Effect of pyrite content on chalcopyrite flotation under different regrinding conditions

This study aimed to investigate the effect of varying pyrite(Py)content on copper(Cu)in the presence of different regrinding conditions,which were altered using different types of grinding media:iron,ceramic balls,and their mixture,followed by flotation in the cleaner stage.The flotation performance of rough Cu concentrate can be improved by changing the regrinding conditions based on the Py content.Scanning electron microscopy,X-ray spectrometry,ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt extraction,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies illustrated that when the Py content was high,the use of iron media in regrinding promoted the generation of hydrophilic Fe OOH on the surface of Py and improved the Cu grade.The ceramic medium with a low Py content prevented excessive Fe OOH from covering the surface of chalcopyrite(Cpy).Electrochemical studies further showed that the galvanic corrosion current of Cpy-Py increased with the addition of Py and became stronger with the participation of iron media.

Structural properties of residual carbon in coal gasification fine slag and their influence on flotation separation and resource utilization:A review

Coal gasification fine slag(FS)is a typical solid waste generated in coal gasification.Its current disposal methods of stockpil-ing and landfilling have caused serious soil and ecological hazards.Separation recovery and the high-value utilization of residual carbon(RC)in FS are the keys to realizing the win-win situation of the coal chemical industry in terms of economic and environmental benefits.The structural properties,such as pore,surface functional group,and microcrystalline structures,of RC in FS(FS-RC)not only affect the flotation recovery efficiency of FS-RC but also form the basis for the high-value utilization of FS-RC.In this paper,the characteristics of FS-RC in terms of pore structure,surface functional groups,and microcrystalline structure are sorted out in accordance with gasification type and FS particle size.The reasons for the formation of the special structural properties of FS-RC are analyzed,and their influence on the flotation separation and high-value utilization of FS-RC is summarized.Separation methods based on the pore structural characterist-ics of FS-RC,such as ultrasonic pretreatment-pore-blocking flotation and pore breaking-flocculation flotation,are proposed to be the key development technologies for improving FS-RC recovery in the future.The design of low-cost,low-dose collectors containing polar bonds based on the surface and microcrystalline structures of FS-RC is proposed to be an important breakthrough point for strengthening the flotation efficiency of FS-RC in the future.The high-value utilization of FS should be based on the physicochemical structural proper-ties of FS-RC and should focus on the environmental impact of hazardous elements and the recyclability of chemical waste liquid to es-tablish an environmentally friendly utilization method.This review is of great theoretical importance for the comprehensive understand-ing of the unique structural properties of FS-RC,the breakthrough of the technological bottleneck in the efficient flotation separation of FS,and the expansion of the field of the high value-added utilization of FS-RC.

Role of tannin pretreatment in flotation separation of magnesite and dolomite

Flotation separation of magnesite and its calcium-containing carbonate minerals is a difficult problem.Recently,new regulat-ors have been proposed for magnesite flotation decalcification,although traditional regulators such as tannin,water glass,sodium carbon-ate,and sodium hexametaphosphate are more widely used in industry.However,they are rarely used as the main regulators in research because they perform poorly in magnesite and dolomite single-mineral flotation tests.Inspired by the limonite presedimentation method and the addition of a regulator to magnesite slurry mixing,we used a tannin pretreatment method for separating magnesite and dolomite.Microflotation experiments confirmed that the tannin pretreatment method selectively and largely reduces the flotation recovery rate of dolomite without affecting the flotation recovery rate of magnesite.Moreover,the contact angles of the tannin-pretreated magnesite and dolomite increased and decreased,respectively,in the presence of NaOl.Zeta potential and Fourier transform infrared analyses showed that the tannin pretreatment method efficiently hinders NaOl adsorption on the dolomite surface but does not affect NaOl adsorption on the magnesite surface.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations confirmed that tannin interacts more strongly with dolomite than with magnesite.

