The effect of galvanic interaction on the contact angle of sulphide minerals

Since metals such as copper and zinc in complex sulphide ores are found together with pyrite ore, copper and zinc cannot be obtained in high concentrations in flotation due to the surface and chemical properties of pyrite in high concentrations in the grinding environment and in subsequent processes. Because of the structural, chemical and physical properties of complex sulphide minerals, electrochemical properties differ from each other. The electrochemical differences of the pyrite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite and their galvanic interactions due to their semiconductor states affect the contact angles and the pulp potentials. This situation affects the flotation behavior of minerals. Contact angle is one of the important parameters that directly affect flotation efficiency. In this study, the effects of galvanic interaction on contact angle in pure water and in case of different collector concentrations were observed by experiments with pyrite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite samples. In the measurements performed without collector and in pure water, decreases in contact angles of chalcopyrite and pyrite minerals were observed due to increasing pH; sphalerite did not give contact angle in pure water and measurements using potassium amyl xanthate (KAX) as collector. Experiments to investigate the galvanic interaction showed that sphalerite gives contact angle after contact with pyrite and chalcopyrite. In addition, decreases in pulp potentials were observed in experiments conducted to investigate galvanic interaction. However, the fact that pH is an important factor in the contact angle measurements of minerals does not show the same effect in case of galvanic interaction.