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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/M37721/01
Title: SURFACE CHARACTERISATION OF SULPHIDE MINERALS FOR IMPROVED PROCESSING BY FROTH FLOTATION AND LEACHING
Principal Investigator: Kelsall, Professor G
Other Investigators:
Brandon, Professor NP
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Rio Tinto
Department: Chemical Engineering
Organisation: Imperial College London
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 October 1999 Ends: 31 March 2003 Value (£): 68,557
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Mining & Minerals Extraction Separation Processes
Surfaces & Interfaces
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Manufacturing Energy
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The proposed research concerns investigation of the variability in surface chemistries of important metal sulphide minerals and the causes of this variability. The work would focus on four sulphides: pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and tetrahedrite (-tennantite) and employ a range of advanced analytical, electrochemical and spectrosopic methods. These sulfides are important either in terms of abundance (pyrite) or as sources of the base metals (chalcopyrite, sphalerite: Cu, Zn) or of precious metals or deleterious constituents (tet-tenn: Ag, Hg, Cd, As etc). Work on synthetic and natural monomineralic samples of varying compositions and stoichiometries will be combined with studies of as-mined ores and of mill products so as to establish causes of low recoveries in flotation circuits, leading to improved specification of conditions for froth flotation processing, which will be validated by the industrial partner and other collaborators. The derived information relevant to acid leaching behaviour will be used to predict whether selective dissolution can be achieved, particularly for complex ores in which the sulphide minerals are intergrown on a fine scale.
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Organisation Website: http://www.imperial.ac.uk