The mineralogy of pyrrhotite from Sudbury CCN and Phoenix nickel ores and its effect on flotation performance

References

• Wells PF, Kelebek S, Burrows MJ, Suarez DF: ‘Pyrrhotite rejection at Falconbridge’s Strathcona Mill’, in ‘Processing of complex ores: mineral processing and the environment, (ed. , Finch J A, , et al.), 51–62; 1997, Montreal, Que., CIM.
   Google Scholar
• Posfai M, Sharp TG, Kontny A: ‘Pyrrhotite varieties from the 9.1 km deep borehole of the KTB project’, Am. Mineral., 2000, 85, 1406–1415.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Fleet ME: ‘Phase equilibria at high temperatures’, in ‘Sulfide mineralogy and geochemistry, (ed. , Vaughan D J), 365–419; 2006, Washington DC, MSA.
   Google Scholar
• Powell AV, Vaqueiro P, Knight KS, Chapon LC, Sanchez RD: ‘Structure and magnetism in synthetic pyrrhotite Fe7S8: a powder neutron‐diffraction study’, Phys. Rev. B, 2004, 70B, 014415‐1–014415‐12.
   Google Scholar
• Morimoto N, Nakazawa H, Nishiguchi K, Tokonami M: ‘Pyrrhotites: stoichiometric compounds with composition Fen−1Sn (n>8)’, Science, 1970, 168, 964–966.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Carpenter RH, Desborough GA: ‘Range in solid solution and structure of naturally occurring troilite and pyrrhotite’, Am. Mineral., 1964, 49, 1350–1365.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Koto K, Morimoto N, Gyobu A: ‘The superstructure of the intermediate pyrrhotite. I. Partially disordered distribution of metal vacancy in the 6C type, Fe11S12’, Acta Crystallogr. Sect. B, 1975, 31B, 2759–2764.
   Google Scholar
• de Villiers JPR, Liles D, Becker M: ‘The crystal structure of a naturally occurring 5C pyrrhotite from Sudbury, its chemistry and vacancy distribution’, Am. Mineral., 2009, 94, 1405–1410.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Rand DAJ: ‘Oxygen reduction of sulphide minerals. Part III. Comparison of activities of various copper, iron, lead and nickel mineral electrodes’, J. Electroanal. Chem., 1977, 83, 19–32.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Belzile N, Chen Y.‐W, Cai M.‐F, Li Y: ‘A review of pyrrhotite oxidation’, J. Geochem. Explor., 2004, 84, 65–76.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kelebek S: ‘The effect of oxidation on the flotation behaviour of nickel–copper ores’, Proc. XVIII Int. Mineral Processing Cong., Sydney, NSW, Australia, May 1993, AusIMM, 999–1005.
   Google Scholar
• Spira P, Rosenblum F: ‘The oxygen demand of flotation pulps’, Proc. 6th Annual Meet. of the Canadian Mineral Processors, 74–106; 1974, Ottawa, Ont., CIM.
   Google Scholar
• He SH, Grano S, Manoucheri HM, Taylor A, Lawson V: ‘The critical influence of pulp oxygen content on the separation of pentlandite from pyrrhotite in two process streams of the Clarabelle Mill of VALE INCO, Sudbury, Canada’, Proc. Int. Mineral Processing Cong., 1028–1037; 2008, Beijing, Science Press.
   Google Scholar
• Vanyukov AV, Razumovskaya NN: ‘Hydrothermal oxidation of pyrrhotites’, Izv. Vissh. Uchebn. Zaved. – Tsvetn. Met., 1979, 6, 605–610.
   Google Scholar
• Yakhontova LK, Nesterovich LG, Grudev AP: ‘New data on natural oxidation of pyrrhotite’, Vestn. Mosk. Univ. Geol., 1983, 38, 41–44.
   Google Scholar
• Gerson A, Jasieniak M: ‘The effect of surface oxidation on the Cu activation of pentlandite and pyrrhotite’, Proc. 24th Int. Mineral Processing Cong., 1054–1063; 2008, Beijing, Science Press.
