Fourteen reagents that are potentially capable of chelating with a metal io
n on the surface of the major copper sulfide minerals and pyrite were evalu
ated for their effectiveness in floating these sulfides. The reagents studi
ed fall into the classes of mercaptobenzole mutations, thiouronium, thionoc
arbamates, thiourea, imidazole mutations, oximes, hydroxyquinoline and xant
hogen formate.
The best overall copper sulfide collector was an imidazoline (1-Hydoxyethyl
- 2-Heptadecenyl), but it also proved to be an excellent collector for pyr
ite. Its potency as a pyrite collector can be reduced by structural alterat
ion, but at some loss in its collecting power for the copper sulfides. The
effectiveness of many of these potential collectors can be changed by minor
alterations to the collector molecule and, to a lesser extent, by pH adjus
tment. The general order of mineral floatability with these reagents is cha
lcopyrite = chalcocite > covellite greater than or equal to bornite >> pyri
te. The flotation of malachite is generally similar to that of the copper s
ulfides, indicating the special effectiveness of copper in the crystal latt
ice for collector attachment.