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.
Highlights
As the restrictions on water usage become prevalent throughout the world, mining operations have shifted focus to water recycling and mitigating the adverse effects of mining on the surrounding environment
The current study successfully showed that the interactions between water constituents can potentially have an adverse or positive effect on the degree of collector adsorption on the sulphide surface
The current study showed that high temperatures negatively impact on xanthate adsorption on nickel sulphides
Summary
As the restrictions on water usage become prevalent throughout the world, mining operations have shifted focus to water recycling and mitigating the adverse effects of mining on the surrounding environment. Recycled plant water constituents interact with and may change the properties of any of the three phases involved in flotation: mineral particles, air bubbles and aqueous solution. These changes could subsequently affect the efficiency of the three sub-processes occurring sequentially in a flotation cell: the mineral particle and bubble collision, attachment of minerals to the bubbles, and the subsequent formation of stable particle–bubble aggregates that rise to the froth zone [2]. Temperature variations may be more evident and reflected in flotation rates and Minerals 2020, 10, 733; doi:10.3390/min10090733 www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals
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