The performance of native wheat starch (NWS), a hydrogen peroxide-oxidized wheat starch (Perox 3/30) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as copper-activated pyrite depressants are compared in lab-scale flotation trials. Both Perox 3/30 and CMC demonstrate similar and significantly better performance than NWS at dosages 100–300 g/t. At 700 g/t, both starches depressed essentially all of the copper-activated

Results from an laboratory test campaign show that of the parameters included in the experimental plan design; average operational temperature, cryolite ratio (CR) and cathode grade, the operational temperature had the most statistically significant effect on the formation of chemically induced sludge. However, the precipitation of cryolitic species under the metal pad (i.e. chemically induced sludge)

The presence of Pb2+ can activate cassiterite flotation, however, its biotoxicity may lead to environmental issues. Therefore, the feasibility of using Zn2+ instead of Pb2+ in cassiterite flotation was investigated in this study. The effects and mechanism of Zn2+ on the floatability of cassiterite were analyzed using benzohydroxamic acid (BHA) as the collector. The results indicated there was a higher

In this research, the effect of curing temperature on the Arsenic (As(III)) leachability of cemented paste backfill (CPB) that contains blast furnace slag (OPC/Slag-CPB) are studied. ASTM C 1308 leaching protocol is adopted to assess the leachability of OPC/Slag-CPB specimens cured at various temperatures (2 °C, 20 °C and 35 °C). Furthermore, various microstructural techniques are used to relate the

A new technology has been developed to improve the selective recovery of fine particles in the froth flotation process. The technology is based on using hydrophobized glass bubbles (HGB) as a carrier material for hydrophobic fine particles, which promotes selective particle agglomeration. A proof of concept was carried out using fine graphite particles (13 µm) in order to validate the technology. The

The dissolution behavior and surface composition of galena and pyrite in their coexisting flotation system were studied by metal ion releasing experiment and XPS analysis, to reveal the influence of galvanic interaction on their flotation. The results indicated that the dissolution of lead ions from galena surface was strongly enhanced in the presence of pyrite, significantly depending on the pyrite

Rare earth elements (REEs) possess distinctive physical and chemical properties and are mainly extracted from several rare earth (RE) and ion-absorbing type RE ores. Traditional RE sources are unable to meet the global demand, making it necessary to explore other resources for the extraction of rare REEs. While this is possible, the recovery of REEs from the leach residue of such resources is uneconomical

This work focuses on a novel treatment process for Brazilian iron bearing fine tailings by rougher reverse column flotation assisted by high-intensity conditioning (HIC) with a new cationic collector in a conventional column cell (CCC) and in a modified three-product column (3PC). The samples (30–35% solids), corresponded to very fine (49% of the mass below 10 µm) and low-grade iron bearing tailings

The high interlock between the fine particles of sphalerite and galena in some parts of the Goushfil mine (Isfahan, Iran) ore has significantly reduced the flotation efficiency. According to the acceptable capability of bioleaching in the recovery of metals from the complex mineralogical resources, the feasibility of zinc extraction from a low-grade (34% Zn) bulk flotation concentrate was investigated

The development of renewable energy sources, electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries has increased the demand for cobalt from the African Copperbelt that traverses the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia. This increased demand has enabled the modernization of the process technology used across the region, resulting in the move from direct electrowinning of copper to solvent extraction-electrowinning

The surface properties of slightly oxidized chalcocite, bornite, and chalcopyrite with sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) treatment were investigated by solid analyses of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, solution analyses, and zeta potential measurements. NaHS is known as a flotation activator for copper-oxide minerals by sulfurizing their surfaces. This study focused on the surface properties before/after

Molybdenite and chalcopyrite is generally separated through the selective depression of chalcopyrite using potentially toxic depressants such as sodium sulfide and cyanides. In this work, xanthan gum (XG), a polymer polysaccharide, was investigated as a potential molybdenite depressant in copper-molybdenum sulfides separation. Single mineral flotation tests indicated that molybdenite could be effectively

Solvent extraction of indium from hydrochloric acid solution using N,N-di(1-methyl-eptyl) acetamide (N503), di(l-methylheptyl)methyl phosphate (P350), and tributyl phosphate (TBP) diluted in sulfonated kerosene was investigated. Extraction was studied as a function of hydrochloric acid and chloride ion concentrations, organic-phase composition, initial indium concentration, phase contact time, and

Wet processing after crushing is common practice in mineral processing circuits involving flotation but the need for more efficient water management has increased interest towards dry processing. In this study the effects of both wet and dry grinding on flotation of one sulphidic and one non-sulphidic ore were compared. Bench scale flotation tests were carried out and various microscopic and spectroscopic

