XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 3149
three distinct water sources with diverse pH and oxidative-
reduction potentials (ORP). The chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite
sample was mixed at speed of 1500 rpm for 2 minutes in
20 ml of the prepared water. An additional 20 ml was then
added to the well mixed slurry and both SIPX and MIBC
were added and conditioned for another 3 min. The flota-
tion of chalcopyrite was allowed to proceed for 4 minutes
at airflow rate of 10 ml/min. The concentrate and the tails
were dried, weighed, and assayed. All tests were performed
in triplicate the reported values are the average of the three
tests with errors bars denoting the standard deviation of
the data.
Electrochemical Analysis
Electrochemical analyses were performed to assess the influ-
ence of both galvanic interactions and pulp chemistry on
the reactivity of chalcopyrite. These measurements (open
circuit potential (OCP) and polarization curve (PC)) were
performed using a three-electrode system (reference elec-
trode (Ag/AgCl), counter electrode (platinum) and work-
ing electrode (minerals) connected to a Gamry Instruments
Reference 600TM Potentiostat equipped with a framework
for instrument calibration. The electrodes were immersed
in 100 ml solution of the prepared water with varying
pH and ORP to measure the OCP and PC in the absence
and presence of SIPX collector (1 × 10–4M). The results
were analysed using Gamry Instrument EchemTM analyst
software after correcting the potential to standard hydrogen
electrode potential.
Adsorption Test
The influence of the pyrrhotite superstructures on collec-
tor adsorption was performed using a UV-vis spectrometer.
Initially, 1M SIPX solution was prepared and diluted to
produce five different solutions of varying SIPX concentra-
tion. The absorbance of the different solutions was mea-
sured at wavelength of 302 nm to provide a linear fitted
calibration curve (Figure 1). The same mineral proportions
used in microflotation were used for the adsorption tests.
Mineral samples were mixed in 100 ml of prepared water
solution to measure the adsorption of the collector at dif-
ferent pulp chemistry variables. Next, 50 mg/L of SIPX
was added to the beaker and allowed to mix for 10 min to
allow the complete adsorption of the collector. The mix-
ture was allowed to settle before filtering. The supernatant
was then measured to determine the amount of collector
adsorbed for each pulp chemistry and pyrrhotite content.
The absorption amount Q was calculated using the follow-
ing formular:
Q W
C C2hV
1 =
-^(1)
where Q represents the amount of collector adsorbed
(mg/L), where C1 and C2 are the collector concentrations
Figure 1. UV-Vis calibration curve correlating collector concentrations with absorbance
values for chalcopyrite surface adsorption analysis
three distinct water sources with diverse pH and oxidative-
reduction potentials (ORP). The chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite
sample was mixed at speed of 1500 rpm for 2 minutes in
20 ml of the prepared water. An additional 20 ml was then
added to the well mixed slurry and both SIPX and MIBC
were added and conditioned for another 3 min. The flota-
tion of chalcopyrite was allowed to proceed for 4 minutes
at airflow rate of 10 ml/min. The concentrate and the tails
were dried, weighed, and assayed. All tests were performed
in triplicate the reported values are the average of the three
tests with errors bars denoting the standard deviation of
the data.
Electrochemical Analysis
Electrochemical analyses were performed to assess the influ-
ence of both galvanic interactions and pulp chemistry on
the reactivity of chalcopyrite. These measurements (open
circuit potential (OCP) and polarization curve (PC)) were
performed using a three-electrode system (reference elec-
trode (Ag/AgCl), counter electrode (platinum) and work-
ing electrode (minerals) connected to a Gamry Instruments
Reference 600TM Potentiostat equipped with a framework
for instrument calibration. The electrodes were immersed
in 100 ml solution of the prepared water with varying
pH and ORP to measure the OCP and PC in the absence
and presence of SIPX collector (1 × 10–4M). The results
were analysed using Gamry Instrument EchemTM analyst
software after correcting the potential to standard hydrogen
electrode potential.
Adsorption Test
The influence of the pyrrhotite superstructures on collec-
tor adsorption was performed using a UV-vis spectrometer.
Initially, 1M SIPX solution was prepared and diluted to
produce five different solutions of varying SIPX concentra-
tion. The absorbance of the different solutions was mea-
sured at wavelength of 302 nm to provide a linear fitted
calibration curve (Figure 1). The same mineral proportions
used in microflotation were used for the adsorption tests.
Mineral samples were mixed in 100 ml of prepared water
solution to measure the adsorption of the collector at dif-
ferent pulp chemistry variables. Next, 50 mg/L of SIPX
was added to the beaker and allowed to mix for 10 min to
allow the complete adsorption of the collector. The mix-
ture was allowed to settle before filtering. The supernatant
was then measured to determine the amount of collector
adsorbed for each pulp chemistry and pyrrhotite content.
The absorption amount Q was calculated using the follow-
ing formular:
Q W
C C2hV
1 =
-^(1)
where Q represents the amount of collector adsorbed
(mg/L), where C1 and C2 are the collector concentrations
Figure 1. UV-Vis calibration curve correlating collector concentrations with absorbance
values for chalcopyrite surface adsorption analysis