Establishing an optimized flotation scheme for a complex Base-Metal sulfide ore using a modified xanthate reagent scheme

Generating a flotation reagent scheme for a complex base-metal sulphide ore using reagents that are commonly found in mineral processing can be a challenging, complex process. Ensuring that optimum operating conditions including particle size, pH, types of reagents, and dosages of reagents are found is critical in establishing a foundation for future research. A modified xanthate reagent scheme was chosen using potassium amyl xanthate (PAX) as the collector, methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) as the frother, copper sulphate as activator, carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) and zinc sulphate as depressants. The operating conditions that generated the highest recoveries and grades for copper and zinc were found using a grinding time of 3 min and a slightly acidic medium of pH 6 achieving maximum recoveries of 84.0% and 83.8% for chalcopyrite and sphalerite, and grades of 3.9 and 21.0, respectively. These results allow for comparisons to industrial results with ore of a similar composition while simultaneously providing a baseline in which to evaluate the results of future, innovative research.