Nitrile Collector Composition for Copper Ore Flotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for improved collectors in the froth flotation process for metal or mineral ores, particularly copper and sulfide ores, to enhance recovery and grade while reducing the reliance on depressants like lime, which can interfere with the separation of valuable minerals from gangue minerals.
Innovation Solution
A collector composition containing a nitrile group-containing compound with specific structural features, including a hydrocarbon chain of 8 to 26 carbon atoms, combined with other collectors such as xanthate or frothers, which can be used in direct or reverse flotation processes to improve the separation efficiency of copper and sulfide ores.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional collectors (xanthate, dithiophosphate) are used in froth flotation, then the separation process can proceed, but the recovery and grade of valuable minerals are insufficient and high amounts of depressants like lime are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical structure of collector molecules, specifically using nitrile groups instead of traditional xanthate or dithiophosphate groups. This structural parameter change enables the collector to achieve higher recovery and grade of copper minerals while requiring significantly less depressant (lime), thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and quantity of substance used.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite collector molecules that combine hydrophobic hydrocarbon chains (C8-C26) with nitrile functional groups. This composite structure provides both the hydrophobicity needed for flotation and the specific chemical affinity for copper minerals, achieving superior separation performance with reduced depressant requirements compared to conventional single-function collectors.
2Productivity
If high amounts of lime depressant are added to float copper ores, then pyrite and gangue minerals are depressed, but copper ions are removed from solution which can activate pyrite surfaces and the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the depressant function from the system by developing a collector that inherently provides selective copper mineral flotation without requiring high amounts of lime depressant. The nitrile-based collector achieves selective attachment to copper minerals while leaving pyrite and gangue minerals in the tailings, thereby removing the need for complex depressant management and process control.
Solution Approach 2:
The nitrile group-containing compound acts as an intermediary that mediates the interaction between air bubbles and copper minerals. This intermediary collector provides the necessary hydrophobicity and selective attachment, replacing the complex role previously played by combinations of collectors and depressants, thus simplifying the overall flotation process.
3Productivity
If conventional collectors are used, then flotation can occur, but the performance in difficult ores containing high amounts of pyrite is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameter of the collector from traditional xanthate or dithiophosphate groups to nitrile groups. This parameter change provides superior and more consistent performance in difficult ores containing high amounts of pyrite, achieving reliable separation of copper minerals from gangue regardless of ore composition variations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed collector composition achieves higher recovery and grade of copper and other valuable minerals with reduced need for lime, demonstrating improved performance compared to conventional collectors, especially in the absence of lime depressants, and outperforms state-of-the-art nitrile compounds.
Implementation Method 1
Surfactants achieve this by adsorbing onto mineral surfaces rendering them water repellent
Implementation Method 2
Froth flotation is a physico-chemical process used to separate mineral particles considered economically valuable from those considered waste. It is based on the ability of air bubbles to selectively attach to those particles that were previously rendered hydrophobic.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a process to treat metal or mineral ores with a collector composition that comprises a nitrile group-containing compound of the formula (I) wherein R is a saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched, hydrocarbon group containing 8 to 26 carbon atoms, R' = O or (II) or (III) or (IV) R'' is a saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched, hydrocarbon group containing 1 to 26 carbon atoms or a hydrogen atom or (-(D)j-CnH2nCN) group or R-((A)m-(B))x group, A is (-0-CH2CH2-); (-O-CH(CH3)CH2-) or (-O-CH(CH2CH3)CH2-) B is (-O-CpH2p-) D is (-CH2CH2-O-); (-CH(CH3)CH2-O-) or (-CH(CH2CH3)CH2-O-) x is 0 or 1 R''' is hydrocarbon group containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms Y is halide or methylsulfate m, j are each independently an integer of 0-5 R'''' is a saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched, hydrocarbon group containing 1 to 26 carbon atoms and n and p are each independently an integer of 1 to 5. The invention also relates to collector composition containing the above nitrile group-containing compound and at least one further collector or frother compound.