Mineral Recovery Research Articles

The Solution Interaction of Tetrathionate Ions and Sodium Isobutyl Xanthate and Its Effect on the Flotation of Galena and Chalcopyrite

Tetrathionates have been found in significantly high concentrations in recycled process waters from massive sulphide ore processing plants. These polythionates react with xanthate added to flotation pulps thus reducing xanthate dosages in solution potentially affecting flotation performance. The current study focused on the effect of the tetrathionate-xanthate reaction on sulphide mineral recoveries. Ore dissolution studies confirmed the generation of tetrathionates by copper-lead-zinc ores. In 20 min, the tetrathionates consumed more than half of the xanthate in solution at pH 7. Rest potential measurements and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that the degree of collector-mineral interactions of xanthate and both galena and chalcopyrite was greatly reduced in the presence of a 2000 mg/L tetrathionate solution. Microflotation tests showed that chalcopyrite recovery was less sensitive to tetrathionates as indicated by small changes in mineral recoveries. Galena was sensitive to the action of tetrathionates on the mineral surface as the galena recovery significantly declined when floated with xanthate as a collector in both a 500 mg/L tetrathionate solution and a 2000 mg/L tetrathionate solution. These fundamental results lay a sound base on which more discussion into the significance and the effect of tetrathionates on flotation performance of sulphide ores can be developed.

Nutritional nutrition in rehabilitation of cancer patients

The article provides a brief overview of the issues of nutritional therapy in the rehabilitation of cancer patients. Excess sugar in food and drink, fatty and high-calorie foods, processed meat, trans fatty acids, preservatives and dyes are risk factors for the formation of malignant tumors. Patients should be informed about adherence to a healthy lifestyle and exclusion from the diet of foods containing carcinogens to reduce the recurrence of the disease. Chemotherapy courses and radiation sessions are accompanied by a number of side effects that lead to a decrease in the body's defense systems. For the recovery of cancer patients, protein, vitamins and minerals must be present in the diet. All nutrients are better obtained from the natural foods. To maintain a healthy diet, the World Cancer Research Foundation (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) recommends you toinclude vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes in your daily diet. The article focuses on mare's milk, its multicomponent composition, which has immunomodulatory, antiviral, antibacterial properties. To increase the effectiveness of rehabilitation measures in patients after antitumor treatment, it is advisable to include mare's milk in medical nutrition, which has therapeutic and health-improving properties, and it is also possible to use it in patients undergoing antitumor cytostatic therapy. Further comprehensive study of the therapeutic and rehabilitation potential of mare's milk would make it possible to use this product more widely as an important component of nutritional support for cancer patients during specific therapy courses, which will have a positive effect on their survival rates and quality of life. In the treatment of malignant tumors, the main emphasis is on the development of strategies, new treatment options, and medical nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are an integral part of their complex rehabilitation.

Adsorption characteristics of Pb(II) species on the sulfidized malachite surface and its response to flotation

Sulfidization flotation is the main method for recovering non-ferrous metals oxide minerals, and the sulfidization effect determines the flotation recovery of minerals. In this paper, the effect of Pb(II) on the flotation of malachite sulfidized with sodium sulfide was studied through microflotation experiments, zeta-potential determination, adsorption experiments, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). The microflotation experiments revealed that the floatability of sulfidized malachite was increased after treatment with Pb(II), with the maximum flotation recovery reaching 89.8% under the experimental conditions. The zeta-potential measurements showed that Pb(II) species can adsorb on the sulfidized malachite surface, increased the active sites on the mineral surface, and promoted the adsorption of the collector. XPS analysis indicated that addition of Pb(II) changed the chemical environment of the sulfidized malachite surface, and the formation of Pb species (Pb–S) and S species (S2− and Sn2−) enhanced the sulfidization of malachite surfaces. ToF-SIMS surface and depth profile analysis were used to intuitively explore the adsorption of the reagents, and they confirmed the positive effect of Pb(II) on malachite sulfidization. These results illustrated that the adsorption of Pb(II) on the sulfidized malachite surface was conducive to its flotation recovery.

