Activating flotation of chalcopyrite using CuSO4 and H2O2 from the cyanide tailings

The effects of CuSO4 and H2O2 on the flotation behavior of cyanide chalcopyrite were investigated by flotation tests, microcalorimetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The underlying activation mechanism was studied in the perspective of micro-thermodynamics and surface properties. The flotation results indicated that cyanide chalcopyrite was strongly inhibited by sodium cyanide, with the maximum flotation recovery of 22.5% only. CuSO4 and H2O2 significantly improved the flotation of cyanide chalcopyrite, and the flotation recovery was increased to 92.28% and 84.35%, respectively. The micro-thermodynamics results indicated that the adsorption heat of butyl xanthate on cyanide chalcopyrite surface increased after the addition of CuSO4 and H2O2, as well as the reaction order. CuSO4 and H2O2 can significantly improve the adsorption of butyl xanthate on the surface of cyanide chalcopyrite by decreasing the apparent activation energy by 80.11% and 66.54%, respectively. XPS analysis indicated that the CuCN was generated on the surface of cyanide chalcopyrite, leading to the loss of sulfur and inhibiting the adsorption of collectors. As a result, the flotation of cyanide chalcopyrite was depressed. It is considered that, CuSO4 and H2O2 can improve the flotation of cyanide chalcopyrite by eleminating CuCN from its surface and increasing the concentration of S by 57.02% and 37.48%, respectively.