Study on the Inhibition and Activation of Pyrite Under Low Alkalinity Conditions Created by Hydrogen Peroxide and Lime

High alkalinity facilitates copper–sulfur flotation separation but also leads to issues such as high reagent consumption, pipeline scaling, and gold loss in tailings. The ore from a copper mine in Serbia contains 2.86% copper, 1.64 g/t gold, and 20.39% sulfur, with copper occurring mainly in covellite and enargite. To achieve efficient separation and recovery of copper–sulfur, a systematic study was conducted using micro-flotation, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle analysis to investigate the inhibition and activation patterns of pyrite under low and high alkalinity conditions. The results indicate that the combined use of hydrogen peroxide and lime as inhibitor enables efficient separation of pyrite and covellite under low-alkalinity conditions. This effect is attributed to its ability to enhance oxidation of the pyrite surface, which generates more hydrophilic substances. Under low-alkalinity conditions (slurry pH = 10) regulated with hydrogen peroxide and lime in a covellite flotation cycle, and under acidic conditions (slurry pH = 6) in the pyrite flotation cycle, satisfactory results are obtained in both flotation cycles in comparison with industrial data. The copper flotation index was similar, but pyrite and gold recovery increased by 2.3% and ~4%, respectively, over those using lime alone. This process reduced the activator dosage required for pyrite activation substantially, while improving gold recovery. Results demonstrate an efficient method for copper–sulfur separation and recovery, providing theoretical guidance or industrial production processes.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  Minerals

• Publication date

  2025-11-08

• Fields of study

  Not labeled

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3390/min15111177
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Enhanced pyrite depression through nitrogen-aerated flotation under low alkalinity conditions

  2024cited by this paper
• Cleaner flotation separation of chalcopyrite from pyrite at low alkalinity: Based on calcium hypochlorite oxidative modification in acid mine drainage system

  2024cited by this paper
• Prediction, evaluation and optimization of China's copper resource supply system under carbon constraints

  2023cited by this paper
• Flotation separation of pyrite and chalcopyrite with potassium permanganate as a depressant

  2023cited by this paper
• Effect of regulating dissolved oxygen concentration in pulp with aerated gas on pyrite flotation

  2023cited by this paper
• Correlation Between the Mineralogical Properties and Oxidation Rate of Different Minerogenetic Pyrites: a Reflection on Floatability

  2023cited by this paper
• Flotation performance of chalcopyrite in the presence of an elevated pyrite proportion

  2022cited by this paper
• Separation mechanism of chalcopyrite and pyrite due to H2O2 treatment in low-alkaline seawater flotation system

  2022cited by this paper
• Surface structure-dependent hydrophobicity/oleophilicity of pyrite and its influence on coal flotation

  2020cited by this paper
• The differential depression of an oxidized starch on the flotation of chalcopyrite and graphite

  2020cited by this paper
• The flotation separation of galena and pyrite using serpentine as depressant

  2019cited by this paper
• Collectorless flotation of oxidized pyrite

  2019cited by this paper
• The selective flotation of chalcopyrite against galena using alginate as a depressant

  2019cited by this paper
• Correlation of surface oxidation with xanthate adsorption and pyrite flotation

  2019cited by this paper
• Xanthate interaction and flotation separation of H2O2-treated chalcopyrite and pyrite

  2019cited by this paper
• Pyrite oxidation in air-equilibrated solutions: An electrochemical study

  2017cited by this paper
• Characterisation of sphalerite and pyrite surfaces activated by copper sulphate

  2017cited by this paper
• The depression of pyrite in selective flotation by different reagent systems – A Literature review

  2016cited by this paper
• Molecular Structures and Activity of Organic Depressants for Marmatite, Jamesonite and Pyrite Flotation

  2010cited by this paper
• Comparative XPS study between experimentally and naturally weathered pyrites

  2009cited by this paper
• The kinetics of the oxidation of pyrite by ferric ions and dissolved oxygen: An electrochemical study

  2000cited by this paper
• Surface Oxidation of Pyrite as a Function of pH

  1998cited by this paper
• Sulfur and iron surface states on fractured pyrite surfaces

  1998cited by this paper
• Sulfur chemistry in bacterial leaching of pyrite

  1996cited by this paper
• Oxidation of arsenopyrite by air and air-saturated, distilled water, and implications for mechanism of oxidation

  1995cited by this paper
• Pyrite flotation from gold leach residues

  1994cited by this paper
• X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic study of a pristine pyrite surface reacted with water vapour and air

  1994cited by this paper

• No citing papers are available for this paper.