Author 1:
Name & Surname: Zimin A. V.
Company: RIVS Science and Production Association (Saint-Petersburg, Russia)
Work Position: General Director
Scientific Degree: Candidate of Engineering Sciences
Contacts: e-mail: rivs@rivs.ru

Author 2:
Name & Surname: Nemchinova L. A.
Company: RIVS Science and Production Association (Saint-Petersburg, Russia)
Work Position: Head of Research Laboratory
Scientific Degree: Candidate of Engineering Sciences
Contacts: e-mail: L.Nemchinova@mail.ru

Based on the research background, the authors handle the problem on the enhancement of selective flotation of copper–zinc ore by thermomechanical modification of surface properties of sphalerite and pyrite, which will improves the zinc concentrate quality. Infrared spectrometry showed the change in the composition of surface compounds on sphalerite and pyrite after thermomechanical treatment by steaming, regrinding and mechanical attrition. Based on the research, it is supposed that reduction of sulfates and carbonates on sphalerite surface contributes to stronger attachment of a collector owing to formation of partially soluble zinc sulphide xanthate tightly bound with mineral lattice by its sulphide group (S2–), which ensures hydrophobization and flotation of sphalerite grains. Intensive development of hydroxide compounds of iron on pyrite surface in the mean time results in hydrophilization and depression of floatability of pyrite. Using the revealed mechanisms, the higher quality zinc concentrate process has been developed and has increased zinc content of the zinc concentrate by 2.2 % (up to 51.6 %). The developed process conditions for higher quality zinc concentrates have been included in the production procedures for reconstruction of operating processing plants at the copper–zinc ore deposits of Gaisky, Yubileiny (Ural Mining-and-Metallurgical Company), Priorsky (RMK Ltd), and in the project of a processing plant at Novo-Shemur copper–zinc ore deposit (Ural Mining-and-Metallurgical Company).

1. Zimin A. V., Arustamyan M. A., Kalinin E. P., Soloveva L. M., Nemchinova L. A. Razrabotka tekhnologicheskikh skhem flotatsionnogo obogashcheniya kolchedannykh mednykh i medno-tsinkovykh rud (Development of process flowsheets of flotation concentration of sulphide copper- and copper-zinc ores). Gornyi Zhurnal = Mining Journal. 2012. No. 11. pp. 28–33.
2. Zimin A. V., Nemchinova L. A., Yurlova N. A., Yagudin R. A., Yagudina Yu. R. Povyshenie kachestva mednogo kontsentrata na obogatitelnoy fabrike Otkrytogo Aktsionernogo Obshchestva «Uchalinskiy GOK» (Increasing of copper concentrate quality at concentration plant of JSC “Uchaly MMC”). Gornyi Zhurnal = Mining Journal. 2010. No. 11. pp. 52–57.
3. Zimin A. V., Kalinin E. P., Nemchinova L. A., Abdrakhmanov I. A., Yagudin R. A. Povyshenie tekhnologicheskikh pokazateley tsinkovogo tsikla na obogatitelnoy fabrike Otkrytogo Aktsionernogo Obshchestva «Uchalinskiy GOK» s primeneniem fiziko-mekhanicheskikh metodov obrabotki pulpy (Increasing of technological indices of zinc cycle at concentration plant of JSC “Uchaly MMC” with application of physical-mechanical methods of pulp processing). Gornyi Zhurnal = Mining Journal. 2010. No. 11. pp. 47–52.
4. Chanturiya V. A., Vigdergauz V. E. Elektrokhimiya sulfidov. Teoriya i praktika flotatsii (Electrochemistry of sulfides. Theory and practice of flotation). Moscow : Ore and Metals, 2008. 270 p.
5. Balaz P. Mechanicka Aktivacia v procesoch extrakcnej metalurgie. VEDA, Vydavatefstvo SAV, Bratislava, 1997. pp. 45–57.
6. Yusupov T. I. Primenenie protsessov mekhanoaktivatsii pri obogashchenii mineralnogo syrya (Application of processes of mechanical activation in the time of concentration of mineral raw materials). Publishing House of Institute of Mining of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 2009.
7. Abramov A. A. Pererabotka, obogashchenie i kompleksnoe ispolzovanie tverdykh poleznykh iskopaemykh rud (Processing, concentration and complex use of solid minerals). Moscow : Moscow State Mining University, 2004. 311 p.