5
across different size fractions, indicating superior flota-
tion efficiency. Collector C11 stands out due to its excep-
tional performance, achieving high copper recovery while
maintaining the lowest copper distribution in the +75 μm
(10.1%) and +150 μm (12.1%) fractions. This indicates
that C11 is particularly effective at minimizing copper
losses in these crucial size ranges, enhancing the overall
recovery process. Conversely, collectors with lower recovery
rates, like C9 (59.6%), tend to show higher copper losses,
particularly in the +75 μm fraction (28.1%), highlighting
inefficiencies in the flotation process. The data also under-
score the trade-offs inherent in collector performance for
example, while C8 achieves low copper distribution in the
–75 μm fraction (34.3%), it suffers from higher losses in
the +210 μm fraction (38.7%).
The Principal Component Analysis (PCA)
The PCA was conducted to assess the relationships between
collectors in terms of copper recovery and copper distri-
bution by size. The first two principal components (PC1
and PC2) captured 91.75% of the total variance, with PC1
Figure 5. Cu recovery vs. Cu distribution by particle size in tailings for all tested collectors: (a) –75 μm, (b) +75 μm, (c) +150
μm, (d) +210 μm
across different size fractions, indicating superior flota-
tion efficiency. Collector C11 stands out due to its excep-
tional performance, achieving high copper recovery while
maintaining the lowest copper distribution in the +75 μm
(10.1%) and +150 μm (12.1%) fractions. This indicates
that C11 is particularly effective at minimizing copper
losses in these crucial size ranges, enhancing the overall
recovery process. Conversely, collectors with lower recovery
rates, like C9 (59.6%), tend to show higher copper losses,
particularly in the +75 μm fraction (28.1%), highlighting
inefficiencies in the flotation process. The data also under-
score the trade-offs inherent in collector performance for
example, while C8 achieves low copper distribution in the
–75 μm fraction (34.3%), it suffers from higher losses in
the +210 μm fraction (38.7%).
The Principal Component Analysis (PCA)
The PCA was conducted to assess the relationships between
collectors in terms of copper recovery and copper distri-
bution by size. The first two principal components (PC1
and PC2) captured 91.75% of the total variance, with PC1
Figure 5. Cu recovery vs. Cu distribution by particle size in tailings for all tested collectors: (a) –75 μm, (b) +75 μm, (c) +150
μm, (d) +210 μm