| Popis: |
Entrainment has been considered as an important factor affecting clayey ore flotation. In this study, the effect of reagent dosage on chalcopyrite flotation in the presence of bentonite and kaolinite was investigated through entrainment. It was found that increasing the collector and frother dosage had little influence on copper recovery in the presence of bentonite, but decreased the copper grade substantially, owing to the increase in entrainment. With regard to kaolinite, increasing the reagent dosage increased the copper grade prominently, due to the decrease in entrainment. The substantial variation was related to the different interactions between the reagent and different clay minerals. The smaller surface area and hydration property of bentonite made most of the reagent remain in the solution, facilitating high entrainment, while kaolinite, with its larger surface area, adsorbed most of the reagent, which decreased the entrainment. The results of this study suggest a guideline of controlling reagent scheme in clayey ore flotation, based on the specific structure and properties of different clay minerals. |
