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    Impact of gypsum supersaturated water on the uptake of copper and xanthate on sphalerite

    Year: 2013

    Journal: Minerals Engineering Volume 49, August 2013, Pages 165–171, 20130629

    Authors: Meijiao Deng, Qingxia Liu, Zhenghe Xu

    Last authors: Zhenghe Xu

    Organizations: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G6

    Country: Canada

    Gypsum supersaturated process water has been shown to have an adverse effect on the flotation of sphalerite minerals. This study probes the mechanism of such effect by determining the uptake of copper and xanthate on sphalerite in gypsum supersaturated water using zeta potential distribution measurement, atomic absorption spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation. Our results indicate that the supersaturation of water by gypsum retards the adsorption of copper and hence the sequence xanthate adsorption on sphalerite. The retardation of copper and xanthate adsorption on sphalerite is also observed by the addition of 800 ppm calcium. The adsorption of calcium is identified to compete with copper species for the reactive surface sites of the sphalerite, resulting in the reduction in copper and xanthate uptake and hence flotation recovery of sphalerite.