MINERALS & METALLURGICAL PROCESSING, cilt.21, sa.2, ss.86-92, 2004 (SCI-Expanded)
Microflotation tests, electrokinetic and electrochemical measurements were carried out to investigate the flotation behavior of pyrite samples taken from different regions of Turkey. Chemical analyses and mineralogical examinations showed that these pyrite samples have different impurities and structural properties. The flotation characteristics of pyrites using ethylxanthate were similar. Zeta potential measurements were carried out to investigate the effects of pH, conditioning time and collector addition on the flotation of pyrites. Electrochemical measurements were conducted to understand the flotation mechanism using the potential-pH diagrams drawn for the system studied. The results revealed that impurities and structural differences among the various pyrite samples have little or no effect on their flotation behaviors. However, the differences observed in practice originate from the types and the amount of ions dissolved from the associated minerals. It was found that copper ions activate the pyrite flotation due to the formation of copper xanthate and dixanthogen.