Effect of chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite interaction on flotation separation

  • Published: 01 May 1992
  • Volume 9 , pages 73–79, ( 1992 )

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research progress in flotation separation of pyrrhotite from chalcopyrite

  • X. Cheng 1 &
  • I. Iwasaki 2  

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A series of batch flotation tests was performed on chalcopyrite-quartzite, on pyrrhotite-quartzite and on chahcopyrite-pyrrhotite-quartzite mixtures. Pulp potential measurements in the flotation tests with single sulfide minerals indicated that each sulfide mineral had its own optimal potential range for flotation. When these results were used to select the potential ranges for the separation of the two minerals from their mixture, their flotation responses changed, and the selectivity of separation was adversely affected. A possible mechanism involving surface alteration through galvanic interaction is discussed, and a method to improve the selectivity of flotation separation is proposed.

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Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

X. Cheng ( research assistant )

Central Research Institute, Mitsubishi Materials Corp., Omiya, Japan

I. Iwasaki ( member SME, technical councilor )

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SME preprint 92-42, SME Annual Meeting, Feb. 24–27, 1992, Phoenix, AZ. M&MP paper 91-653.

Discussion of this paper must be submitted, in duplicate, prior to Aug. 31, 1992.

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Cheng, X., Iwasaki, I. Effect of chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite interaction on flotation separation. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 9 , 73–79 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03402974

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Received : 15 July 1991

Published : 01 May 1992

Issue Date : May 1992

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03402974

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  2. Table 1 from Effect of Electrochemical Interaction between Chalcopyrite

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  3. -Flotation recoveries of pyrite and chalcopyrite as a function of the

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