Department of Enrichment of Non-Ferrous and Rare Metals Ores, National University of Science and Technology “MISiS”, Moscow, Russia:

B. E. Goryachev, Professor
Naing Linoo, Post Graduate Student
A. A. Nikolaev, Associate Professor, e-mail: nikolaevopr@misis.ru

The paper describes the flotation behavior and flotation kinetics of different particle size fractions of non-activated pyrite in self-aerated flotation cell, and their response to changes in type of sulfydryl collector, collector dosage and pH. The samples of fine (–44+0 μm), medium (–74+44 μm) and coarse (–100+74 μm) pyrite were used as a feed in froth flotation experiments. For a long time, xanthates and dithiophosphates of alkaline metals have been the most used collectors in copper-zinc sulfide ores flotation. That is why, potassium butyl xanthate and sodium butyl dithiophosphate were used as collectors in this study. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of particle size on pyrite flotation, which was achieved through froth flotation experiments, where potassium butyl xanthate and sodium butyl dithiophosphate were used as collectors. Flotation kinetics of certain pyrite size fractions (–100+44 μm, –74+44 μm and -44+0 μm) were investigated, using various collector dosage at the pH = 8–12. Research peculiarity was application of mole collector discharge approach for comparison of collector flotation activity of potassium butyl xanthate and sodium butyl dithiophosphate. It should be noted that distribution of flotation rate constant was estimated, using special software, and was applied in order to analyze the influence of collector type on flotation behavior and particularly on flotation kinetics of pyrite samples at constant pH and mole collector discharge conditions. Calculations of flotation rate constant distribution were based on assumption of presence of only three flotation factions in every pyrite sample: fast-floatable (K = 1–100 min^–1), medium-floatable (K = 0.01–1 min^–1) and slow-floatable (K = 0.0001–0.01 min^–1) fractions. The flotation kinetics results were analyzed as a function of particle size in order to determine whether the collector type produced any beneficial effects. With the value of pH = 8 and the same mole collector discharge conditions, both potassium butyl xanthate and sodium butyl dithiophosphate exhibited the same effect on flotation of pyrite size fractions of –74+44 μm. Having a stronger alkaline conditions (pH = 10 and 12), butyl dithiophosphate was shown to increase recovery and rate of pyrite flotation above potassium butyl xanthate. There was no significant difference in collector type in the slime flotation of pyrite (–44+0 μm) at pH = 8–10 and coarse flotation of pyrite (–100+44 μm) at pH = 8–12. Having the strongest alkaline conditions (pH = 12), potassium butyl xanthate was shown to increase recovery and rate of pyrite flotation above butyl dithiophosphate.

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