Effects of long-chain alcohols reducing water evaporation on copper flotation

More than 80 percent of the water used in the flotation process Sarcheshmeh Copper Mine is provided from recycled water of tailing dam. Due to the water shortage problem in the current condition, evaporation is considered the most important factor of losses from this important resource. In this study, were introduced two chemicals including hexadecanol and octadecanol. The two chemicals have a significant impact in reducing evaporation from open water reservoirs of mine that these reservoirs is provided much of the water in the flotation circuit. In the following, the combination of these two substances were added to five different water samples and were examined its impact on the recovery of the three mineral, copper, pyrite and molybdenum and then, the significance of the observed differences flotation tests on water samples were analyzed using Duncan's multiple range test. The results showed, fatty alchohol not only have not been a negative impact on the recovery of three mineral copper, pyrite and molybdenum, but also have increased 0.1% recovery of copper and 3.5% molybdenum recovery. Moreover, have increased pyrite arrested an estimated 30%.