INTERACTION OF THIONOCARBAMATE AND THIOUREA COLLECTORS WITH SULFIDE MINERALS - A FLOTATION AND ADSORPTION STUDY

The ability of O-isopropyl-N-ethyl thionocarbamate (IPETC), O-isobutyl -N-ethoxycarbonyl thionocarbamate (IBFCTC) and butyl ethoxycarbonyl th iourea (BECTU) collectors to increase the flotation of the sulphide mi nerals, chalcopyrite, galena and pyrite, has been studied. For each co llector, the flotation characteristics of these minerals, flotation ra te constant and flotation recovery maximum, have been calculated from the flotation data and compared as a function of pH and collector conc entration. Overall, the flotation performance of these collectors is s tronger for chalcopyrite than for galena and pyrite. Flotation increas es with collector concentration and decreasing pH values. For chalcopy rite, the collector performances of BECTU are slightly better than tho se of IPETC but far superior to those of IBECTC, especially at high pH values or at low collector concentrations. The flotation performance of these collectors has been shown to be in good agreement with the am ount of collector adsorbed at the mineral surface. The affinity of BEC TU for the various minerals has been calculated using a multilayer ads orption model. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.