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The Use of Polyacrylamide as a Selective Depressant in the Separation of Chalcopyrite and Galena
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- Author / Creator
- Wang, Lei
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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
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- Graduation date
- Spring 2013
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- Type of Item
- Thesis
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- Degree
- Master of Science
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- 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.