2142 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
Bench-Scale Flotation Experiments
Effects of Collector Type on Te, Au, and Ag Flotation
Using MIBC
As explained in the methodology section, recovery, enrich-
ment, and mass calculations (yield) results were based on
grades obtained for specific as-received CT for mass bal-
ance purposes. The flotation behavior of telluride hosted in
pyrite with EXP300422, SIPX, and AERO 8989 at 150 g/t
dosage was tested using 50 g/t MIBC, as shown in Figure 5.
The results showed that using EXP300422, the recov-
ery, and grade for Te was 62.90% and 0.8 ppm, respectively.
Similarly, the recovery and grade for Te using SIPX were
64.57% and 0.8 ppm, respectively. The highest Te recovery
observed was using AERO 8989, as these results showed
a recovery of 79.76%, but at the cost of presenting a low
grade of 0.5 ppm. Furthermore, the lowest Te recovery and
grade were observed using AERO 412, presenting 45.25%
and 0.3 ppm, respectively.
The recovery and grades for Ag using the selected
reagent systems are shown in Figure 6. Results showed that
the recovery varied slightly at 150 g/t dosage from 62. 37%,
61.53%, 56.47% for SIPX, AERO 8989, and EXP300422,
respectively. However, although the collectors had similar
recoveries, the Ag grade changed drastically per collector
type tested. SIPX was observed to have the highest Ag grade
at 0.85 ppm, followed by AERO 8989 and EXP300422,
with similar grades of 0.81 and 0.79 ppm, respectively. The
Figure 4. (A) SEM-EDS image of a 120 μm pyrite (Py) grain in CT Mozley concentrates. (B) False-color SEM-EDS of the same
pyrite grain locked at least 7 inclusions less than 30 μm, of which 5 were galena (Gn), and the remaining were tetradymite and
hessite/argentite
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0
20
40
60
80
100
EXP300422 (150 g/t) SIPX (150 g/t) AERO 8989 (150 g/t) AERO 412 (150 g/t)
Collector type +MIBC (50 g/t)
Te Recovery Te Grade (ppm)
Figure 5. Effect of collector type at 150 g/t on the enrichment of Te using MIBC frother at 50 g/t
Grade
(ppm)
Recovery
(%)
Bench-Scale Flotation Experiments
Effects of Collector Type on Te, Au, and Ag Flotation
Using MIBC
As explained in the methodology section, recovery, enrich-
ment, and mass calculations (yield) results were based on
grades obtained for specific as-received CT for mass bal-
ance purposes. The flotation behavior of telluride hosted in
pyrite with EXP300422, SIPX, and AERO 8989 at 150 g/t
dosage was tested using 50 g/t MIBC, as shown in Figure 5.
The results showed that using EXP300422, the recov-
ery, and grade for Te was 62.90% and 0.8 ppm, respectively.
Similarly, the recovery and grade for Te using SIPX were
64.57% and 0.8 ppm, respectively. The highest Te recovery
observed was using AERO 8989, as these results showed
a recovery of 79.76%, but at the cost of presenting a low
grade of 0.5 ppm. Furthermore, the lowest Te recovery and
grade were observed using AERO 412, presenting 45.25%
and 0.3 ppm, respectively.
The recovery and grades for Ag using the selected
reagent systems are shown in Figure 6. Results showed that
the recovery varied slightly at 150 g/t dosage from 62. 37%,
61.53%, 56.47% for SIPX, AERO 8989, and EXP300422,
respectively. However, although the collectors had similar
recoveries, the Ag grade changed drastically per collector
type tested. SIPX was observed to have the highest Ag grade
at 0.85 ppm, followed by AERO 8989 and EXP300422,
with similar grades of 0.81 and 0.79 ppm, respectively. The
Figure 4. (A) SEM-EDS image of a 120 μm pyrite (Py) grain in CT Mozley concentrates. (B) False-color SEM-EDS of the same
pyrite grain locked at least 7 inclusions less than 30 μm, of which 5 were galena (Gn), and the remaining were tetradymite and
hessite/argentite
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0
20
40
60
80
100
EXP300422 (150 g/t) SIPX (150 g/t) AERO 8989 (150 g/t) AERO 412 (150 g/t)
Collector type +MIBC (50 g/t)
Te Recovery Te Grade (ppm)
Figure 5. Effect of collector type at 150 g/t on the enrichment of Te using MIBC frother at 50 g/t
Grade
(ppm)
Recovery
(%)