Advances in depressants for flotation separation of Cu–Fe sulfide minerals at low alkalinity:A critical review

The flotation separation of Cu–Fe sulfide minerals at low alkalinity can be achieved using selective depressants.In the flotation system of Cu–Fe sulfide minerals,depressants usually preferentially interact with the pyrite surface to render the mineral surface hydrophilic and hinder the adsorption of the collector.This review summarizes the advances in depressants for the flotation separation of Cu–Fe sulfide minerals at low alkalinity.These advances include use of inorganic depressants (oxidants and sulfur–oxygen compounds),natural polysaccharides (starch,dextrin,konjac glucomannan,and galactomannan),modified polymers (carboxymethyl cellulose,polyacrylamide,lignosulfonate,and tricarboxylate sodium starch),organic acids (polyglutamic acid,sodium humate,tannic acid,pyrogallic acid,salicylic acid,and lactic acid),sodium dimethyl dithiocarbamate,and diethylenetriamine.The potential application of specific inorganic and organic depressants in the flotation separation of Cu–Fe sulfide minerals at low alkalinity is reviewed.The advances in the use of organic depressants with respect to the flotation separation of Cu–Fe sulfide minerals are comprehensively detailed.Additionally,the depression performances and mechanisms of different types of organic depressants on mineral surfaces are summarized.Finally,several perspectives on depressants vis-à-vis flotation separation of Cu–Fe sulfide minerals at low alkalinity are proposed.

Influence of the roughness and shape of quartz particles on their flotation kinetics

Surface roughness and shape play an important role on the behavior of particles in various processes such as flotation. In this re- search, the influence of different grinding methods on the surface roughness and shape characteristics of quartz particles as well as the effect of these parameters on the flotation of the particles was investigated. The surface roughness of the particles was determined by measuring their specific surface area via the gas adsorption method. The shape characteristics of the particles were measured and calculated by images obtained by scanning electron microscopy via an image analysis system. The flotation kinetics was determined using a laboratory flotation cell. The results showed that the particles of rod mill products have higher roughness and elongation ratio and lower roundness than the parti- cles of ball mill products. The flotation kinetics constant of the particles increased with their surface roughness increasing. Particles with higher elongation and lower roundness indicated higher floatability. In addition, the influence of the surface roughness on the flotation kinet- ics was greater than that of shape parameters.

New influence factor inducing difficulty in selective flotation separation of Cu–Zn mixed sulfide minerals

Selective flotation separation of Cu-Zn mixed sulfides has been proven to be difficult. Thus far, researchers have found no satis- factory way to separate Cu-Zn mixed sulfides by selective flotation, mainly because of the complex surface and interface interaction mecha- nisms in the flotation solution. Undesired activation occurs between copper ions and the sphalerite surfaces. In addition to recycled water and mineral dissolution, ancient fluids in the minerals are observed to be a new source of metal ions. In this study, significant amounts of ancient fluids were found to exist in Cu-Zn sulfide and gangue minerals, mostly as gas-liquid fluid inclusions. The concentration of copper ions re- leased from the ancient fluids reached 1.02 × 10-6 tool/L, whereas, in the cases of sphalerite and quartz, this concentration was 0.62 ×10-6 mol/L and 0.44 × 10-6 mol/L, respectively. As a result, the ancient fluid is a significant source of copper ions compared to mineral dissolution under the same experimental conditions, which promotes the unwanted activation of sphalerite. Therefore, the ancient fluid is considered to be a new factor that affects the selective flotation separation of Cu-Zn mixed sulfide ores.

Coupled multiphysical model for investigation of influence factors in the application of microbially induced calcite precipitation

