Application and mechanism of 1-thioglycerol in separation of chalcopyrite and molybdenite

Background Conventional chalcopyrite depressants face environmental and selectivity challenges in copper-molybdenum separation. This study introduces 1-thioglycerol (1-TG), an eco-friendly organic depressant, demonstrating exceptional selectivity for chalcopyrite. Methods The depression performance of 1-TG was evaluated through flotation experiments. Its selective adsorption mechanism was elucidated using surface characterization techniques, including contact angle, SEM-EDS, LEIS, FTIR, XPS and molecular dynamics simulations. Significant findings 1-TG achieved efficient separation of molybdenite from chalcopyrite. For the synthetic mixed ore at pH 5 with 25 mg/L 1-TG, recoveries of Cu and Mo were 6.01% and 89.53%. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that 1-TG selectively chemisorbs on chalcopyrite surfaces through coordinating with metal sites, effectively masking adsorption sites and reducing surface hydrophobicity. The -SH groups in 1-TG promoted selective adsorption, as confirmed by surface analyses. This non-toxic depressant functions effectively at low dosages, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional toxic inhibitors like cyanides. The findings provide fundamental insights into green reagent design and advance eco-friendly strategies for sulfide mineral separation, addressing critical environmental and efficiency challenges in copper-molybdenum processing.