Bulk flotation of auriferous pyrite and arsenopyrite by using tertiary dodecyl mercaptan as collector in weak alkaline pulp

Laboratory and industrial scale experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of tertiary dodecyl mercaptan (TDM) as a collector on the flotation of auriferous pyrite and arsenopyrite. The optimum recovery of gold associated with auriferous sulphides was obtained by adding a mixture of TDM and sodium butyl xanthate, together with only a little CuSO4 as an activator in a weak alkaline pulp adjusted by NaOH. A two-month industrial trial at the Liumei plant in Guangxi, China showed that an average gold recovery of 90.8% into a concentrate assaying 81.1 g/t Au from a feed assaying 2.9 g/t Au could be achieved at pH 8–8.5 using TDM as a collector.