Depression of layered silicates flotation during gold-copper-magnetite ores processing

The effect of organic depressants based on anionic polymers of different chemical compositions with average molecular weights in the range from 3,250 to 27,500 AMU on the flotation of phyllosilicates (sheet silicates) in gold-copper-magnetite ores in open-circuit experiments has been studied. A tendency to decrease and subsequent stabilization of the yield of the froth product with an increase in the molecular weight of anionic polymers of different chemical compositions at constant consumption rate is shown, and the side effect of the use of these depressants on copper recovery is noted. At the same time, there was no obvious effect of differences in the chemical composition of the polymers under consideration on the discovered patterns. During the study of the action of anionic polymers of the same chemical composition with average molecular weights of 7000 and 27,500 AMU, similar tendencies were found in the across consumption rates from 50 to 1000 g/t towards a decrease and subsequent stabilization of the recovery of copper and magnesium oxide into the froth product, selected as a marker of seet silicates. It has been shown that as the molecular weight of the polymer increases, copper losses and the depressive effect on magnesium silicates increase as well, while maintaining the general type of dependence.