Work

A Study on the Differential Effects of Serpentine from Different Origins on Chalcopyrite Flotation Behavior

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: To elucidate the refractory depression of serpentine in a Jinchuan copper-nickel ore (Located in Gansu Province), this study compared the effects of serpentine from Gansu and Liaoning on chalcopyrite flotation via single/mixed mineral flotation, zeta potential, micro-polarity detection, XPS, ToF-SIMS, and EPMA. Single mineral flotation showed chalcopyrite recovery reached ~90% at pH < 8 with 60 mg/L DDTC, while Gansu serpentine had slightly higher recovery than Liaoning serpentine. In mixed mineral flotation, chalcopyrite recovery dropped to ~70% (pH = 8), and Gansu serpentine recovery rose to ~45% (vs. ~35% for Liaoning). When 40 mg/L CMC inhibitor was added, chalcopyrite recovery restored to ~80%, and both serpentines’ recovery fell below 20%—but serpentine (Gansu) still had marginally higher recovery. The zeta potential and micro-polarity experiments collectively indicate that the collector exhibits selective adsorption on the surface of chalcopyrite; compared between the two serpentine samples, the collector adsorption is stronger on the surface of Gansu serpentine. In contrast, the depressant shows selective adsorption on the surface of serpentine, but when comparing the two serpentine samples, the depressant adsorption is stronger on the surface of exotic serpentine. This finding to a certain extent explains the reason why Gansu serpentine is difficult to depress. EPMA showed Gansu serpentine had lower MgO (38.668% vs. 41.012% for Liaoning), and XPS exhibited smaller Mg 1s shifts (1.93 eV vs. 4.46 eV) with CMC. This study explains Gansu serpentine’s poor depressibility, providing critical support for optimizing Cu-Ni ore flotation reagents and processes, gradually bridging to industrial application. This work provides a universal framework for global low-grade copper-nickel ores with silicate gangues.

Source: Minerals

DOI: 10.3390/min16010022

Authors: Hui Yang, Mengyao Zhou, Zhen Wang, Yongxing Zheng

Institutions: Kunming University of Science and Technology, Southwest University of Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Minerals Flotation and Separation Techniques

Subfield: Water Science and Technology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, Department of Science and Technology of Sichuan Province, National Key Research and Development Program of China