Abstract: In the flotation system of copper-nickel sulfide ores, fine-grained vein minerals, mainly serpentine, are very susceptible to be entrained into the concentrate with the froth, resulting in negative impacts on the concentrate product and the subsequent smelting process. In order to understand the influencing factors and whether there was any interaction in the process of froth entrainment of fine-grained serpentine and other vein minerals in the flotation system of copper-nickel sulfide ores, a response surface analysis (RSA) test was carried out on the basis of a one-factor test, and the effects of the interaction of the three factors, namely, foam agent dosage, gas volume velocity, and the foam layer thickness, were analyzed to determine the effects of the mechanical entrainment. The results of flotation entrainment showed that the foam agent dosage and pulp concentration affected the mechanical entrainment recovery of serpentine by influencing the water recovery and entrainment degree, while the gas volume velocity, particle size, and thickness of the foam layer only affected the entrainment degree and thus the recovery. The response surface test predictions were basically the same as the actual values, indicating that the predictions of the regression model were more accurate and can be used to analyze and predict the test results. The effects of the three factors investigated on the mechanical entrapment recovery of serpentine were foam agent dosage>foam layer thickness>gas volume velocity. Foaming agent dosage and foam layer thickness had significant influence on the mechanical entrainment of serpentine, which was a significant influence factor. The response surface method generally optimized the flotation conditions for the useful minerals rather than the vein minerals, and the interaction analysis showed that the different factors did not interact with each other on the mechanical entrainment of serpentine.

Key words: copper-nickel sulfide, serpentine, mechanical entrapment, response surface methodology

摘要： 在硫化铜镍矿浮选体系中，以蛇纹石为主的微细粒脉石矿物极易随泡沫夹带进入精矿中，对精矿产品以及后续冶炼过程产生负面影响。为了解硫化铜镍矿浮选体系中微细粒蛇纹石等脉石矿物随泡沫夹带过程中的影响因素以及是否存在交互作用，在单因素试验的基础上进行了响应曲面分析试验，分析了起泡剂用量、气体体积流速、泡沫层厚度三因素的交互作用对机械夹带的影响。结果表明，起泡剂用量和矿浆浓度通过影响水回收率以及夹带度进而影响蛇纹石机械夹带回收率，而气体体积流速、颗粒粒度、泡沫层厚度只影响夹带度进而影响回收率。响应曲面试验预测值与实际值一致，说明此回归模型预测值较准确，可以用于对试验结果进行分析与预测。探究的三种因素对蛇纹石机械夹带回收率的影响顺序为起泡剂用量>泡沫层厚度>气体体积流速。起泡剂用量以及泡沫层厚度对蛇纹石机械夹带有明显影响，为显著影响因素。响应曲面法优化浮选条件一般针对有用矿物而非脉石矿物，并且交互作用分析表明不同因素对蛇纹石的机械夹带并无交互影响。

关键词: 硫化铜镍矿, 蛇纹石, 机械夹带, 响应曲面法