Bubble size distributions in gas–liquid–solid systems and their influence on flotation separation in a bubble column

Measurements of bubble size distributions are very important in flotation which is widely used in different chemical industries such as the recovery of valuable minerals, wastewater treatment, deinking of waste paper, and oil recovery from tar sands. Although numerous authors determined bubble size distributions (BSD-s) in gas–liquid systems, BSD-s have been rarely determined in gas–liquid–solid systems. Moreover, the influence of BSD-s on flotation has not been quantified under a wide range of experimental conditions. Thus, this paper is focused on measurements of bubble size distributions by changing surfactant dosage, solid percentage, air velocity and particle size as well as establishing the relationships between bubble size distribution properties and flotation performances. It was found that the experimental bubble size distributions are successfully fitted by using the log-normal distribution model in which the two model parameters (μ and σ) are used. The results showed that the most important factors affecting the Sauter mean diameter (d32), the model parameters and the flotation recoveries are the surfactant dosage and the solid percentage. The increase in the surfactant dosage decreased d32 probably due to the decrease in liquid surface tension. The increase in solid percentage resulted in an increase in d32 perhaps due to the increase in the pulp viscosity at high solid percentage. The lower the d32, the lower the flotation recovery. The results show that d32 and the model parameters represent the true BSD-s. However, a thorough understanding of bubble size distributions is needed to better understand flotation performances.

Concentration and Recovery of Valuable Heavy Minerals from Dredged Fine Aggregate Waste

Inside the finest fractions of aggregates, usually wasted by ready mix concrete companies, valuable heavy minerals content is substantial. The concentration and recovery of valuable heavy minerals contained in dredged fine aggregates waste, located in Pyeongtaek South Korea, were investigated to develop a process that can recover and concentrate most of each heavy mineral. The raw material contains ilmenite, magnetite, monazite, and zircon. A gravity separation, recirculating the middlings recovered ilmenite, magnetite, monazite, and zircon with 44.05%, 36.90%, 53.76%, and 69.7% respectively. Nevertheless, a magnetic separation followed by gravity separation of the non-magnetic fraction further improved the recovery of ilmenite, magnetite, monazite, and zircon to 86.96%, 85.09%, 91.06%, and 90.82% respectively. This concentrate was separated at different magnetic intensities. Magnetite was concentrated at 0.05 T, resulting in a recovery of 23.4% and grade of 95.1 wt%. Ilmenite was at 0.4 T, with a recovery of 55.2% and grade of 84.2 wt%. Monazite was at 0.9 T, with a recovery of 59.3% and rare earth oxide content of 45.2%, the non-magnetic fraction has a high zircon content, the recovery was 70.6% and grade of 91.8 wt%.

Research on the Increase of Mineral Dissociation Degree by High Pressure Water Jet

The traditional grinding technology of ball mill has many problems, such as high energy consumption, unable to maintain the original crystal shape, and it is difficult to obtain high quality and high purity ultrafine powder. The high-pressure water jet mineral dissociation technology is a new technology which is developed in response to these requirements. The experiment shows that the water jet technology has a strong ability of ultrafine grinding. With the increase of jet velocity, the crushing effect is more obvious. The high-pressure water jet pulverization is superior to ball milling for the separation of rare earth minerals, which has the characteristics of high dissociation degree and relatively uniform particle size. The water jet pulverization is more beneficial to the separation and recovery of rare earth minerals.

Impact of Bioactive Glass-Based Toothpaste on Color Properties and Surface Microhardness of Bleached Enamel

Abstract Objective The role of toothpaste used during aesthetic treatments is rarely investigated. The objective was to evaluate the effects of a bioactive glass-based toothpaste (BGT) used before or after the dental bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide (HP). Materials and Methods Bovine enamel blocks (4 × 4 mm; n = 12) were submitted to tooth bleaching and different treatments/storage, before or after HP, based on: (1) no toothpaste and immersion in artificial saliva (AS) after HP for 24 hours, 7 days, or 14 days (control); (2) daily BGT use and AS storage for 7 or 14 days (after HP); and (3) daily BGT use and AS storage for 7 or 14 days (prior to HP). Surface and in-depth color were determined using the CIE L*a*b* system (ΔL*, Δa*, Δb*, and ΔE) on enamel surface and underlying dentin. The surface microhardness (SMH) was evaluated using a Knoop microhardness tester. Statistical Analysis Data were submitted to analysis of variance (ANOVA) (color variables), repeated measures ANOVA (SMH), and Tukey’s test (α = 0.05). Results The color changes on the enamel or underlying dentin were not statistically different among the groups (p > 0.05). Twenty-four hours after HP presented a decrease in SMH differing from baseline (p < 0.01). This decrease did not occur in the groups previously exposed to BGT (p > 0.05). BGT use after HP for 7 days differed from group with exclusive AS storage (p < 0.05). Conclusion In-office tooth bleaching can decrease the microhardness of enamel surface; however, the use of BGT promotes the protection or enables the mineral recovery of tooth without the influence the bleaching efficacy.

