Ammoniated Polycarbamide Flotation Aid for Cu-Mo Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mining flotation processes for separating copper-molybdenum (Cu—Mo) minerals rely on hazardous inorganic depressants like sodium hydrosulfide (NaSH), which pose health, safety, and environmental risks due to their strong odor, flammability, and potential toxic gas generation, along with high consumption and logistical challenges.
Innovation Solution
The use of an ammoniated polycarbamide as a separation aid in mining flotation processes, optionally modified with biopolymers and hydrophilic polymers, to selectively depress minerals, reducing or eliminating the need for inorganic depressants such as NaSH.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional inorganic depressants like sodium hydrosulfide (NaSH) are used to selectively depress copper minerals, then effective mineral separation is achieved, but health, safety, and environmental risks increase due to strong odor, flammability, and toxic gas generation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameter from conventional inorganic depressants (sodium hydrosulfide, sodium sulfide, sodium cyanide) to an organic polymer depressant (ammoniated polycarbamide). This parameter change maintains the depressant function while eliminating the harmful properties of inorganic chemicals, including toxic gas generation, flammability, and strong odor.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite polymer structure (ammoniated polycarbamide) that combines multiple functional groups capable of interacting with copper mineral surfaces. The polymer's composite nature provides both effectiveness in depressing copper minerals and safety by replacing hazardous inorganic chemicals with an organic macromolecule that does not generate toxic gases.
2Reliability
If conventional inorganic depressants are used to depress copper minerals, then mineral separation is achieved, but manufacturing and logistical challenges increase due to high consumption and transportation, handling, and storage costs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the dosage parameter from high consumption of inorganic depressants to lower consumption of the polymer depressant. The ammoniated polycarbamide is applied at 0.5-5.0 kg per metric ton of ore, which is significantly lower than the quantities required for conventional inorganic depressants, thereby reducing transportation, handling, and storage requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The polymer depressant is designed as a cost-effective replacement for expensive inorganic chemicals. By using a synthetic polymer that can be produced through standard polymerization processes, the invention reduces the cost per unit of depressant function, making the overall process more economically viable despite the need for continuous chemical addition.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If ammoniated polycarbamide is used as a separation aid, then hazardous chemical use is reduced and safety is improved, but the effectiveness of mineral separation must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the dosage parameter of ammoniated polycarbamide to ensure effective copper mineral depression. The recommended dosage of 0.5-5.0 kg per metric ton of ore is calibrated to achieve separation effectiveness comparable to or better than conventional inorganic depressants, while maintaining safety advantages.
Solution Approach 2:
The polymer depressant exhibits selective interaction with copper mineral surfaces through its functional groups, providing localized depression action at the mineral-polymer interface. This local quality ensures that the depressant effect is concentrated where needed (on copper minerals) while leaving molybdenum and other minerals unaffected, thereby maintaining separation effectiveness.
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 ammoniated polycarbamide aid provides effective mineral separation with reduced hazardous chemical use, improving safety and reducing costs while maintaining or enhancing recovery rates of molybdenum and minimizing copper recovery, thus offering economic, environmental, and health benefits.
Implementation Method 1
NaSH forms hydrogen sulfide ions and desorbs collectors from Cu minerals, resulting in the depression of Cu
Implementation Method 2
Molybdenum minerals (Mo) and copper minerals (Cu) are inherently hydrophobic, and float in a flotation system
Data Source
AI summary
Compositions and methods for the separation and recovery of one or more minerals from a mineral ore bulk material are provided. The compositions and methods include selectively depressing minerals utilizing an ammoniated polycarbamide as a separation aid. The ammoniated polycarbamide reduces, or eliminates, the conventional use of depressants such as sodium hydrosulfide (NaSH) in mining flotation processes, including copper-molybdenum (Cu—Mo) separations.