Research Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources named after Academician N. V. Melnikov RAS, Moscow, Russia:

T. N. Matveeva, Deputy Director for Research, Doctor of Technical Sciences
V. V. Getman, Senior Scientific Researcher, Candidate of Technical Sciences, e-mail: viktoriki.v@gmail.com
A. Yu. Karkeshkina, Research Scientist

The analysis of the nomenclature of flotation reagents-collectors and flocculants in order to identify the most effective collectors for the flotation separation of sulfide minerals of non-ferrous and noble metals from finely ground ores. Temperature sensitive water soluble polymers are attractive as a new class of flotation reagents. These are the so-called thermosensitive polymers, which, when the pulp is heated to the temperature of phase separation (Tf.s.), change their structure, which leads to the transition of its aggregation state from liquid to solid, as well as to a change in the parameters of hydrophilicity / hydrophobicity of the molecule. In this case, fine particles of valuable metals, fixed on the polymer, after hea ting the pulp, are released with the frothy product of flotation. The presence of nitrogen and oxygen atoms in the polymer molecule contributes to the formation of a coordination bond with non-ferrous and precious metals. For the first time, the use of a water-soluble polymer poly-N-vinylcaprolactam (PVC) as a flotation reagent-collector for the recovery of finely ground flotation products containing gold is considered. The conditions for the use of the PVK reagent in the flotation process have been determined by modern physicochemical research methods. Analytical scanning electron microscopy established the adsorption of PVC on gold-bearing pyrite. It is shown that, under the conditions of monomineral flotation, the PVC increases the flotation activity of pyrite with fine and ultrafine gold. The use of the PVC as an additional collector for gold in the flotation beneficiation of tailings of the control collective flotation of Novoshirokinsky ore makes it possible to increase the concentrate quality and gold recovery up to 65.1%, which is 37% more than using butyl xanthate (BX). The results obtained make it possible to recommend the PVC as a selective collecting reagent together with the BX for extraction of gold from complex ores and finely ground flotation products. The expected economic effect from the use of water-soluble polymer PVC in the process of flotation of gold-bearing ore will provide an increase in finished products at the concentrator by reducing the loss of gold with tailings.

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