Pollutants removals and energy consumption in electrochemical cell for pulping processes wastewater treatment: Artificial neural network, response surface methodology and kinetic studies

Response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) were used for modelling the electrocoagulation removal of pollutants from wastewater from pulping processes. The Design of Experiment based on central composite design was used to investigate the combine effects of pH (5.4–9.0), time (10–45 min) and current density (j) (9–39 mA/m2), on the removal efficiency of the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Dissolve Solids (TDS) as well as Turbidity while Energy consumption (EC) was estimated per kg [COD] removed. The kinetics of the process was modelled with pseudo first and second order models. The removability of the COD, TDS and Turbidity were found to be 76.4, 57.0 and 97.13% with Energy consumption of 2.72 kWh/kg[COD] at optimal pH 6.83, current density of 22.06 mA/m2, and reaction time of 45 min. The ANN model gave a better fitting of the electrocoagulation process than the RSM, considering the R2 of 0.999 and MSE of 0.00753 obtained for the former. The pseudo first order model gave a better analysis of the kinetic data. The characterization of the sludge produced showed the potential of its use as adsorbent for organic or mineral contaminants and recovery of aluminium and other metals. Thus, electrocoagulation with monopolar aluminium electrodes displayed effective and a viable alternative for the pollutants removal from pulp processing wastewater.

Recovery and liquefaction of nitrogen-containing component and minerals from food processing wastes of vinegar using subcritical water

In recent years, environmental problems such as production of industrial waste are getting worse in Japan. In particular, food processing residues are typically disposed of by spending a large amount of money. This paper studied the treatment of two by-products from vinegar production (rice bran and sake lees) using subcritical water and analyzing the extracted solution for functional ingredients. The results from sake lees showed that an operating temperature of 180 °C and a reaction time of 30 min solubilized 85% of the nitrogen-containing component (mainly protein) from the raw material into water-soluble peptides. When rice bran was used as the raw material the solubilization rate of the nitrogen-containing components was greatly decreased at a reaction temperature of 190 °C or higher. It was shown that calcium in the raw material caused the formation of water-insoluble complexes with amino acids and ammonia such as CaCN2. Subcritical water treatment was shown to be a useful technique to recover useful water-soluble components from residual solid biomass.

Simulating the Effect of Water Recirculation on Flotation through Ion-Spiking: Effect of Ca2+ and Mg2+

Froth flotation is a multifaceted complex process which is water intensive. The use of recycled water as an alternative source of water to meet water demands of the process may introduce deleterious inorganic ions that affect the mineral surface, pulp chemistry, and reagent action, hence the need to establish whether threshold ion concentrations exist beyond which flotation performance will be adversely affected. This is of paramount importance in informing appropriate recycle streams and allowing simple, cost-effective water treatment methods to be applied. Here we report that increasing ionic strengths of synthetic plant water (SPW); 3, 5, and 10 SPW respectively, resulted in an increase in water recovery in the order 0.073 mol·dm−3 (3 SPW) < 0.121 mol·dm−3 (5 SPW) < 0.242 mol·dm−3 (10 SPW), indicating an increase in froth stability as higher water recoveries are linked to increased froth stabilities. This behavior is linked to the action of inorganic electrolytes on bubble coalescence which is reported in literature. There was, however, no significant effect on the valuable mineral recovery. Spiking 3 SPW to 400 mg/L Ca2+ resulted in higher copper and nickel grades compared to 3 SPW, 5 SPW, and 10 SPW and was deemed to be the Ca2+ ion threshold concentration for this study since 3 SPW spiked with further Ca2+ to a concentration of 800 mg/L resulted in a decrease in the concentrate grade. The spiking of 3 SPW with Mg2+ resulted in higher copper and nickel grades compared to all other synthetic plant water conditions tested in this study.

