(Poster session/Short oral-presentation) Mineral processing / Recycling

[2210-27-07] [Student presentation: Master’s course] Selective flotation of copper-molybdenum concentrate in seawater using sodium metabisulfite as a depressant for copper

○Akbarshokh Ulmaszoda¹, Gde Pandhe Wisnu Suyantara², Hajime Miki², Daishi Ochi³, Yuji Aoki³, Kumika Ura³, Daniyarov Berdakh¹, Eska Putra Dwitama¹, Keiko Sasaki², Tsuyoshi Hirajima² (1. Graduate school of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University、2. Department of Earth Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University、3. SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.)

Chairperson: Keishi Oyama (Waseda University)

Keywords:selective flotation, seawater, copper, molybdenum, sodium metabisulfite

The present research aimed to examine the effectiveness of sodium metabisulfite (Na2S2O5) as a copper depressant in the process of selective Cu-Mo flotation in seawater, specifically under weakly acidic and neutral pH conditions. The experimental findings demonstrated that the implementation of 3.6 kg/t Na2S2O5 in seawater at a pH of 5.5 resulted in a substantial decrease in copper recovery, reducing it from 97% to 11% and led to a little decline in molybdenum recovery, from 98% to 94%. Consequently, the Cu-Mo separation efficiency was determined to be 83%. These flotation data demonstrate that Na2S2O5 treatment in seawater preferentially decreased the floatability of copper minerals, leading molybdenum to be separated under weakly acidic conditions.