The Use of Polyacrylamide as a Selective Depressant in the Separation of Chalcopyrite and Galena

• Author / Creator

  Wang, Lei

• High molecular weight polyacrylamide (PAM) was tested as a potential selective
  depressant in the differential flotation separation of galena and chalcopyrite using
  potassium ethyl xanthate (KEX) as a collector. In single mineral flotation, PAM
  depressed chalcopyrite while galena was floatable. Mechanism study indicated
  that PAM could adsorb on galena through hydrogen bonding, and on chalcopyrite
  through hydrogen bonding as well as ammonium-copper complexation. KEX
  could only break up the galena-PAM bonding. It is the combined use of PAM and
  KEX that caused the selectivity.
  In mineral mixture flotation, galena and chalcopyrite could be separated by PAM
  and KEX only after EDTA treatment of the mineral mixtures. Time of flight
  secondary ion mass spectrometric (ToF-SIMS) measurements indicated that when
  galena and chalcopyrite were present together in the suspension, PAM adsorbed
  on both galena and chalcopyrite. However, after prior treatment of the mineral
  mixture by EDTA, PAM mainly adsorbed on chalcopyrite.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Polyacrylamide
  • Separation of chalcopyrite and galena
  • Polymer depressant

• Graduation date

  Spring 2013

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3ZH13

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.