This study aimed to introduce a new approach to determine the mass transfer rate constant in a laboratory column flotation through an analogy to a mass transfer process. The RTD of the column at two separate bubble sizes were modeled using both conventional N-mixer and N-mixer with back-mixing flow models. The number of perfect mixers (N) and the corresponding backflow coefficients (λ) were optimized

The inherent hydrophobicity of carbonaceous graphitic material enables its easy flotation simultaneously with valuable copper sulphides, posing significant flotation separation problems. As widely reported, environmentally benign, cheap and ubiquitous natural polymers such as native starch can be used to depress graphitic carbon. However, starch’s macromolecular structural peculiarities and poly-hydroxyl

Low-temperature magnetization using reducing gas derived from biomass pyrolysis is being explored as an option to recover Fe from oxidized waste generated during Ni extraction from bio-leaching of pyrrhotite-rich tailings. The study investigates the potential sequestration of the main transition metal contaminants - Cu and Ni - into the magnetic phases. In the original oxidized pyrrhotite tailings

In this work, L-cysteine was introduced as an environmentally-efficient flotation reagent in the selective separation of molybdenite from chalcopyrite. Its flotation performance and adsorption mechanism onto chalcopyrite were also investigated by flotation experiment, zeta potential, FTIR spectra, Raman spectra, TOF-SIMS measurements and DFT calculations. The flotation results indicated that L-cysteine

The supply of fresh water is becoming an increasingly important issue in hydrometallurgical treatment of mineral ores. The problem may significantly reduce if the extraction process can incorporate the usage of saltwater throughout the whole hydrometallurgical operation. Seawater as the main source of saltwater is a potential alternative to freshwater. In this research, the effect of the chloride ions

Micaceous minerals are commonly found in phosphate ores, representing a challenge to selectively recover apatite. Aiming at identifying new flotation reagents for the separation of apatite from micaceous minerals, this study investigates the floatability of apatite, biotite and phlogopite in the presence of patauá oil-based collector. The chemical and mineralogical composition, electrokinetic properties

A novel low-intensity pneumatic planar magnetic separator designed to recover and concentrate fine-grained magnetite minerals is investigated and the performance compared with those of conventional wet magnetic separators, i.e., Davis tube tester and drum magnetic separator. The results of the studies show that the magnetite recoveries and grades achieved by the novel planar magnetic separator compare

The aim of this work consisted of developing a flotation model based on industrial data from modern and large mechanical flotation cells (up to 300 m3). Using industrial data from different flotation plants a general model was develop considering the metallurgical performance, residence time distribution, and operational and hydrodynamic conditions. The model considers the behaviour of each cell in

The effects of process history on the particle morphology of uranium ore concentrates (UOC) synthesized from natural uranium ores were investigated. A purified UOC was extracted from a uranium-rich ore by sulfuric acid leaching and purified by two commercial solvent extraction processes: the Dapex process using di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (DEHPA), and the Amex process using Alamine® 336. The

Liquid flow behavior is a key factor that affects the leaching rate and metal extraction of stope leaching (SL), but related experimental studies are very limited. The liquid spread mechanism of SL is complicated because of the high-temperature conditions, the structural characteristics of the stope, and the pore characteristics of the ore heap. In this study, a device was developed to investigate

Rougher flotation is a complex process, making it difficult for a single variable to comprehensively and accurately reflects real-time working conditions. This paper proposes a new multivariable recognition method for rougher flotation conditions using pulp flow and froth size as parameters. It utilizes qualitative trend analysis to recognise rougher flotation condition for the first time, where an

Cobalt and nickel are important strategic resources. Solvent extraction is an efficient way to separate and recover cobalt and nickel from spent batteries like ternary LIBs, NiMH and Ni-Cd batteries. In this paper, we introduce an unsymmetrical dialkylphosphinic acid INET-3 – which possesses excellent extraction and separation performance for heavy REEs – to cobalt/nickel separation for the first time

A novel hydroxamic acid collector, Octylamino-bis-(isobutanohydroxamic acid) (OIBHA), for bastnaesite flotation was designed by constructing a double branched hydroxamic acid molecular structure and synthesized in the laboratory. Micro-flotation experiments were carried out to study the flotation performance of OIBHA. The adsorption mechanism was investigated by zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared

A novel combined reagent dodecylamine (DDA)–2-octanol–kerosene was employed to overcome the problems associated with DDA, that is, DDA has a high freezing point and needs to be acidified with hydrochloric or acetic acid when it is used for flotation. The analysis of the basic physical properties of the agent showed that DDA–2-octanol–kerosene had significant advantages in freezing point and dispersibility

The advancement in technology has resulted in the development of newer and improved electrical products. The older products are becoming obsolete and are discarded as waste at a continuously increasing trend. Printed circuit board (PCB) is the main focus of electronic waste recycling because of the inherently high value of contained metals such as gold and copper. Hydrometallurgical route, which is

