Abstract
Diethylenetriamine (DETA) is an effective mineral processing reagent for the depression of pyrrhotite in the flotation of Cu-Ni ores. DETA is a chelating agent and forms stable complexes with Cu and Ni ions that cannot be removed with traditional mining effluent treatment. The recalcitrance of metal-DETA complexes to wastewater treatment can result in effluent quality that does not meet regulatory requirements. To better understand the behaviour of DETA in the tailings and effluent environments, the interaction of DETA with metal species was investigated via geochemical modelling using OLI Studio. The concentrations and specific species of metal-DETA complexes were modelled with varying pH levels and metal-to-DETA ratios. The results suggest that DETA is most likely to chelate with Cu2+, followed by Ni2+. Very little Fe2+ is expected to combine with DETA, especially when Ni2+ and Cu2+ are present. Moreover, both Cu-DETA and Ni-DETA chelates are stable over the pH range of 4 to 14. The modelling results agree with what has been observed in mineral processing operations. Sulphide precipitation was also investigated as a possible treatment technique and appears promising for the removal of Cu2+ and Ni2+ from DETA-containing effluent.
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