Innovative study on chalcopyrite flotation efficiency with xanthate and ester collectors blend using response surface...

Area of Science:

• Mineral Processing
• Metallurgical Engineering
• Applied Chemistry

Background:

• The Malanjkhand chalcopyrite deposit is India's leading copper source.
• Flotation performance optimization is crucial for efficient copper extraction.
• Novel collector blends offer potential for improved mineral recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a novel ester-based collector blend in enhancing chalcopyrite flotation.
• To determine optimal dosages of sodium silicate, SIPX, and acetoacetic acid n-octyl ester (AoE) for improved copper recovery and grade.
• To compare flotation performance on high-grade (HG) and low-grade (LG) ore samples.

Main Methods:

• Standard flotation experiments were conducted using a mechanical cell.
• A Box-Behnken design was employed to systematically evaluate three parameters: sodium silicate, SIPX, and AoE dosages.
• Analysis involved ANOVA, cubic plots, and response surface methodologies.

Main Results:

• Incorporating AoE with optimized SIPX dosages increased copper grade by at least 15% with favorable recovery.
• Optimal conditions for HG sample recovery (93.64%) were identified: 0.001 kg/t sodium silicate, 0.005 kg/t SIPX, and 0.00125 kg/t AoE.
• Ideal conditions for an optimized HG sample grade of 3% were 0.00175 kg/t sodium silicate, 0.005 kg/t SIPX, and 0.0005 kg/t AoE.

Conclusions:

• The novel ester-based collector blend significantly improves copper flotation performance.
• Optimized reagent dosages are critical for maximizing both copper grade and recovery.
• Validation experiments confirmed the reliability and accuracy of the statistical model predictions.