Chalcopyrite Particle Size

3-3 Particle size of copper sulfide minerals at skimming time
In Fig 6, the graph of changes in d80 of chalcopyrite particles is shown at various concentrations. According to the fig, the concentrations of d80 which is gained from the flotation test of pulp with 30% of mass are more than the concentration of d80 which is gained from pulp with 25% of mass. Therefore, it can be said that the chalcopyrite particles contained in pulp with 30% of mass in testing concentrates are larger than the pulp with 25% of mass. In both experiments, by passing the time, d80 amount is dropped which express a decrease in the particle size of chalcopyrite from the first concentrate to the final concentrate. That means during flotation operations, large chalcopyrite

In Figure 7, the changes in the recovery and the grade of copper sulfide mineralization are shown in relation to d80 of chalcopyrite particles. Regarding to the fig, both experiments, the grade and recovery have been increased when particle size has been increased. By increasing in the size of the chalcopyrite particles, it is possible to collide and attach them to the air bubble during the flotation process, in result the grade and recovery would be

In this research, by conducting mineralogical studies on the thin sections of the flotation process concentrates, it was obtained that floating sulfide minerals are chalcopyrite, covellite, chalcocite and bornite, respectively, and their amount in concentrates decreases over time. Pyrite is also the most abundant sulfide mineral in these concentrates. According to the analysis, the metal of the Sungun ore deposit is formed in chalcopyrite; this mineral has been recovered the most during the flotation process which is performed on the existing sample, in the grain fraction of d80 in the range of 80 t0 100 microns. The liberation degree of chalcopyrite in this case is about 95%. Also, part of the chalcopyrite particles is covered with other minerals, which is more abundant at the earliest stages of the skimming process. Based on the kinetic parameters of the flotation process, the optimal granulation distribution range to achieve the maximum flotation rate is 50 to 55 microns in size. According to the above, it is suggested that, before designing of the ore processing system and the concentration of minerals in a deposit, studies on the mineralogy of the ore should be carefully done and the suitable operating conditions will be designed in accordance with the