The study presents a comprehensive coupled thermo-bio-chemo-hydraulic(T-BCH)modeling framework for stabilizing soils using microbially induced calcite precipitation(MICP).The numerical model considers relevant multiphysics involved in MICP,such as bacterial ureolytic activities,biochemical reactions,multiphase and multicomponent transport,and alteration of the porosity and permeability.The model incorporates multiphysical coupling effects through well-established constitutive relations that connect parameters and variables from different physical fields.It was implemented in the open-source finite element code OpenGeoSys(OGS),and a semi-staggered solution strategy was designed to solve the couplings,allowing for flexible model settings.Therefore,the developed model can be easily adapted to simulate MICP applications in different scenarios.The numerical model was employed to analyze the effect of various factors,including temperature,injection strategies,and application scales.Besides,a TBCH modeling study was conducted on the laboratory-scale domain to analyze the effects of temperature on urease activity and precipitated calcium carbonate.To understand the scale dependency of MICP treatment,a large-scale heterogeneous domain was subjected to variable biochemical injection strategies.The simulations conducted at the field-scale guided the selection of an injection strategy to achieve the desired type and amount of precipitation.Additionally,the study emphasized the potential of numerical models as reliable tools for optimizing future developments in field-scale MICP treatment.The present study demonstrates the potential of this numerical framework for designing and optimizing the MICP applications in laboratory-,prototype-,and field-scale scenarios.

Influence of metal cations on cassiterite flotation

Flotation of cassiterite has been studied on pure minerals performed in a microflotation cell with various collectors. The results indicate that sulphosuccinamate demonstrates strong collection, good selectivity on cassiterite in the region around pH 6, and that lead ions have certain activation whereas other ions such as ferric, aluminum, manganese, ferrous, calcium have strong depression on cassiterite flotation. In addition, X ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was applied to study the flotation systems of cassiterite sulphosuccinamate in the presence and absence of metal cation, and a chemisorption mechanism through chemically bonding between stannum species on the cassiterite surface and oxygen from sulphosuccinamate is proposed. The chemical environment of stannum species would be changed in the presence of lead ions in the flotation systems and therefore improve the activity of the stannum species, while ferric ions show strong depression due to the formation of steady complexes between ferric species and collector.

Elucidating the enhancement of kaolinite flotation by iron content through density functional theory: A study on sodium oleate adsorption efficiency

This study delves into the intricate relationship between iron(Fe)content in kaolinite and its impact on the adsorption behavior of sodium oleate.The effects of different iron concentrations on adsorption energy,hydrogen bond kinetics and adsorption efficiency were studied through simulation and experimental verification.The results show that the presence of iron in the kaolinite structure significantly improves the adsorption capacity of sodium oleate.Kaolinite samples with high iron content have better adsorption properties,lower adsorption energy levels and shorter and stronger hydrogen bonds than pure kaolinite.The optimal concentration of oleic acid ions for achieving maximum adsorption efficiency was identified as 1.2 mmol/L across different kaolinite samples.At this concentration,the adsorption rates and capacities reach their peak,with Fe-enriched kaolinite samples exhibiting notably higher flotation recovery rates.This optimal concentration represents a balance between sufficient oleic acid ion availability for surface interactions and the prevention of self-aggregation phenomena that could hinder adsorption.This study offers promising avenues for optimizing the flotation process in mineral processing applications.

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 FTIR results reveal that the flotation selectivity of collector DLZ is due to chemical absorption onto chalcopyrite surface and only physical absorption onto pyrite surface.

Effects of frothers on bubbles size and flotation performance of hydrophobic minerals

Frothers facilitate the reduction of bubbles size by preventing bubbles coalescence and produce more stable froths.The collision probability of the bubbles and particles substantially increases by decreasing bubble size.For the same volume system,fewer bubbles result from a distribution of large-sized bubbles,and more bubbles result from a distribution of small-sized bubbles.In this research,fundamental two-phase frother characterization parameters were aimed to link with three-phase coal and talc flotation behavior.For this purpose,the effect of single and dual frother systems on inhibiting bubble coalescence was investigated with methyl isobutyl carbinol(MIBC),isooctanol(2 ethyl hexanol),pine oil,and Dowfroth 250.Based on the results of single frothers,isooctanol at the lowest critical coalescence concentration(CCC)value of 6×10^(−6) achieved the smallest bubbles with Sauter mean diameter of 0.80 mm.By blending Dowfroth 250 and pine oil,the bubbles size decreased significantly,reaching 0.45 mm.While the highest recoveries in coal flotation were obtained in single and frother blends where the bubbles size was measured as the smallest in two-phase system,and such a relationship was not found for talc flotation.

