Influence of the Interaction between Sphalerite and Pyrite on the Copper Activation of Sphalerite

Bo Yang,Xian Xie,Yiqi Cui,Zhuoyue Lan,Xiong Tong

doi:10.3390/min8010016

Abstract

In this paper, the effect of pyrite on the activation of sphalerite was investigated by micro-flotation, copper adsorption experiments, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical measurement. The micro-flotation test results showed that the recovery and flotation rate of sphalerite with copper sulphate as activator and butyl xanthate as collector were significantly decreased with the increasing content of pyrite in pulp. Cu2+ adsorption results indicated that the adsorption of Cu2+ on the sphalerite surface were decreased when pyrite was present in the pulp. XPS surface analysis demonstrated that the proportion of Cu+ species increased in the activation products on the sphalerite surface, but the total atomic concentration of Cu atom was decreased. Linear voltammetry measurement suggested that the current density of Cu+ species oxidizing to Cu2+ species was increased when sphalerite was electrically contacted with pyrite, which confirmed the increased proportion of Cu+ species on Cu-activation sphalerite surface when contacting with pyrite. These results indicated that there is not only a competitive adsorption for cupric ions (Cu2+), but the galvanic interaction between sphalerite and pyrite also has a significant influence on the copper activation of sphalerite.

Highlights

Sphalerite is an important resource for zinc metal production, and selective separation of sphalerite from its associated sulfide minerals is commonly carried out by froth flotation [1,2,3]
During the selective flotation of sphalerite, pyrite is usually depressed by using lime
The galvanic interaction between sphalerite and pyrite in pulp will increase the content of Cu+ species and reduce the adsorption of Cu2+ on the sphalerite surface due to increasing the surface oxidation of sphalerite

Summary

Introduction

Sphalerite is an important resource for zinc metal production, and selective separation of sphalerite from its associated sulfide minerals is commonly carried out by froth flotation [1,2,3]. During the selective flotation of sphalerite, copper sulfate (CuSO4 ) is often used as activator to improve flotation performance. The copper activation of sphalerite follows an ion exchange reaction, and the uptake of Cu2+ from the solution results in an approximately 1:1 release of Zn2+ into the solution. This reaction is represented by the following equation [7]: +. A common sulfide gangue mineral, is usually associated with sphalerite. During the selective flotation of sphalerite, pyrite is usually depressed by using lime. In alkaline pH ranges, pyrite surface is more hydrophilic than in acidic or neutral pH ranges due to the formation and adsorption of

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion