Experimental and theoretical study of the effect of pH level on the surface properties and floatability of pyrite

Abstract

This study concentrated on a thorough surface investigation to ascertain how pH affected the surface characteristics and floatability of pyrite. To assess the impact of pH on the adsorption of collector on the surface of pyrite, a special computational model was also created. Although it varied at various medication dosages, the flotation recovery of pyrite indicated a reduction with rising pH, according to the results of the flotation studies. Contact angle and other tests revealed that as pH rose, the surface of pyrite slightly oxidized to expose corrosion pits, hydrophilic oxidation products (Fe(OH)3, SO42-, etc.) gradually deposited on the surface, the surface hydrophilicity of pyrite increased rapidly, and the adsorption of xanthate was inhibited. In accordance with the experiments, the adsorption strength trend of xanthate on the surface of pyrite was supported by the findings of DFT calculations. As pH rose, the interaction distance between xanthate and surface gradually widened and the force gradually decreased. Additionally, the hydroxylation of surface became increasingly significant and its oxidation trend sharpened with increasing pH. The findings of this investigation open the door for future research on related sulphide minerals by illuminating the variations in surface properties of pyrite at various pH levels and its interaction with xanthate.