A study on the mechanism of flotation separation between chalcopyrite and sphalerite using a novel environmental depressant derived from grape peel extract GPE

In this study, we explored the application of GPE, a novel environmental depressant derived from grape peel extract, for the flotation separation of sphalerite and chalcopyrite. We employed a range of techniques to investigate the depressant's efficacy and mechanism, including micro-flotation tests, contact angle measurements, zeta potential measurements, adsorption measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analysis, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Our findings revealed that the use of 9.375 mg/L GPE effectively separated chalcopyrite from sphalerite. Zeta potential and adsorption studies demonstrated that GPE adsorbed onto both mineral surfaces, albeit with a lower affinity for chalcopyrite. XPS analysis suggested that GPE's adsorption on the sphalerite surface was likely due to physical adsorption. Furthermore, ToFSIMS analysis revealed that the structural components of GPE, C6H4O2- and C6H5O2-, can interact with the sphalerite surface, hindering the adsorption of the collector BX.