Author 1:
Name & Surname: Nagaeva S. P.
Company: RIVS Science and Production Association (Saint-Petersburg, Russia)
Work Position: Mineralogist
Contacts: e-mail: SPN@yandex.ru

Author 2:
Name & Surname: Mezentseva O. P.
Company: RIVS Science and Production Association (Saint-Petersburg, Russia)
Work Position: Mineralogist
Scientific Degree: Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences
Contacts: e-mail: O_Mezentceva@rivs.ru

Author 3:
Name & Surname: Kozorez M. V.
Company: RIVS Science and Production Association (Urals Representative Office)
Work Position: Mineralogist
Contacts: e-mail: ufa@rivs.ru

Presently it becomes topical to obtain high cobalt content products. One of the possible ways of more cobalt recovery is the development of new flow charts and reagent conditions for mineral flotation. This article reports the mineralogical research of copper–cobalt sulphide-bearing ore extracted from the Dergamysh deposit. Principal minerals (pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite) and the most valued minerals (arsenical cobalt and gold) are characterized in detail. Cobalt occurrence forms are comprehensively studied using advanced optical systems and electron microscope VEGA 3 LMU (TESCAN) equipped with the system of the energy-dispersive and wave-dispersive analysis. The mineralogical research reveals two forms of cobalt occurrence in the studied ore—a mineral form (cobalt sulfo-arsenide) and an isomorphous form (foreign material in pyrite). The research has enabled explication of low cobalt recovery in flotation products (marketable copper and zinc concentrates) and identification of trends of further research toward cobalt-bearing pyrite production for hydrometallurgical treatment. Thus, from the research evidence, it can be suggested that cobalt concentration in mineral dressing products mainly depends on pyrite content of these products. However, cobalt in the form of arsenical cobalt should not be neglected although it is extremely difficult to trace its splices with sulphides and nonmetals.

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