质类型（瓷介质和铁介质）、机械力以及捕收剂对方铅矿表面电化学性质的影响。研究结果表明：瓷介质中,方铅矿表面会发生适当的氧化反应,有利于方铅矿浮选：增大方铅矿与瓷介质间的机械力,体系的还原性增强,同时削弱矿物表面的氧化反应,给浮选造成一定影响。铁介质中,一方面,由于铁与方铅矿的腐蚀电偶作用增强了体系的还原性,降低了药剂在方铅矿表面的吸附性能,另一方面,由于腐蚀电偶作I用产生的铁离子增强了方铅矿表面的亲水性,两方面的影响都不利于方铅矿的浮选;增大方铅矿与铁介质间的机械力,二者之间的腐蚀电偶作用和体系的还原性增强,同样不利于方铅矿浮选。当pH=9时,在瓷介质和铁介质磨矿体系中是否添加捕收剂,对方铅矿表面电化学性质和浮选影响不大。     

Effect of sodium pyrophosphate on the flotation separation of chalcopyrite from galena

The effect of sodium pyrophosphate (SPH) on the separation of chalcopyrite from galena was examined through flotation, adsorption, electrokinetic studies and infrared spectral analysis. Differential flotation tests indicate that satisfactory separation can be achieved within the pH range from 2.5 to 6 using SPH to depress the galena, but not the chalcopyrite when O-isopropyl-N-ethyl thionocarbamate (IPETC) is used as the collector. The electrophoretic mobilities of both the minerals dramatically become negatively charged following SPH adsorption in the pH range from 2.5 to 12. The infrared spectral analysis suggests that chemical adsorption occurs on galena surface treated by SPH, indicating that a chelate complex has formed. At weakly acidic pH values, the adsorption density of IPETC onto galena is significantly reduced in the presence of SPH. However, the amount of IPETC adsorbed onto chalcopyrite almost remains at the same level. Since the observed adsorption density of IEPTC onto chalcopyrite is quite high compared to galena, the observed flotation results are explained. A possible mechanism for the interaction between the two sulphide minerals and SPH is discussed.     

Theoretical study of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole derivatives as chelating collectors in flotation separation of galena and pyrite

Three 2-mercaptobenzimidazole derivatives, 1-ethyl-2-mercapto-benzimidazole (EMBI), 1-propyl-2-mercapto-benzimidazole (PMBI) and 1-benze-2-mercapto-benzimidazole (BMBI), were designed and synthesized in the paper, and their collecting behavior in flotation separation process of galena over pyrite was investigated by flotation tests on lab scale. Apart from this, density functional theory (DFT) calculation and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation were also used to elucidate their collecting mechanism. Results of flotation tests indicate that separation of galena over pyrite is feasible at pH 10, and BMBI has the best floatability among three collectors. DFT calculations show that BMBI has the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy and strongest collecting efficiency. The adsorption mode of three collectors on mineral surface by MD method indicates that the combination processes of collectors with mineral are exothermic, and the higher the binding energy, the firmer the collector adsorbs on the mineral surface and the higher collecting capacity. The calculation results demonstrate that the floatability of three collectors follows the order: BMBI > PMBI > EMBI, which is highly consistent with the flotation tests.     

Influences of collector DLZ on chalcopyrite and pyrite flotation

The interaction mechanism of collector DLZ in the flotation process of chalcopyrite and pyrite was investigated through flotation experiments, zeta potential measurements and infrared spectrum analysis. Flotation test results indicate that DLZ is the selective collector of chalcopyrite. Especially, the recovery of chalcopyrite is higher than 90% in neutral and weak alkaline systems, while the recovery of pyrite is less than 10%. When using CaO as pH regulator, at pH=7-11, the floatability of pyrite is depressed and the recovery is less than 5%. Zeta potential analysis shows that the zeta potential of chalcopyrite decreases more obviously than that of pyrite after interaction with DLZ, confirming that collector DLZ shows selectivity to chalcopyrite and pyrite. And FT1R results reveal that the flotation selectivity of collector DLZ is due to chemical absorption onto chalcopyrite surface and only physical absorption onto pyrite surface.     

Selective depression action of taurine in flotation separation of specularite and chlorite

Chlorite, as the most representative gangue mineral associated with specularite, of which the separation of these two minerals is difficult. This paper investigated the depression effect of taurine on specularite/chlorite separation via flotation experiments, adsorption tests, contact angle measurements, Zeta potential detection, FT-IR measurements, and XPS analyses. The results of single mineral flotation indicated that chlorite could be depressed selectively by taurine with the recovery of less than 30%, but the floatability of specularite remains high with recovery rate of 81.77% at pH 10. The artificial mixed mineral flotation results confirmed the effectiveness of taurine as a depressant. Surface adsorption, contact angle, and Zeta potential detection revealed taurine primarily adsorbs on the chlorite surface, which hampered the DDA’s subsequent adsorption and results in the chlorite’s poor floatability. The FT-IR spectra and XPS analyses provided further proof that taurine adsorbed on chlorite surface as an electron donor, and part of the electrons transferred from the sulfonic acid group of taurine to metal ions during the adsorption process. In addition, the hydrogen bond between amino-group of taurine and O ions in chlorite surface was also formed in the adsorption process. Finally, optimized adsorption configurations of taurine on chlorite surfaces were proposed.     

Hydrophobic-surface of copper from converter slag in the flotation system

The converter slag from a smeltery in Daye contains 2.01% copper. The floatability of copper has a significant influence on the flotation of converter slag. Flotation tests, contact angle tests and FTIR were conducted to assess the influences of pH and different flotation concentrators on its hydrophobic process, mechanism and flotation. The results show that since chemisorptions are formed on the surface, hydrophobicity of copper is highly enhanced by xanthate, butylamine dithiophosphate and Z-200. The hydrophobic-surface of copper becomes worse with low recovery in strong acid and alkali situation. When pH value is 10, butylamine dithiophosphate and butyl xanthate are used as the mixed-collector, the grade of copper is 40.01% and that of tailings is 0.37%.