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Click to add WeChatThere are more than 200 types of copper-bearing ores in my country, but the types of copper ores that can be mined are better, mainly chalcopyrite, chalcocite and bornite, of which chalcopyrite accounts for about 70%. Copper ore itself has good conductor properties, and self-induced floatability and collector-induced floatability are good. It has good hydrophobicity in weakly alkaline and neutral environments, so flotation is often used for separation. This article will focus on chalcopyrite flotation process.
The flotation method of chalcopyrite is determined according to its ore properties and the quality requirements of the concentrate. The commonly used flotation processes are mainly mixed flotation, full priority flotation, partial priority-mixed flotation and equal floatable flotation.
Mixed flotation of chalcopyrite is to first select various useful minerals in copper ore by flotation to obtain mixed concentrate, and then use the method of preferential flotation of copper and suppression of other minerals to obtain qualified copper concentrate. The tailings obtained are used to obtain other useful minerals through other beneficiation methods.
This flotation method is mostly suitable for processing minerals with low ore grade and simple ore quality. It has a simple process flow, low grinding cost and low reagent dosage, but it is difficult to separate other useful minerals by this method.
There are two main forms of full priority flotation of chalcopyrite. One is to add lime to suppress associated minerals such as pyrite and float copper ore, but this process consumes a large amount of reagents and also reduces the grade of copper concentrate and the recovery rate of associated rare and precious metals such as Au, Ag, and Mo.
The other is to use an efficient collector to capture copper and float out chalcopyrite under neutral or weak alkaline conditions. This method is suitable for processing minerals with simple composition, few recoverable useful minerals, and large flotation differences between minerals.
Partial priority-mixed flotation of chalcopyrite is to first use a fast flotation method to select easy-floating copper ore to achieve early and fast collection, and then mix and float copper and other useful minerals to obtain a mixed concentrate, and then float and separate the mixed concentrate to obtain qualified copper concentrate and other useful minerals.
This flotation method is mainly suitable for processing chalcopyrite that is easy to select in the mineral. The amount of reagent used in the flotation process is small and the flotation index is high, but the number of flotation equipment required is large.
When selecting chalcopyrite by flotation, there is no need to add adjusters, inhibitors and activators. When selecting minerals with good floatability, they can float naturally without being affected by inhibitors. Not only that, the use of activators is also avoided. However, this method requires a large amount of other reagents and equipment. This flotation method is generally suitable for processing polymetallic chalcopyrite, and there must be a mineral with good floatability in the ore.