Journal
TRANSACTIONS OF NONFERROUS METALS SOCIETY OF CHINA
Volume 33, Issue 10, Pages 3157-3167Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(23)66324-1
Keywords
thiolactic acid; chalcopyrite; chalcopyrite depressant; Cu-Mo separation
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The separation of molybdenite and chalcopyrite is a challenge, but a novel depressant called thiolactic acid (TLA) has been proposed. TLA can selectively inhibit chalcopyrite flotation and achieve separation from molybdenite.
The separation of molybdenite and chalcopyrite is a major challenge because of their similar floatability. It is essential to discover a depressant for selectively inhibiting chalcopyrite in a profitable and sustainable way. A novel chalcopyrite depressant, thiolactic acid (TLA), was proposed. The flotation behaviors were studied through micro-flotation and artificial mixed minerals flotation. Micro-flotation experiments indicated that thiolactic acid could significantly suppress chalcopyrite recovery from 81% to 9.7%, along with molybdenite recovery always more than 71%. Artificial mixed minerals flotation experiments showed a distinct separation behavior between chalcopyrite and molybdenite with an optimal Gaudin's selectivity index of 12.9. The reactivity mechanism of TLA on molybdenite and chalcopyrite surfaces was determined by FT-IR, XPS, and AFM with a possible adsorption model presented. The results revealed that -SH and -COOH groups of TLA preferentially occupied the active copper site on chalcopyrite surface, inhibiting subsequent sodium n-butyl xanthate chemisorption.
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