Abstract
The combined effect of dissolved ions and water temperature on the adsorption of a xanthate collector on chalcopyrite and pentlandite was investigated using multiple linear regression. Cationic species improved the adsorption of the collector on sulphide minerals through xanthate adsorption activation. Thiosulphate ions generally had a negative effect on collector adsorption, and the interaction of thiosulphate ions and cations effectively reduced collector adsorption on the sulphide minerals. With regards to temperature variation caused by seasonal variation, this study suggests that temperature can influence the adsorption of collectors in the flotation process and this should be approached on a case by case basis as it seems to differ with the type of mineral under investigation. These fundamental results prompt a discussion on how complex water matrices can affect interactions of reagents and sulphide minerals at the solid–liquid interface and the possible effect on flotation performance.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 733 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-18 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | Minerals |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 19 Aug 2020 |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Funding
This research was funded by the European Union H2020 programme under grant agreement No. 730480, Academy of Finland Mineral Resources and Material Substitution MISU program (Finland)—Protocol development for evaluation of water-saving alternatives in minerals processing—“Bridging North to South” project and National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF) [Grant number 103641]. The authors would like to acknowledge the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems - Aalto University and the Centre for Minerals Research (CMR) - University of Cape Town for supporting this project.
Keywords
- Adsorption
- Chalcopyrite
- Multiple linear regression
- Passivation
- Pentlandite
- Temperature