Selective Flotation of Pyrite from Arsenopyrite by Low Temperature Oxygen Plasma Pre-Treatment

Abstract

In this study, the surface modification of arsenopyrite and pyrite with low temperature oxygen plasma was developed as an effective approach to improve the flotation separation efficiency of minerals. The micro-flotation experiments results indicated that plasma pre-treatment can achieve selective flotation of arsenopyrite from pyrite. The XPS analysis results indicated that the oxidation degree of plasma-modification arsenopyrite surface is much higher than that of pyrite. A large number of sulfide components on the surface of the mineral were oxidized to highly-valence hydrophilic oxides by plasma pre-treatment. ICP-MS analysis results revealed that the dissolution rate was determined by the oxidation degree of minerals and plasma modified accelerated the dissolution of arsenopyrite and pyrite. Zeta potential determination results confirmed that plasma can keep a relatively higher adsorption of SBX on the pyrite surface but inhibit the adsorption of collector onto the arsenopyrite surface.