DNA nano-pocket for ultra-selective uranyl extraction from seawater

Extraction of uranium from seawater is critical for the sustainable development of nuclear energy. However, the currently available uranium adsorbents are hampered by co-existing metal ion interference. DNAzymes exhibit high selectivity to specific metal ions, yet there is no DNA-based adsorbent for extraction of soluble minerals from seawater. Herein, the uranyl-binding DNA strand from the DNAzyme is polymerized into DNA-based uranium extraction hydrogel (DNA-UEH) that exhibits a high uranium adsorption capacity of 6.06 mg g−1 with 18.95 times high selectivity for uranium against vanadium in natural seawater. The uranium is found to be bound by oxygen atoms from the phosphate groups and the carbonyl groups, which formed the specific nano-pocket that empowers DNA-UEH with high selectivity and high binding affinity. This study both provides an adsorbent for uranium extraction from seawater and broadens the application of DNA for being used in recovery of high-value soluble minerals from seawater.

Carbonization processing of bauxite residue as an alternative rare metal recovery process

A prerequisite for commercial production of rare metals is a continuous effort given to developing knowledge-intensive recovery and refining techniques. Commonly known natural raw materials and conventional processing techniques, which are based on initial acid activation and recovery of minerals, as well as selective recovery of the target component (i.e. by sorption and extraction) cannot always ensure sufficient productivity or cost-effectiveness. This paper considers certain aspects of continued research in this area, which would require novel techniques. Such techniques should be based on new approaches allowing for the use of alternative raw materials to produce valuable rare metals on a cost-effective basis. It is demonstrated that red mud, i.e. waste material generated by bauxite industry and rich in scandium and other rare metals, can serve as such alternative source material. The paper describes the results of a study that looked at finding an optimum carbonization process for red mud that would ensure a consistent and predictable complexing process with regard to certain components. The paper also examines the environment in which soluble carbonate complexes can be stabilized and concentrated in the pregnant solution before the primary scandium-bearing concentrate can be recovered. The authors identified target parameters that determine enhanced filtration properties of carbonized slurry to ensure complete separation of the pregnant solution from the dehydrated (to the residual moisture content of 18%) carbonized residue. The paper highlights some positive factors of the carbonization process which enable a comprehensive utilization of alumina production waste. They include a long-term sequestration of carbon dioxide in the air and modified physical and chemical properties of red muds. This makes carbonized muds more compactable and thus more suitable for transportation and minimizes waste disposal hazards. The experimental research was carried out in conformance with the governmental assignments of the Institute of Solid State Chemistry of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Saint-Petersburg Mining University.

The Process of Microbiological Remediation of the Polluted Słoneczko Reservoir in Poland: For Reduction of Water Pollution and Nutrients Management

The article discusses the impact of nutrients from sewage on the state of the sewage receiver. Bioremediation was carried out through the use of effective microorganisms. The potential recovery of valuable mineral and organic substances in the form of fertilizers was also examined. The Słoneczko Reservoir is a bathing area and serves many people in the summertime as a place of water recreation. Water quality deteriorated intensively from 2006 as a result of illegal wastewater discharge and the impact of fecal pollution from bathers. The high concentration of nutrients in the water was the cause of the eutrophication process and blooms of cyanobacteria, which pose a threat to human health in the bathing area. The bathing area was also closed many times by sanitary services as a result of exceeding the number of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis in the water. At the bottom of the reservoir, there was a layer of sediments with a thickness of 30–70 cm. Thus, the processes of anaerobic decomposition generated odor, causing nuisance in the reservoir area. Water transparency varied from 30 to 50 cm, due to the accumulation of suspensions and biomass of planktonic algae. The reservoir was subjected to microbiological bioremediation in 2017 and 2018 to polluted water treatment and to reduce the organic content of bottom sediments. Already after the first application of biopreparations putrefactive odors and the eutrophication process disappeared at the end of the 2017 summer season. Bioremediation reduced the value of E. coli and E. feacalis to the acceptable level. After the second application in 2018, the organic fraction of the bottom sediments was reduced to a very low level and the water transparency reached the bottom (maximum depth was 2.2 m) throughout the entire bathing area. The effect of the water remediation was maintained until 2019, and the surface water quality remained at a very good level. An important aspect in this case is also the exploitation of bottom sediments, because they are rich in nutrients and organic matter, and therefore it may have some potential as a fertilizer. The recovery of nutrients can be used in plant or pot production. However, they contain compounds that degrade quickly, causing unpleasant odors and threatening the environment. Thus, they should be managed and handled in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way.