Microscale insights into the influence of grinding media on spodumene micro-flotation using mixed anionic/cationic collectors

Here,the influence of grinding media with different shapes on the flotation performance of spodumene and its potential mechanism from microscale insights was investigated using a single mineral flotation experiment,X-ray diffraction(XRD)test,scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectrometry(SEM-EDS),atomic force microscope(AFM)and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).The flotation data indicated that under anionic/cationic(sodium oleate(NaOL)/DDA)collectors system,the rod milled spodumene has a higher floatability than ball milled ones.XRD results confirmed that rod medium makes spodumene exposed more{110}and{100}planes,while ball medium makes spodumene exposed more{010}planes.The typical anisotropic surface of spodumene makes the surface of rod milled spodumene possess more Al sites,further confirmed by SEM-EDS and XPS results.Additionally,it was found that the rod milled spodumene presents a larger value of elongation and flatness,which are parameters closely related to bubble adhesion.AFM analysis indicated that rod milled products have a rougher surface,while ball milled products have a smoother surface.Consequently,the rod medium enhanced the adsorption of NaOL/DDA on the spodumene surfaces.This work provides theoretical guidance for optimizing the separation of spodumene from the perspective of grinding.

Insights into the influence of temperature on the adsorption behavior of sodium oleate and its response to flotation of quartz

Temperature affects the flotation of quartz in the calcium/sodium oleate(Na OL)system,while there is a lack of understanding of its potential mechanism.Therefore,in this work,the flotation response of quartz to temperature was investigated via micro-flotation experiments,interface property analyses,and theoretical calculations.Flotation results demonstrated that increasing temperature contributed to higher flotation recovery of quartz,which enhanced the removal of quartz from hematite.Surface tension results revealed that higher temperatures lowered the critical micelle concentration(CMC)and surface tension of the Na OL solution,and thus enhanced its surface activity.Solution chemistry calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)measurements confirmed that the increased content of Ca(OH)+achieved by increasing temperatures enhanced the adsorption amounts of calcium species(acting as activation sites)on the quartz surface.Dynamic light scattering(DLS)measurements verified that the association degree of RCOOàto form(RCOO)22àwas strengthened.Furthermore,adsorption density measurements and molecular dynamics(MD)simulations confirmed that increasing the temperature facilitated Na OL adsorption toward the surface of the quartz,which was attributed to the stronger interaction between Na OL and the calcium-activated quartz surface at higher temperatures.As a result,quartz flotation was improved by increasing temperatures.Accordingly,a possible adsorption model was proposed.

Influence of surface roughness on flotation kinetics of quartz

Surface roughness of quartz particles was determined by measuring the specific surface area of particles.The wettability characteristics of particles were determined by measuring the flotation rate using a laboratory flotation cell.Experimental results show that the rod mill product has higher roughness than the ball mill product.For the particles with larger surface roughness,the flotation kinetics constant is also higher.Finally,empirical relationships between surface roughness(r) and the flotation kinetics constant(k) of quartz particles as k=A+Br+Cr0.5lnr+D/lnr+E/r and k=A+Br are presented,in which A,B,C,D and E are constants related to experimental conditions and mineralogical properties of mineral.

Flotation separation of scheelite from calcite using luteolin as a novel depressant

This paper proposes luteolin(LUT)as a novel depressant for the flotation-based separation of scheelite and calcite in a sodium oleate(NaOL)system.The suitability of LUT as a calcite depressant is confirmed through micro-flotation testing.At pH=9,with LUT concentration of 50 mg·L^(-1) and NaOL concentration of 50 mg·L^(-1),scheelite recovery reaches 80.3%.Calcite,on the other hand,exhibits a recovery rate of 17.6%,indicating a significant difference in floatability between the two minerals.Subsequently,the surface modifica-tions of scheelite and calcite following LUT treatment are characterized using adsorption capacity testing,Zeta potential analysis,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),and atomic force microscopy(AFM).The study in-vestigates the selective depressant mechanism of LUT on calcite.Adsorption capacity testing and Zeta potential analysis demonstrate sub-stantial absorption of LUT on the surface of calcite,impeding the further adsorption of sodium oleate,while its impact on scheelite is min-imal.FT-IR and XPS analyses reveal the selective adsorption of LUT onto the surface of calcite,forming strong chemisorption bonds between the hydroxyl group and calcium ions present.AFM directly illustrates the distinct adsorption densities of LUT on the two miner-al types.Consequently,LUT can effectively serve as a depressant for calcite,enabling the successful separation of scheelite and calcite.

Thermodynamic theory of flotation for a complex multiphase solid -liquid system and high-entropy flotation

The flotation of complex solid–liquid multiphase systems involve interactions among multiple components,the core problem facing flotation theory.Meanwhile,the combined use of multicomponent flotation reagents to improve mineral flotation has become an important issue in studies on the efficient use of refractory mineral resources.However,studying the flotation of complex solid–liquid systems is extremely difficult,and no systematic theory has been developed to date.In addition,the physical mechanism associated with combining reagents to improve the flotation effect has not been unified,which limits the development of flotation theory and the progress of flotation technology.In this study,we applied theoretical thermodynamics to a solid–liquid flotation system and used changes in the entropy and Gibbs free energy of the reagents adsorbed on the mineral surface to establish thermodynamic equilibrium equations that de-scribe interactions among various material components while also introducing adsorption equilibrium constants for the flotation reagents adsorbed on the mineral surface.The homogenization effect on the mineral surface in pulp solution was determined using the chemical potentials of the material components of the various mineral surfaces required to maintain balance.The flotation effect can be improved through synergy among multicomponent flotation reagents;its physical essence is the thermodynamic law that as the number of compon-ents of flotation reagents on the mineral surface increases,the surface adsorption entropy change increases,and the Gibbs free energy change of adsorption decreases.According to the results obtained using flotation thermodynamics theory,we established high-entropy flotation theory and a technical method in which increasing the types of flotation reagents adsorbed on the mineral surface,increasing the adsorption entropy change of the flotation reagents,decreasing the Gibbs free energy change,and improving the adsorption efficiency and stability of the flotation reagents improves refractory mineral flotation.

Efficient desorption and reuse of collector from the flotation concentrate:A case study of scheelite

Flotation is the most common method to obtain concentrate through the selective adsorption of collectors on target minerals to make them hydrophobic and floatable.In the hydrometallurgy of concentrate,collectors adsorbed on concentrate can damage ion-exchange resin and increase the chemical oxygen demand(COD)value of wastewater.In this work,we proposed a new scheme,i.e.,desorbing the collectors from concentrate in ore dressing plant and reusing them in flotation flowsheet.Lead nitrate and benzohydroxamic acid(Pb-BHA)complex is a common collector in scheelite flotation.In this study,different physical(stirring or ultrasonic waves)and chemical(strong acid or alkali environment)methods for facilitating the desorption of Pb-BHA collector from scheelite concentrate were explored.Single-mineral desorption tests showed that under the condition of pulp pH 13 and ultrasonic treatment for 15 min,the highest desorption rates of Pb and BHA from the scheelite concentrate were 90.48%and 63.75%,respectively.Run-of-mine ore flotation tests revealed that the reuse of desorbed Pb and BHA reduced the collector dosage by 30%for BHA and 25%for Pb.The strong alkali environment broke the chemical bonds between Pb and BHA.The cavitation effect of ultrasonic waves effectively reduced the interaction intensity between Pb-BHA collector and scheelite surfaces.This method combining ultrasonic waves and strong alkali environment can effectively desorb the collectors from concentrate and provide“clean”scheelite concentrate for metallurgic plants;the reuse of desorbed collector in flotation flowsheet can reduce reagent cost for ore dressing plants.

