2438 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
formate (XF54), an isopropyl xanthogen formate (XF31,
an isopropyl xanthogen formate/dithionocarbamate mix,
(SPRI1004), and a thionocarbamate (TNC312M).
The standard test made use of sodium isopropyl xan-
thate (SIPX) exclusively while other tests involved one of
the selective collectors for the first two thirty second con-
centrates, followed by the addition of SIPX to float the
nickel minerals for the rest of the test. The water-soluble
reagents (thiophosphenes, dithiophosphates) were added to
the first conditioning time while the less soluble reagents
(formates, thionocabamates) were added in the grind.
Flotation kinetics of the copper and nickel minerals
through the first one minute will determine set of reagents
give the best copper/nickel separation. The float tests will
continue to collect concentrates up to the thirteen-minute
mark to ensure final copper and nickel recoveries will be
equal to SIPX alone. All the tests did show good overall
recoveries, so the data past the two minute mark is not
shown in this paper.
Results
Figure 2, 3 and 4 shows the results of the laboratory float
tests. We were looking for the lowest nickel recovery with
the highest copper recovery. The figures are split up accord-
ing to matching reagent types.
The standard test, with SIPX used exclusively produced
a copper recovery curve with 50%, 70% and 82% recover-
ies at the 30 second, 6o second and 120 second time peri-
ods. Nickel recoveries at those tome intervals was 18%,
32% and 44%.
Surprisingly, some of the copper selective collectors
proved to be more unselective against nickel mineral parti-
cles than assumed. The phosphine collectors showed virtu-
ally no selectivity against the nickel. The formates rejected
nickel, but were not very good at floating copper either. It
could be due to the dose needing to be higher, but consid-
ering the poor copper/nickel separation, it is not likely the
formates will be effective.
The version which contained dithionocarbamate did
show potential, however, with copper recoveries at 27%,
41% and 81% respectively, showing that it wasn’t suppress-
ing the SIPX when added for the one to two minutes con-
centrate. The nickel recoveries were 1%, 1.5% and 31.5%.
The dithionocarbamate alone did show the best results.
Copper recoveries of 40%, 51% and 81% showed that it
didn’t inhibit the SIPX addition. Nickel recoveries were
0.8%, 1.8% and 30.2%.
The dithiophosphate also performed well, with copper
recoveries of 22.6%, 43.2% and 78.4% with nickel recov-
eries of 0.8%, 1.8% and 32.5%. It also didn’t inhibit flota-
tion when the SIPX was added at the one-minute mark.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Time (minutes)
SIPX Cu Rec
3421 Ni Rec
3421 Cu Rec
3418A Ni Rec
3418A Cu Rec
SIPX Ni Rec
Figure 2. Nickel and copper recoveries using phosphine-type collectors
Accum
%
Recoveries
formate (XF54), an isopropyl xanthogen formate (XF31,
an isopropyl xanthogen formate/dithionocarbamate mix,
(SPRI1004), and a thionocarbamate (TNC312M).
The standard test made use of sodium isopropyl xan-
thate (SIPX) exclusively while other tests involved one of
the selective collectors for the first two thirty second con-
centrates, followed by the addition of SIPX to float the
nickel minerals for the rest of the test. The water-soluble
reagents (thiophosphenes, dithiophosphates) were added to
the first conditioning time while the less soluble reagents
(formates, thionocabamates) were added in the grind.
Flotation kinetics of the copper and nickel minerals
through the first one minute will determine set of reagents
give the best copper/nickel separation. The float tests will
continue to collect concentrates up to the thirteen-minute
mark to ensure final copper and nickel recoveries will be
equal to SIPX alone. All the tests did show good overall
recoveries, so the data past the two minute mark is not
shown in this paper.
Results
Figure 2, 3 and 4 shows the results of the laboratory float
tests. We were looking for the lowest nickel recovery with
the highest copper recovery. The figures are split up accord-
ing to matching reagent types.
The standard test, with SIPX used exclusively produced
a copper recovery curve with 50%, 70% and 82% recover-
ies at the 30 second, 6o second and 120 second time peri-
ods. Nickel recoveries at those tome intervals was 18%,
32% and 44%.
Surprisingly, some of the copper selective collectors
proved to be more unselective against nickel mineral parti-
cles than assumed. The phosphine collectors showed virtu-
ally no selectivity against the nickel. The formates rejected
nickel, but were not very good at floating copper either. It
could be due to the dose needing to be higher, but consid-
ering the poor copper/nickel separation, it is not likely the
formates will be effective.
The version which contained dithionocarbamate did
show potential, however, with copper recoveries at 27%,
41% and 81% respectively, showing that it wasn’t suppress-
ing the SIPX when added for the one to two minutes con-
centrate. The nickel recoveries were 1%, 1.5% and 31.5%.
The dithionocarbamate alone did show the best results.
Copper recoveries of 40%, 51% and 81% showed that it
didn’t inhibit the SIPX addition. Nickel recoveries were
0.8%, 1.8% and 30.2%.
The dithiophosphate also performed well, with copper
recoveries of 22.6%, 43.2% and 78.4% with nickel recov-
eries of 0.8%, 1.8% and 32.5%. It also didn’t inhibit flota-
tion when the SIPX was added at the one-minute mark.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Time (minutes)
SIPX Cu Rec
3421 Ni Rec
3421 Cu Rec
3418A Ni Rec
3418A Cu Rec
SIPX Ni Rec
Figure 2. Nickel and copper recoveries using phosphine-type collectors
Accum
%
Recoveries