Effect of Ultrasonic Pre-Treatment and Aeration on Flotation Separation of Chalcopyrite from Pyrite

In this paper, the effect of ultrasonic pre-treatment and aeration on the flotation separation of chalcopyrite from pyrite was investigated at different amounts of potassium ethyl xanthate (KEX), as a collector, and pH values. Artificially-mixed samples of chalcopyrite and pyrite were subjected to flotation studies to understand the effect of aeration with or without ultrasonic treatment on the flotation behavior of the minerals. Results of laboratory micro-flotation tests indicated that joint aeration and ultrasonic treatment makes it possible to separate chalcopyrite from pyrite effectively. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the existence of negligible amounts of hydroxide/oxide species, which are resulted from galvanic interactions, on the surfaces of the minerals after conditioning of the suspension by ultrasound waves. The effective separation of chalcopyrite from pyrite was attributed to desorption of metal hydroxide precipitates, as hydrophilic species, from the surface of the chalcopyrite by ultrasonic treatment.