New insights into enhancing sustainable flotation performance of fine chalcopyrite via surface modification--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

a Institute of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030031, China
b College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454003, China
c Shanxi Laboratory for Yellow River, Key Laboratory of High-Value Recycling and Utilization of Coal based Solid Waste in Shanxi Province, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030031, China
d School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia

10.1016/j.partic.2025.08.001

Volume 105, October 2025, Pages 155-164

Received 2 June 2025, Revised 3 August 2025, Accepted 4 August 2025, Available online 13 August 2025, Version of Record 22 August 2025.

E-mail: luyang_hpu@126.com

Highlights

• Surface roughness of chalcopyrite was modified through grinding and nanoparticle collector treatment.

• Nanoparticle collectors synthesized via emulsion polymerization enhanced surface roughness of chalcopyrite.

• Impact of surface roughness on mineral hydrophobicity was validated through experiments and simulations.

Abstract

Copper, a critical strategic metal primarily from chalcopyrite, is widely used. However, a large amount of chalcopyrite is not effectively recovered resulting from its surface characteristics due to its fine size. This study introduced the use of surface roughness (SR) as a core indicator to evaluate chalcopyrite's flotation performance. Two modification methods including mechanical activation (grinding) and nanoparticle collectors (NPCs) modification were systematically investigated. Grinding enhanced SR from 1.274 to 3.593, improved yield from 55.14 % to 63.21 %, and increased hydrophobicity, as demonstrated by the rise in contact angle from 55.74° to 68.38°. NPCs demonstrated superior performance, with SR reaching 4.987, contact angle up to 90.75°, and yield as high as 91.45 %. The results demonstrated that physical modification (grinding) improved flotability through roughness enhancement, while NPCs offered an optimal solution for chalcopyrite flotation by combining the advantages of increased SR with strong collector interaction. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed the following diffusion coefficient order: CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide)-NPC > SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate)-NPC > PEG (polyethylene glycol)-NPC > BX (butyl xanthate) > no collector. This trend demonstrated that higher water molecule mobility corresponded to reduced surface-water binding and enhanced chalcopyrite hydrophobicity induced by collector adsorption. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing copper mineral processing, particularly for fine chalcopyrite resources.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Flotation; Chalcopyrite; Wettability; Roughness; Collector

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