Flotation process

• US 4,246,096 A
• Filed: 03/05/1979
• Issued: 01/20/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MINOVA
• Original Assignee: Falconbridge Copper Ltd. (Glencore Plc)
• Inventors: Bulatovic, Srdjan
• Primary Examiner(s): Halper, Robert
• Application Number:
  US06/017,320
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 209/166, 209/167
• US Class Current: 209/167
• CPC Class Codes: B03D 1/002 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B03D 1/016 Macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B03D 2201/02 Collectors
• CPC Class Codes: B03D 2201/06 Depressants
• CPC Class Codes: B03D 2203/02 Ores

Abstract

A method for separating copper sulphides from lead sulphides contained in particulate copper lead sulphide concentrates by a flotation process in which an aqueous alkali metal silicate-alkali metal dichromate reagent solution is added in the flotation step to depress the lead bearing sulphides. The copper lead sulphide concentrate may be obtained from a complex copper-lead-zinc ore, in which case the majority of the zinc is first removed by conventional flotation techniques and the copper lead sulphide concentrate treated with activated carbon prior to addition of the silicate-dichromate reagent solution.

Claims

1. A method for separating copper sulphides from lead sulphides contained in a particulate copper-lead sulphide concentrate derived from a complex copper-lead-zinc sulphide ore from which at least a substantial portion of the zinc has been removed as tailings by froth flotation, which comprises forming an agitated aqueous slurry of the concentrate, adding thereto (a) an aqueous reagent solution comprising an alkali metal silicate and an alkali metal dichromate to thereby depress said lead sulphides and any remaining zinc sulphide and (b) a collector for collecting said copper sulphides, and separating the copper sulphides from the lead sulphides and said remaining zinc sulphides by froth flotation.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said copper lead sulphide concentrate slurry is treated with activated carbon prior to addition to said reagent solution.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said alkali metal silicate is sodium silicate and said alkali metal dichromate is potassium dichromate.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said silicate and said dichromate are present in substantially equal concentrations and the concentration of each is in the range between 2 and 10 percent by weight.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the concentration of each of said silicate and dichromate is about 5 percent by weight.

6. A method as claimed in clam 1 including adding a polysaccharide gum to said slurry subsequent to said reagent solution, to thereby further depress said lead sulphides.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said polysaccharide gum is a polysaccharide bean gum selected from the group consisting of guar gum, carob bean gum and locust kernel gum.