The effect of non-toxic depressants in chalcopyrite flotation

Sulfidic copper ores are generally enriched by flotation. The major source of copper is chalcopyrite concentrated from sulfidic copper ores. Therefore, the determination of depressing mechanism for selective flotation of minerals such as chalcopyrite, pyrite, sphalerite, galena from complex sulfidic ore is very important. On the other hand, penalties imposed by smelters make selective flotation necessary. Environmental and economical aspects also affect the selection of reagents to be used in the selective flotation of copper ores. This paper reports the results of an investigation about the role of non-toxic depressants on the selective flotation of chalcopyrite. In the flotation of copper ores depressants are generally used to depress minerals other than chalcopyrite. However, depressants affect chalcopyrite to some degree and therefore it is important to know the behaviour of chalcopyrite in the presence of depressants. The chalcopyrite sample that was enriched by physical separation methods was used in the flotation tests. In flotation experiments, parameters such as depressant type (starch and sodium meta bisulfite), depressant dosage and pH were investigated. Starch was observed to have a stronger depression effect on chalcopyrite compared to sodium meta bisulfite.