Effect of dissolved-oxygen on the flotation behavior of pyrite at high altitude area

With the continuous development of mineral resources to high altitude areas,the study of sulfide ore flotation in unconventional systems has been emphasized.There is a consensus that moderate oxidation of sulfide ore is beneficial to flotation,but the specific suitable dissolved oxygen value is inconclusive,and there are few studies on sulfide ore flotation under low dissolved oxygen environment at high altitude.In this paper,we designed and assembled an atmosphere simulation flotation equipment to simulate the flotation of pyrite at high altitude by controlling the partial pressure of N_(2)/O_(2) and dissolved oxygen under atmospheric conditions.X-ray photoelectron spec-troscopy(XPS),atomic force microscope(AFM),Fourier transform infrared spectrometer(FT-IR),UV-vis spectrophotometer,zeta po-tential,and contact angle measurements were used to reveal the effects of surface oxidation and agent adsorption on pyrite at high altitude(4600 m dissolved oxygen(DO)=4.0 mg/L).The results of pure mineral flotation indicated that the high altitude and low dissolved oxy-gen environment is favorable for pyrite flotation.Contact angle measurements and XPS analysis showed that the high altitude atmosphere nslows down the oxidation of pyrite surface,facilitates S_(n)^(2-)/S^(0) production and enhances surface hydrophobicity.Electrochemical calcula-tions and zeta potential analysis showed that the influence of atmosphere on the form of pyrite adsorption is small,and the different atmo-spheric conditions are consistent with dixanthogen electrochemical adsorption,with lower Zeta potential under high altitude atmosphere and significant potential shift after sodium isobutyl xanthate(SIBX)adsorption.The results of FT-IR,UV-vis,and AFM analysis showed that SIBX adsorbed more on the surface of pyrite under high altitude atmosphere and adsorbed on the surface in a mesh structure com-posed of column/block.The results of the experimental study revealed the reasons for the easy flotation of sulfide ores at high altitude with less collector dosage,and confirmed that the combined DO-pH regulation is beneficial to achieve more efficient flotation of pyrite.

Flotation separation of brucite and calcite in dodecylamine system enhanced by regulator potassium dihydrogen phosphate

To achieve efficient flotation separation of brucite and calcite,flotation separation experiments were conducted on two minerals using dodecylamine(DDA)as the collector and potassium dihydrogen phosphate(PDP)as the regulator.The action mechanism of DDA and PDP was explored through contact angle measurement,zeta potential detection,solution chemistry calculation,FTIR analysis,and XPS detection.The flotation results showed that when DDA dosage was 35 mg/L and PDP dosage was 40 mg/L,the maximum floating difference between brucite and calcite was 79.81%,and the selectivity separation index was 6.46.The detection analysis showed that the main dissolved component HPO_(4)^(2−)of PDP is selectively strongly adsorbed on the Ca site on the surface of calcite,promoting the adsorption of the main dissolved component RNH_(3)^(+)of DDA on calcite surface,while brucite is basically not affected by PDP.Therefore,PDP is an effective regulator for the reverse flotation separation of brucite and calcite in DDA system.

Low-temperature collecting performance of a new combined collector on scheelite flotation

The reduced ability of fatty acids to dissolve and disperse at low temperatures limits their effectiveness in winter applications.In this study,a green and environment-friendly reagent,polyethylene glycol 2000(PEG-2000),was used to evaluate its effect on the collecting performance of sodium oleate during scheelite flotation at low temperatures.The effect of PEG-2000 on the flotation of scheelite with the collector sodium oleate(NaOL)was studied by flotation tests,surface tension tests,infrared spectral analysis,and zeta potential measurements.Flotation tests showed that adding PEG-2000 can enhance the collecting ability of NaOL on scheelite at low temperature(5℃).The recovery of scheelite with the mixed collector of PEG-200 and NaOL is 4.39%higher than that with NaOL only.The surface tension tests,infrared spectral analysis and zeta potential measurements revealed that PEG-2000 and OL^(−)are co-adsorbed on the scheelite surface at low temperatures.The presence of PEG-2000 promoted the increase of the adsorption concentration of oleate ions(OL^(−))on the scheelite surface.The reason was that PEG-2000 has a shielding effect on the electrostatic repulsion between the OL^(−)groups,which changes the micellar configuration of OL^(−)in the solution system and makes the OL^(−)gather more tightly on the surface of scheelite,leading to the enhancement of its hydrophobicity.This discovery provides a reference for the development of collecting reagents for efficient flotation recovery of scheelite under low temperature environment.