Vertical stirred mills are now widely used in the minerals industry and the increasing variety of models from different manufacturers and number of new units installed worldwide are evidence of the growing interest in them. With so many options available, it becomes ever more difficult at the design stage of a plant to choose the most appropriate mill for a given application. The present work takes

The effect of temperature in the range of 20–65 °C on gold extraction from refractory gold tailings containing pyrite in 20% (v/v) of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulphate [Bmim+HSO4−]-water solution with thiourea as complexing agent and iron(III) sulphate oxidant, at pH of 1 was examined for 12 h leaching time intervals. The experimental results revealed that the extraction of gold improved

Application of hyperspectral infrared imagery for mineral grain identification suffers from a lack of prediction on the irregular grain’s surface along with the mineral aggregates. Here, we present an investigation to determine the reliability of automatic mineral identification in the longwave Infrared (LWIR, 7.7–11.8 μm) with an LWIR-macro lens having a spatial resolution of 100 μm. We attempt to

In Part 1, a REFLUX™ Classifier, which consists of a lower fluidized bed system and upper system of parallel inclined channels, was operated in continuous mode and used to beneficiate a dense mineral ore covering a nominal particle size range up to 300 μm. The improvements in performance when the inclined channel spacing was reduced from 6 mm down to 3 mm were investigated and reported (Galvin et al

Boron-bearing slag is a typical secondary resource of boron (B) and magnesium (Mg). However, the boron dispersed in the amorphous phase, which is difficult to recover from the boron-bearing slag. This study investigated the effect of supergravity field on the competitive crystallization behavior of B, Si, and Mg in boron-bearing slag, and developed an efficient method for two-stage separation of olivine

Mixtures of spodumene + Na2SO4 with a mass ratio of 1:0.5 were prepared and milled using either zirconia or metallic media in a planetary ball mill for 5 h. The milled samples were heated in a furnace at temperatures ranging from 800 °C to 1000 °C for one hour under an air atmosphere. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed the traces of new phases such as LiNaSO4 and β-spodumene in the produced calcine

Automated mineralogy instrumentation (QEMSCAN, MLA, TIMA) is routinely used for materials characterization in the mining industry. All current techniques identify minerals based on a combination of backscattered electron and chemical (energy-dispersive spectroscopy) signals read from the sample. Boundary zones, where two or more minerals are touching, yield signals that reflect a mix of the characteristics

For the last two decades, a considerable amount of research has focused on developing a completely safe and non-toxic leaching process for gold to replace cyanidation. In this research, a free milling gold ore is leached using copper-citrate-thiosulfate solutions at elevated temperatures, where citrate serves as a stabilizer of cupric ion. Experimental factors such as agitation speed, temperature,

It is known that fine and ultrafine particles are difficult to float mainly due to their low collision efficiency with bubbles. In this paper, the effect of microbubble addition, on the recovery of fine quartz particles floated with conventional bubbles is discussed. Microbubbles stabilised by collectors were produced using an external air–in–water micro-dispersion generator and added to the pulp in

The presence of tenacious froth in flotation products has a detrimental effect on the downstream dewatering process, which is a challenge in processing plants of a range of commodities, such as coal, talc, molybdenum, bitumen, potash, zinc, copper and gold. The generation of tenacious froth is not only related to the properties of mineral particles but can also be affected by water salinity and the

Organic acids produced by microorganisms have been proposed as a biotechnological tool to release phosphorus (P) from sparingly soluble rock phosphates (RPs). In this work, organic acids commonly associated with microbial P solubilization (citric, gluconic, itaconic, malic, and oxalic) were applied at increasing doses to solubilize RPs with distinct reactivity grades. P solubilization by organic acids

The experiment on recovery of gold and iron by one-step chlorination-reduction roasting in the muffle furnace was conducted using cyanide tailings from a gold smelting enterprises (Henan Province, China) as research object. The effects of the dosage of calcium chloride, dosage of bituminous coal, roasting temperature, roasting time, and other factors on the high-temperature chlorination efficiency

Gamma-phase of the lithium aluminate (LiAlO2) is a ceramic powder used in molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) and in other nuclear and ceramic applications. Upon exposure to water vapor and carbon dioxide at 25 °C, we have observed, that gamma-LiAlO2 converts to lithium aluminum carbonate hydroxide hydrate, Li2Al4(CO3)(OH)12·3H2O (LACHH) and Li2CO3. The conversion was detected by X-ray diffraction

Bioleaching has been widely applied to recover metals from sulfide minerals at medium or high temperatures, however, little is known about the bioleaching at low temperature. Electrochemical analysis techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), potentiodynamic polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), combined with surface detection methods such as scanning electron microscopy