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Interaction behavior between coarse-particle pyrite and fine-particle pyrite in flotation
Xianchen Wang1,2, Hong Li3
1School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Moutai Institute, Renhuai, 564507, China. wangxianchen@mtxy.edu.cn.
Scientific Reports
|July 1, 2025
Summary
Coarse pyrite particles act as carriers for fine pyrite during flotation, significantly boosting the recovery of both particle sizes. This interaction enhances overall gold recovery, especially at lower collector concentrations.
Area of Science:
- Mineral Processing
- Geochemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Pyrite is a key gold-bearing mineral, and its flotation recovery is crucial for overall gold extraction efficiency.
- Understanding the behavior of different pyrite particle sizes during flotation is essential for optimizing gold recovery processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction between coarse-particle pyrite (CPy) and fine-particle pyrite (FPy) during flotation.
- To determine the effect of particle size interactions on the flotation recovery of gold-bearing pyrite.
Main Methods:
- Flotation tests were performed on pyrite samples from Guizhou Province.
- Advanced analytical techniques including laser particle size analysis, optical microscopy, SEM, EDS, and a specialized "Particle Attachment Dynamic Observation System" were employed.
- Extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (EDLVO) model calculations were used to analyze inter-particle forces.
Main Results:
- Fine-particle pyrite (FPy) exhibited lower recovery than coarse-particle pyrite (CPy) individually under identical collector conditions.
- The flotation recovery of a CPy-FPy mixture was significantly higher than that of either CPy or FPy alone, particularly at low collector concentrations.
- CPy was found to act as a carrier for FPy, facilitating its attachment and recovery in the froth phase.
Conclusions:
- Coarse pyrite particles enhance the flotation recovery of fine pyrite particles by acting as carriers.
- The interaction between CPy and FPy improves overall pyrite flotation efficiency, especially in the presence of butyl xanthate collector.
- Hydrophobic forces, increased by the collector, promote pyrite particle agglomeration, explaining the enhanced recovery of mixed-particle size flotation.
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