   Google Scholar
• Iwasaki I: ‘Flotation behaviour of pyrrhotite in the processing of copper–nickel ores’, in ‘Extractive metallurgy of nickel and cobalt’, (ed. , Tyroler G P, Landolt C A), 272–292; 1988, Warrendale, PA, TMS.
   Google Scholar
• Harada T: ‘Variation in floatability of pyrrhotites’, Nippon Kogyo Kaishi, 1967, 83, 656–660.
   Google Scholar
• Alekseeva RK: ‘Causes of different floatability for pyrrhotite modifications’, Tsventy Met., 1965, 6, 19–22.
   Google Scholar
• Kalahdoozan M, Yen WT: ‘Depressing monoclinic and hexagonal pyrrhotite’, in ‘Interactions in mineral processing’, (ed. , Finch J A, et al.), 169–180; 2001, Montreal, Que., CIM.
   Google Scholar
• He MF, Qin WQ, Liz WZ, Chen YJ, Lai CH: ‘Research on flotation performances of polymorphic pyrrhotite’, Proc. 24th Int. Mineral Processing Cong., 1153–1160; 2008, Beijing, Science Press.
   Google Scholar
• Lawson V, Kerr AN, Shields Y, Wells PF, Xu M, Dai Z: ‘Improving pentlandite pyrrhotite separation at INCO’s Clarabelle Mill’, Proc. Centenary of Flotation Symp., Brisbane, Qld, Australia, June 2005, AusIMM, pp. 875–885.
   Google Scholar
• Wiese JG, Harris PJ, Bradshaw DJ: ‘The influence of the reagent suite on the flotation of ores from the Merensky Reef’, Miner. Eng., 2005, 18, 189–198.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Bojcevski D, Vink L, Johnson NW, Landmark V, Johnston M, Mackenzie J, Young MF: ‘Metallurgical characterization of George Fisher ore textures and implications for mineral processing’, in ‘Mine to mill’, 29–41; 1998, Brisbane, Qld, AusIMM.
   Google Scholar
• Baum W, Lotter NO, Whittaker PJ: ‘Process mineralogy – a new generation for ore characterisation and plant optimization’, Proc. SME Annual Meet., Denver, CO, USA, February 2004, SME, Preprint 04–12.
   Google Scholar
• Charland A, Kormos L, Whittaker P, Arrue‐Canales C, Fragomeni D, Lotter N, Mackey P, Anes J: ‘A case study for integrated use of automated mineralogy in plant optimization: The Falconbridge Montcalm Concentrator’, Proc. Conf. Automated Mineralogy 06, Brisbane, Qld, Australia, July 2006, MEI.
   Google Scholar
• Brough C, Becker M, Bradshaw DJ: ‘A comparison of the flotation behaviour and the effect of copper activation on three reef types from the Merensky Reef at Northam’, Miner. Eng., 2010, 23, 846–854.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Becker M, de Villiers JPR, Bradshaw DJ: ‘The mineralogy and crystallography of pyrrhotite from selected nickel and PGE ore deposits’, Econ. Geol., 2010, 105, 1025–1037.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Afrox: ‘RN in flotation’, Patent 2008/09676, South Africa, 2008, p. 25.
   Google Scholar
• Bradshaw DJ, O’Connor CT: ‘Measurement of the sub‐process of bubble loading in flotation’, Miner. Eng., 1996, 9, 443–448.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Becker M: ‘The mineralogy and crystallography of pyrrhotite from selected nickel and PGE ore deposits and its effect on flotation performance’, Unpubl. PhD thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South African, 2009, p. 254.
   Google Scholar
• Kelly AP, Vaughan DJ: ‘Pyrrhotine–pentlandite ore textures: a mechanistic approach’, Mineral. Mag., 1983, 47, 453–463.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Naldrett AJ, Kullerud G: ‘A study of the Strathcona Mine and its bearing on the origin of the nickel–copper ores of the Sudbury District, Ontario’, J. Petrol., 1967, 9, 453–531.
