Academician Melnikov Institute of Integrated Mineral Development – IPKON, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia:

T. N. Matveeva, Head of Department of Integrated Mineral Extraction from Natural Raw Materials and Mining Waste, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, tmatveyeva@mail.ru
T. A. Ivanova, Senior Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences
V. V. Getman, Senior Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences
N. K. Gromova, Researcher

The article presents the results of the theoretical and experimental research aimed at development and testing of new classes of complexing agents – collectors and modifiers for recovery of precious metals from rebellious gold- and platinum-bearing ore. The topicality of the task to create new effective domestic reagents lies in the complete extractability of gold, platinum and other precious metals to concentrates at reduced loss with the tailings. The theoretical framework of the development of new collecting agents for flotation of gold- and platinum-bearing minerals is their ability to generate sustainable compounds with gold and platinum during flotation. Aiming to study processes of physical and chemical effects of flotation agents on micro- and nanosize spots of gold and platinum on the surface of sulfides, original procedures of production of mineral aggregates containing “invisible” or submicron gold and platinum are put forward. The experimental research of the interaction between the modified collectors – diethyl dithiocarbamate DEDC, diisobytul dithiophosphinate DIPH and dithiazine MTKH – and the surface of precious-bearing minerals is implemented using the methods of UV- and IR-spectroscopy (UV-1700 Shimadzu and InfraLUM FT-8), scanning electron (LEO 1420VP INCA Oxford 350) and laser (KEYENCE VK-9700) microscopy and H-ray phase analysis (X-ray diffractometry). Conditions of formation of an adsorption layer on minerals are determined, and it is demonstrated that components of the modified reagents are selectively adsorbed on micro- and nanosize gold and platinum and ensure their enhanced recovery under flotation. The new data obtained allow scientific validation of efficiency of ecologically safe vegetable modifies of sulfide minerals and plant sorbent for fine gold during extraction of goldbearing concentrates from complex ore by flotation. A new class of flotation agents has been proposed and scientifically justified – thermomorphic polymers with functional groups for fine gold flocculation and flotation. Scaled-up laboratory tests of the new reagents show that their joint application with butyl xanthate ensures the increased quality of the concentrates in terms of gold content by 1.5–1.7 times and the higher gold recovery by 1.5–5%.
The studies have been supported by Academician Chanturia School, Grants Nos. NSH-3184.2010.5; NSH-220.2012.5; NSH-748.2014.5.

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