Flotation of hematite using 18-carbon fatty acids

The aim of this study was to investigate whether commercially available mixtures of the 18-carbon fatty acids could be used as flotation reagents for oxide minerals. These fatty acids are relatively insoluble, but the unsaturated fatty acids are known to have good collecting properties under alkaline pH conditions. Flotation recovery of a sample of hematite using these fatty acids was investigated over a wide pH range. Chemisorption was identified as the dominant mechanism of adsorption in the alkaline pH range, but physical adsorption of negatively charged surfactant moieties could well contribute to hematite flotation in the acidic pH region. There appeared to be a controversy between the higher collecting power of the surfactants with an increasing number of double bonds/molecule and their associated increased hydrophilic character and susceptibility to oxidation. It was shown that commercially available mixtures of 18-carbon unsaturated fatty acids are suitable flotation reagents for use in the recovery of oxide minerals giving high mineral recoveries.

A comparative investigation into floatability of bastnaesite with three di/trialkyl phosphate surfactants

Flotation separation and recovery of rare earth minerals (REM) have returned to an important position due to the growing strategy demand for rare earth elements (REE). In this paper, a comparative investigation into the floatability of bastnaesite ((Ce,La)FCO3) was conducted by using three di/trialkyl phosphate collectors, di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (DEHPA), dibutyl phosphate (DBP) and tributyl phosphate (TBP). The density functional theory (DFT) computation recommends that the chemical activity of the three phosphate collectors is in order of DEHPA ≥ DBP >> TBP, and their hydrophobization as-suggested by the lgP (oil-water partition coefficient) value is in the order of DEHPA > TBP > DBP. The micro-flotation indicates that the preferable pH values for flotation of bastnaesite with the three phosphate collectors are 7.0–8.0, and DEHPA achieves much higher flotation recovery of bastnaesite, followed by DBP, and then TBP, which coincides with their reactivity and hydrophobicity, the two prerequisites for froth flotation. The contact angle, zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) deduce that DEHPA likely reacts with the Ce(Ⅲ) atoms of bastnaesite interface through its O atom(s) of the P(=O)–O– group to generate the Ce–O–P bonds, and its two 2-ethylhexyl groups orient outside for attaching bubbles, resulting in flotation enrichment of bastnaesite. Furthermore, this investigation offers a novel strategy for developing collectors in selective beneficiation of REM.

Enhanced selective separation of fine particles from Cs-contaminated soil using magnetic nanoparticles

In the case of the contaminated soil from the nuclear sites, higher concentrations are found in smaller particles by analyzing the distributions of radioactivity for the various soil particle sizes. Therefore, the methods to separate the highly contaminated smallest particles from the remaining materials are essential to any soil decontamination strategy. The aim of the study was to investigate the magnetic separation of Cs-contaminated clay from soil by using naked Fe3O4 nanoparticles under low pH condition. For the magnetic separation of clay from the solution, the synthesized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were mixed with clay at various MNPs/clay mass ratios in the pH-adjusted solution, and then the MNPs–clay complexes were separated from the solution by using a permanent magnet. The effects of combining the magnetic and sieving methods were also evaluated. The magnetic separations of clay from soil were carried out in an open Plexiglas chamber. When sieve separation was combined with magnetic separation, the 200-mesh sieve was inserted into the chamber in the vertical direction. After magnetic separation, the particle size distribution of each soil fraction was analyzed. In addition, waste volume reduction and the Cs removal from contaminated soil by using magnetic-sieving separation were assessed. The efficiency of the recovery of clay minerals from the solution increases significantly with the increases in the MNP dosage and is more than 90% under acidic conditions when the mass ratio of MNPs to clay is near 0.1. Increases in electrostatic attraction and dispersion at low pH are beneficial for the magnetic separation of the clay mineral. In separation experiments on soil mixtures, MNPs were found to separate silt- and clay-sized fine particles selectively; the separation efficiency improves when a sieve is used to exclude physically large particles. In addition, we used the magnetic-sieving separation method to separate Cs-contaminated fine soil under acidic conditions: a decontamination efficiency of the treated soil of 58.5% was achieved by removing the highly contaminated fine soil fraction. The use of magnetic separation under acidic conditions was found to be highly effective for soil decontamination through the selective removal of fine clay particles without additional treatment. Therefore, the proposed magnetic-sieving separation using MNPs may be a viable option for removing fine particles from contaminated soil in the remediation of radioactive soil.

