Interactions Between Sulphide Minerals and Metal Ions in the Activation, Deactivation, and Depression of Mixed-Sulphide Ores

摘要

This report describes an investigation into the association between metal-salt species and sulphide-mineral surfaces. The conditions under which association occurs were established, and the rates and extent of reaction were measured for copper and lead salts and for pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, bornite, covellite, chalcocite, and pyrrhotite. A survey of the literature on work in this area is included. The results suggest that some form of association is a common occurrence, and can take place in two forms. In some instances (galena, sphalerite, and pyrrhotite), the interaction is of the same type as the well-established mechanism of the activation of sphalerite by copper, i.e., exchange of an activating cation for a metal ion of the mineral lattice; in others, solid metal-hydroxy species are adsorbed at the mineral surface. The association of hydroxy species is found to be reasonably specific, in that they differ in their mode of occurrence and extent at different surfaces.