Separation of copper minerals from pyrite using air-metabisulfite treatment

摘要

The present invention relates to flotation of sulfidic copper- molybdenum- and gold-containing minerals. More specifically, the invention relates to sulfoxy reagent-assisted flotation for separating of sulfides of copper, molybdenum and gold from pyrite, marcasite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, and other gangue minerals following aerating by an oxidizing gas and contacting by a sulfoxy reagent. To promote collection and flotation the feed mineral materials are preferably not contacted with an externally generated non-oxidizing gas to lower the dissolved molecular oxygen content prior to flotation.

主权项

1. A process for recovering one or more metals, comprising:
providing a slurried valuable metal-containing feed material comprising at least one of a copper sulfide and molybdenum sulfide mineral as a valuable metal sulfide mineral, wherein the slurried valuable metal-containing feed material comprises one or more of brackish water and salt water having one or more of a salinity of about 0.01% or more and a total dissolved solids of at least about 10,000 mg/L and a gangue sulfide mineral comprising iron pyrite; aerating, with a molecular oxygen-containing gas, the slurried valuable metal-containing feed material to form an aerated slurried feed material; thereafter contacting the aerated slurried feed material, in the presence of at least about 3 ppm of dissolved molecular oxygen, with a sulfoxy reagent to form a treated slurried feed material; and floating the treated slurried feed material to form a concentrate comprising at least most of the at least one of a copper sulfide and molybdenum sulfide mineral in the aerated slurried feed material and tailings comprising the gangue sulfide mineral in the aerated slurried feed material.