Depression effect of pseudo glycolythiourea acid in flotation separation of copper-molybdenum

Pseudo glycolythiourea acid (PGA) was synthesized and used as depressant for flotation separation of Cu and Mo. The results indicate that a low amount of PGA has strong depression effect on chalcopyrite. Mo grade of 26.17% and recovery of 89.83% were achieved with rougher and scavenger one time and cleaners twice, while the recovery of Mo was deceased by 2% when Na2S was used as depressant. Measurement on adsorption of PGA on the mineral surface indicates that PGA and xanthate were adsorbed on mineral surface by competition, and PGA was adsorbed on chalcopyrite surface much stronger than on molybdenite surface. FTIR results indicate a chemical absorption process for PGA on chalcopyrite surface and a physical adsorption process on molybdenite surface. The frontier orbital calculation shows that the S atom is an active center, and the depression of PGA can be explained with the Fermi level of energy based on the electrochemical mechanism.