THE EFFECT OF FEED SIZE, PH, AND DOSING OF SODIUM ISOBUTYL XANTHATE (SIBX) ON THE SEPARATION OF CHALCOPYRITE AND PYRITE IN THE FLOTATION OF PAPUA COPPER SULFIDE ORE

• Main Author: Yusriyyah Farhah, Zahra
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/63366
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Copper sulfide commonly present as chalcopyrite, bornite, chalcocite, etc. In sulfide ores, chalcopyrite is associated with pyrite. The presence of pyrite as a gangue mineral in sulfide ore is lowering the copper grade. The beneficiation method that can be done to separate chalcopyrite from pyrite is flotation. In this process pyrite can be activated by copper and enhance its floatability. Pyrite is a cause of increased smelting cost and a contributor towards environmental problems. In this work, copper sulfide ore from Dalam Stockwork (DSTK) from PT. Freeport Indonesia, Papua is used to investigate the effect of varying feed size, pH, and dosing of Sodium Isobutyl Xanthate (SiBX) to recovery, grade of chalcopyrite and pyrite in concentrate, and the separation of chalcopyrite and pyrite in concentrate. The separation of two minerals is measured by ratio of chalcopyrite and pyrite inconcentrate (Cp/Py). Series of flotation experiments have been carried out to study the effect of feed size, pH, and dosing of SiBX on the Cp/Py ratio. Four different level is studied for each parameter, there are p80-60#, p80-70#, p80-80#, and p80-100# feed size, pH level 10, 10.5, 11, and 11.5, and dosing of SiBX at conditioning, 1st minute, 3rd minute, and 5th minute. Concentrate and tailing is weighted and analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) to measure the Cu and Fe grade, LECO to measure the sulfur grade, and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) to determine the main mineral present in concentrate. The data obtained from the experiments are then used to calculate the recovery and grade of chalcopyrite and pyrite in concentrate and the Cp/Py ratio. Based on research results, highest Cp/Py ratio of 0.85 obtained from experiment with pH 10.5, feed size p80-70#, and dosing SiBX at conditioning. This experiment resulted in 6.76 % and 7.91 % chalcopyrite and pyrite concentrate grade respectively. Experiment with p80-60# feed size gave the best flotation performance resulted in 0.73 Cp/Py ratio. The best flotation performance on varying dosing of SiBX obtained from experiment with SiBX addition on 1st minute with 0.75 Cp/Py ratio.