Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

• Hossein Hamedani ¹
• Arash Sobouti ¹
• Mohammad Baqaeifar ²
• Bahram Rezai ²
• Fatemeh Sadat Hoseinian ²

¹ Department of Mining Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran.

² Department of Mining Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran

Abstract

In this work, a representative sample was initially prepared from exploratory drilling cores, followed by identification and characterization studies based on XRD analysis; the sample consists primarily of quartz, kaolinite, muscovite-illite, calcite, potassium, feldspar, albite, dolomite, siderite, and chalcopyrite. Optical and scanning electron microscopy studies revealed that the sulfide minerals in the sample include chalcopyrite, chalcocite, and pyrite, with the most significant copper minerals primarily comprising chalcopyrite, chalcocite, and malachite. No free gold was observed, and gold mainly exists as a substitute within the structure of sulfide minerals. AAS analysis results indicated that the copper grade in the sample is 0.99%. To investigate the flotation of copper minerals, influential parameters such as pH, collector concentration, frother concentration, sodium sulfide concentration, and the effect of particle size were examined. The results demonstrated that under optimal conditions (pH = 11, collector concentration of 100 g/t Potassium Amyl Xanthate (PAX), 100 g/t Sodium Isopropyl Xanthate (SIPAX), 60 g/t frother methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC), 1000 g/t Na₂S at a particle size of d₈₀= 75μ), the total copper grade and recovery following two stages cleaner flotation were achieved at 21.2% and 60.2%, respectively.

Keywords

• chalcopyrite
• pH
• flotation
• collector concentration
• Na₂S concentration

Main Subjects

• Flotation