Depression of pyrite in a low-alkaline system has sparked soaring interests for the multi-metal sulfide minerals flotation recently. This study investigates effects of combined depressants (Ca(ClO)2 and CaO) on pyrite flotation with butyl xanthate (KBX). Micro-flotation experiments indicate that the addition of 200 mg/L combined depressants (a mass ratios of CaO to Ca(ClO) 2 of 2:3) and 1.0×10−3 mol/L KBX at pH 9.5 can effectively depresses the flotation of pyrite, and a minimum pyrite recovery rate of 12.5% is obtained. Basic thermodynamic evaluation results confirm the participation of Ca(ClO) 2 significantly decrease the negative Gibbs free energies of pyrite oxidation reaction. Besides, the calcium species (Ca(OH) 2, Ca2+ and Ca(Cl) 2) will spontaneously transform into CaCO3,and it is the ultimate dominant calcium species in the CO32- system. Density functional theory (DFT) results indicate that CaCO3 can chemically adsorb onto the pyrite surface with an adsorption energy of -671.13 kJ/mol. The O1 and Ca atoms mainly contribute to the bonding process and are responsible for the stable adsorption of CaCO3. ToF-SIMS results provide strong evidence that the combined depressants increase the amount of hydrophilic species and decrease dixanthogen adsorption onto the pyrite surface. The thickness of the whole formed hydrophilic species is approximately 50 nm. Semiquantitative amounts of hydrophilic species follow the order of hydroxy calcium>iron carbonyl>calcium carbonate. Overall, hydrophilic species repulse adsorption of dixanthogen and significantly reduce the flotation performance of pyrite.
Bulk flotation is usually used in the flotation of Cu-Fe sulfide ore, and the subsequent concentrate is difficult to be separated because the minerals have adsorbed the collector. In this paper, flotation tests showed that calcium hypochlorite (Ca(ClO)2) had a stronger depression effect on pyrite pre-adsorbed sodium butyl xanthate (SBX), while having a negligible depressive effect on chalcopyrite. A copper concentrate with Cu grade of 33.32% and Cu recovery of 94.47% could be obtained from flotation tests of mixed minerals. The depression performance and mechanism of Ca(ClO)2 were studied by contact angle measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses, the results suggested that Ca(ClO)2 can decomposes SBX on the pyrite surface and oxidizes the mineral surface to form hydrophilic substances, which enhances the hydrophilicity of the pyrite surface. In contrast, Ca(ClO)2 has little effect on chalcopyrite pre-adsorbed SBX, the possible depression model is discussed.
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