Growth of covellite crystal onto azurite surface during sulfurization and its response to flotation behavior |
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Affiliation: | State Key Laboratory of Complex Nonferrous Metal Resources Clean Utilization, Faculty of Land Resources Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China |
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Abstract: | In this work, the growth of copper sulfide crystal onto azurite surfaces during sulfurization and its response to flotation are investigated. Filed emission scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies confirmed that the sulfurization of azurite is not limited to the mineral surface, but rather penetrates into the bulk to form covellite crystal (syn-CuS), creating favorable conditions for the stable adsorption of xanthate and greatly promoting the azurite flotation. Additionally, as demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) analyses, a redox reaction occurred during this process, and Cu(Ⅱ) onto the mineral surface was reduced to Cu(I). Correspondingly, reduced S2- was oxidized to (S2)2-, (Sn)2-, and even to deeper oxidation state S0, (SxOy)n- and SO42-. Excess sodium sulfide strengthens copper sulfide to form onto the azurite surface, and provides enough raw material for crystal copper sulfide to grow, resulting in the formation of “flake-like” covellite with a better crystallinity. However, the floatability of azurite decreased dramatically under this condition, because the generated massive colloidal copper sulfide in flotation pulp deteriorates the flotation environment, resulting in a decreased effective adsorption of collector onto azurite surfaces. |
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Keywords: | Azurite Sulfurization floatation Covellite crystal Growth Colloid |
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