   Google Scholar
• Hamilton IC, Woods R: ‘A voltammetric study of the surface oxidation of sulfide minerals’, in ‘Electrochemistry in mineral and metal processing’, (ed. , Richardson P R, et al.), 259–302; 1984, Pennington, NJ, ECS.
   Google Scholar
• Heyes GW, Trahar WJ: ‘The flotation of pyrite and pyrrhotite in the absence of conventional collectors’, in ‘Electrochemistry in mineral and metal processing’, (ed. , Richardson P R, et al.), 219–232; 1984, Pennington, NJ, ECS.
   Google Scholar
• Hodgson M, Agar GE: ‘An electrochemical investigation into the natural flotability of pyrrhotite’, in ‘Electrochemistry in mineral and metal processing’, (ed. , Richardson P R, et al.), 185–201; 1984, Pennington, NJ, ECS.
   Google Scholar
• Buckley AN, Woods R: ‘X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy of oxidized pyrrhotite surfaces. 1. Exposure in air’, Appl. Surf. Sci., 1985, 22/23, 280–287.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Legrand DL, Bancroft GM, Nesbitt HW: ‘Oxidation/alteration of pentlandite and pyrrhotite surfaces at pH 9.3: Part I. Assignment of XPS spectra and chemical trends’, Am. Mineral., 2005, 90, 1042–1054.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Rao SR, Finch JA: ‘Adsorption of amyl xanthate at pyrrhotite in the presence of nitrogen and implications in flotation’, Can. Metall. Q., 1991, 30, 1–6.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Allison SA, Goold LA, Nicol MJ, Granville A: ‘A determination of the products of reaction between various sulfide minerals and aqueous xanthate solution, and a correlation of the products with electrode rest potentials’, Metall. Trans., 1972, 3, 2513–2618.
   Google Scholar
• Fornasiero D, Montalti M, Ralston J: ‘Kinetics of adsorption of ethyl xanthate on pyrrhotite: in‐situ UV and infrared spectroscopic studies’, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 1995, 172, 467–478.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Bozkurt V, Xu Z, Finch JA: ‘Pentlandite/pyrrhotite interaction and xanthate adsorption’, Int. J. Miner. Process., 1998, 52, 203–214.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Jones MP: ‘Applied mineralogy: a quantitative approach’, 259; 1987, London, Graham & Trotman.
   Google Scholar
• Pratt AR, Muir IJ, Nesbitt HW: ‘X‐ray photoelectron and Auger electron spectroscopic studies of pyrrhotite and mechanism of air oxidation’, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 1994, 58, 827–841.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Janzen MP, Nicholson RV, Scharer JM: ‘Pyrrhotite reaction kinetics: reaction rates for oxidation by oxygen, ferric iron, and for non‐oxidation dissolution’, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 2000, 64, 1511–1522.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Bertaut PEF: ‘Contribution a l’Etude des Structures Lacunaires: La pyrrhotine’, Acta Crystallogr., 1953, 6, 557–561.
   Google Scholar
• Mikhlin Y, Tomashevich Y: ‘Pristine and reacted surfaces of pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite as studied by X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure spectroscopy’, Phys. Chem. Miner., 2005, 32, 19–27.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Almeida CMVB, Giannetti BF: ‘The electrochemical behaviour of pyrite–pyrrhotite mixtures’, J. Electroanal. Chem., 2003, 553, 27–34.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ekmekci Z, Demirel H: ‘Effects of galvanic interaction on collectorless flotation behaviour of chalcopyrite and pyrite’, Int. J. Miner. Process., 1997, 52, 31–48.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Buswell AM, Nicol MJ: ‘Some aspects of the electrochemistry of the flotation of pyrrhotite’, J. Appl. Electrochem., 2002, 32, 1321–1329.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Miller JA, Li C, Davidtz JC, Vos F: ‘A review of pyrrhotite flotation chemistry in the processing of PGM ores’, Miner. Eng., 2005, 18, 855–865.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar