Study on the Differential Flotation of Copper Sulphide Ore (1 st Report)

The purpose of this paper is to study the characteristics of pyrite in flotation, as related to the fundamental study of differential flotation of copper sulphide ore.From the above reason, the following experiments were carried out mainly: 1) the change of floatability of pyrite by the addition of quartz particles as gangue mineral, 2) the effects of presence of copper ion and chalcopyrite on the floatability of pyrite, etc.Through these experiments, it was found that the existence of chalcopyrite or quartz or both, together with pyrite. had serious effects upon the floatability of pyrite toward activation, and that the increasing addition of copper ion, in neutral pulp, caused both effects of activation and depression of pyrite according to its added quantity.