Utilization of N-carboxymethyl chitosan as a selective depressant for talc in flotation of chalcopyrite

Flotation separation of chalcopyrite from talc is difficult because of the natural hydrophobicity of two minerals. In this work, the flotation separation of chalcopyrite from talc using N-carboxymethyl chitosan as a depressant for talc was studied. The micro-flotation results indicated that the flotation separation of chalcopyrite from talc cannot be realized effectively at pH 9 with low concentration of N-carboxymethyl chitosan, in the presence of calcium ions, talc was more efficiently depressed by N-carboxymethyl chitosan, while the chalcopyrite recovery was not influenced. Contact angle, zeta potential and adsorption results showed that Ca2+ and CaOH+ absorbed on the talc surface and increased the absorption amount of N-carboxymethyl chitosan on the mineral surface, and increased hydrophilicity of talc surface, resulting the selective depression for talc in chalcopyrite flotation.