This is an example of how AEROPHINEⓇ 3418A can increase gold recovery to copper concentrate in a copper ore application. AEROPHINEⓇ 3418A has a faster flotation rate and increases overall copper recovery, all while at 40% of the dosage of xanthate.
This example looks at AEROPHINEⓇ 3418A’s selectivity against zinc in lead flotation vs. xanthate at equivalent dosages. AEROPHINEⓇ 3418A, an excellent base metal ore collector, provides superior Zn rejection, while increasing overall Pb recovery.
This example looks at AEROPHINEⓇ 3418A selectivity in copper flotation vs. traditional copper collectors. AEROPHINEⓇ 3418A provides a superior copper grade recovery profile.
In this example, AEROPHINEⓇ 3418A demonstrates faster copper flotation kinetics than xanthate at one, three and five minute marks. The result is enhanced recovery of copper in the early stages of flotation, compared to the traditional collectors.
- In this example, less is often more with AEROPHINEⓇ 3418A.
- Lower collector dosages lead to improved copper selectivity.
- Many operations find that lower AEROPHINEⓇ 3418A dosages can lead to better performance.
In this example, ore from a chalcopyrite-sphalerite deposit was being milled at a rate of approximately 10,000 tonnes per day. The concentrator used a conventional flow sheet of copper flotation followed by copper sulfate activation and zinc flotation. After successful laboratory tests, AEROPHINEⓇ 3418A, an exceptional mining reagent for separations, was introduced for a full-scale, ten-day, plant trial. The standard mill collector and frother were potassium amyl xanthate and MIBC, respectively.
|
AEROPHINE 3418A |
Xanthate |
|
|
Heads, % Cu |
0.97 |
0.84 |
|
Heads, % Zn |
1.21 |
1.59 |
|
Cu collector dosage (g/t) |
17 |
24 |
|
Zn collector dosage (g/t) |
0 |
10 |
Copper recovery increased by 8%, and collector dosage was reduced by 50%. Frother consumption was unchanged. AEROPHINEⓇ 3418A promoter also induced minor improvements in zinc grades and recoveries. Zinc recovery in the copper concentrate and copper recovery in the zinc concentrate were essentially the same for both collectors. The improvements experienced in copper metallurgy alone more than justified the change to AEROPHINEⓇ 3418A promoter.