Contemporary restorative ion-releasing materials: current status, interfacial properties and operative approaches.

Minimally invasive (MI) concepts in restorative dentistry in the year 2020 request from the practitioner not only a scientifically supported rationale for carious tissue removal/excavation and defect-oriented, biological cavity preparation, but also a deep understanding of how to ensure a biomechanically stable and durable restoration in different clinical situations by applying different restorative options. Bio-interactive materials play an increasingly relevant role, as they not only replace diseased or lost tissue, but also optimise tissue mineral recovery (among other properties) when used in restorative and preventive dentistry. Indeed, this is of certain interest in MI restorative dentistry, especially in those cases where gap formation jeopardises the integrity of the margins along resin composite restorations, causing penetration of bacteria and eventually promoting the formation of secondary caries. Recently, the interest in whether ion-releasing materials may reduce such biofilm penetration into margin gaps and reduce such a risk for development and propagation of secondary caries is growing significantly among clinicians and scientists. The aim of this article was to explore mechanisms involved in the process that allow mineral deposition at the interface between such materials and dentine, and to describe how conventional 'bioactive' restorative materials currently available on the market may benefit treatments in MI dentistry.

Mineral Recovery Enhanced Desalination (MRED) process: An innovative technology for desalinating hard brackish water

Desalination of water containing high concentrations of calcium, dissolved carbon dioxide, sulfate, silica and other sparingly soluble salts is difficult because of the scaling potential. An innovative pre-treatment scheme was investigated at bench scale that selectively removes these constituents and produces a soft water to enable desalination with high feed water recovery. The process first removes dissolved carbon dioxide by air stripping at low pH. Magnesium is removed by precipitation at high pH. Calcium is removed by ion exchange (IX), and sulfate is removed by nanofiltration (NF). Cation regenerant from IX, containing calcium, and concentrate from NF, containing sulfate, is combined to precipitate gypsum. Concentrate from the desalination process consisting of a concentrated NaCl solution is used to regenerate the IX resins. The selective precipitation, IX, and NF processes were tested in laboratory experiments and produced magnesium hydroxide and gypsum at greater than 90% and 95% purity respectively. A process model was developed to calculate process performance, mass and liquid flow rates. The MRED process offers the following benefits: 1) greater recovery of brackish feedwater by a desalination process, 2) recovery of marketable commodities and 3) reduction in the volume and mass of waste products from the treatment process.

The application of TOUGHREACT in the field of energy and environment

TOUGHREACT has been widely used as a chemical reaction simulation program for non-isothermal multiphase flow in pore and fracture media. By analyzing the comprehensive research results, the application status of TOUGHREACT in CO2 geological storage, geothermal energy development, nuclear waste disposal, mineral recovery and silica fouling and environmental pollution remediation are summarized. Finally, the future development trend of TOUGHREACT is also analyzed. It can be used as a reference for the future application of TOUGHREACT in the field of energy and environment.

The effect of galvanic interaction between chalcopyrite and pyrite on the surface chemistry and collector adsorption: Flotation and DFT study

An investigation on the surface properties and collector adsorption was conducted after the galvanic interaction of chalcopyrite and pyrite in the flotation system. The surface compositions were studied through the metal ion dissolution test and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization. The galvanic effect on flotation behavior was examined by the flotation test of mineral mixtures; the collector adsorption on the defect chalcopyrite surfaces was analyzed by DFT calculation. The results showed that the addition of pyrite enhanced copper ion dissolution from the chalcopyrite surface significantly. Adsorption of copper ion on the pyrite surface was observed by XPS analysis. Chalcopyrite surface showed a higher oxidation degree after contacting with pyrite as polysulfide and elemental sulfur appeared. Mineral recovery from flotation tests showed the galvanic effect caused lower selectivity of chalcopyrite and pyrite with SBX as a collector. DFT study revealed that the metal-deficient chalcopyrite surface does not facilitate collector adsorption with high adsorption energy. Therefore, pyrite is galvanically protected while the oxidation dissolution of chalcopyrite is enhanced in their galvanic cell. Lower chalcopyrite recovery from mineral mixtures was obtained due to surface defection and weaken collector adsorption.