3/19AM (General session) Environment / Mineral processing

[3K0401-08-02] Selective separation of molybdenite from chalcocite using flotation under oxidizing condition

○Gde Pandhe Wisnu Suyantara¹, Daniyarov Berdakh¹, Hajime Miki¹, Tsuyoshi Hirajima¹, Keiko Sasaki¹, Akbarshokh Ulmaszoda¹, Ryota Nakao¹, Daishi Ochi², Yuji Aoki² (1. Department of Earth Resources Engineering, Kyushu University, 2. Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.)

Chairperson: Kazutoshi Haga (Akita University)

Keywords:selective flotation, hydrogen peroxide, molybdenite, chalcocite, oxidation treatment

There is a scarcity of research that has specifically examined the process of selectively separating molybdenite from secondary copper sulfide minerals, such as chalcocite, using flotation. This research assessed the effectiveness of oxidation treatment using hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in separating molybdenite from chalcocite. The effects of H₂O₂ concentration, oxidation treatment duration, and pH level were evaluated in this study. The flotation experiments conducted on chalcocite revealed that the treatment with H₂O₂ resulted in a significant decrease in the recovery of chalcocite. This was attributed to the creation of copper hydroxide and sulfate compounds on the surface of chalcocite, which caused a change in its hydrophobic properties. Conversely, the limited surface oxidation of molybdenite resulted in a significant increase in flotation recovery after the oxidation treatment. The application of oxidation treatment using a 10 mM H₂O₂ solution at a pH of 9 for a duration of 20 minutes yielded an 87% separation efficiency between molybdenite and chalcocite. The findings indicate that the use of H₂O₂ oxidation treatment allows for the selective flotation of molybdenite, effectively separating it from chalcocite.