The successful separating galena and chalcopyrite by flotation presents difficulties owing to their analogous surface chemical properties. This study investigated sodium periodate (SP) as a novel depressant for selectively oxidizing and modifying chalcopyrite and galena surfaces, enabling successful flotation separation. In micro-flotation tests were carried out at pH 8.5 and SP concentration of 5 × 10−4 mol/L. The grades of Cu and Pb in the copper concentrate were 27.87 % and 23.13 % with recoveries of 81.22 % and 27.78 %, respectively. SP selectively inhibited galena floatability while preserving chalcopyrite floatability. The selective depression mechanism research of SP in flotation separation process showed that galena surface hydrophobicity was significantly reduced by SP, which in turn prevented the collecting agent from adhering to galena. In the presence of SP, hydrophilic species such as PbSO4 and Pb(OH)2 were generated on the surface of galena, which decreased its ability to float. Conversely, on the chalcopyrite surface, hydrophobic products such as CuS2, CuSn, and S0 were formed, having little effect on its floatability. A model was developed to elucidate the mechanism underlying the selective flotation separation of the chalcopyrite and galena using SP.
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