An efficient solid-liquid interface adsorption mode in chalcopyrite flotation with a novel di-minerophilic group surfactant 5-methyl isobutylxanthate-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thione

A novel chelating collector containing di-minerophilic group named 5-methyl isobutylxanthate-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thione (MIXODT) was first prepared and used for chalcopyrite flotation in this article. The flotation behavior of chalcopyrite with MIXODT as a collector was first evaluated by the micro-flotation experiments, and the results indicated that MIXODT showed better flotation capacity than sodium isobutyl xanthate (SIBX) for chalcopyrite recovery under acidic circumstances. Then hydrophobic mechanism of chalcopyrite was evaluated by wettability measurements, ζ-potential, interaction of MIXODT with metal ions, FTIR spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The wettability measurements proved that the surface hydrophobicity of chalcopyrite was improved significantly after MIXODT treatment. ζ-potential indicated that MIXODT chemisorbed on chalcopyrite surfaces. The experiment result of MIXODT with copper ions suggested that MIXODT had chemical interaction with Cu + and Cu 2+ ions. Moreover, FTIR and XPS spectra illustrated that the MIXODT-Cu complex was formed on chalcopyrite surface under the action of Cu-S and Cu-N bonds, accompanied with reduction of partial surface Cu(II) to Cu(I). Further, two different adsorption models of MIXODT-Cu + and MIXODT-Cu 2+ with “H” and “♬” types were proposed and predicted by DFT calculation respectively.