Polymers with Biobased\nHydrophobic Cardanyl Acrylate\nand O‑Ethyl Acetylcarbamothioate Functionality for Chalcopyrite\nSelective Flotation

The effective separation of chalcopyrite, an extensively\nutilized\ncopper mineral, presents a considerable hurdle for the mineral processing\nsector due to its geological tendency to be colocated with various\nsulfide minerals and its intricate surface chemistry that hinders\nefficient separation using conventional approaches. This research\naims to address this challenge by utilizing Reversible Addition–Fragmentation\nChain Transfer polymerization (RAFT) as a synthetic methodology for\npreparation of collector/flocculants to enhance the efficiency and\nselectivity of reagents for utilization in chalcopyrite flotation/flocculation.\nA RAFT polymer, poly(CA<sub>4</sub>-<i>co</i>-ACOEA<sub>14</sub>), was synthesized incorporating <i>O</i>-ethyl\nacetylcarbamothioate (R–O–C(S)–NH–C(O)–CH<sub>3</sub>) functionality for selective binding and cardanyl acrylate\nmoiety as a hydrophobic component, with the goal of selective separation\nof chalcopyrite from pyrite. Laboratory experiments encompassing flotation/flocculation\ntests, adsorption assessments, and analyses utilizing UV spectroscopy,\nFTIR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and contact angle\nmeasurements were conducted to explore its performance in froth flotation\nand elucidate its adsorption mechanism on both mineral surfaces. A\ncomparative study between poly(CA<sub>4</sub>-<i>co</i>-ACOEA<sub>14</sub>) and poly(CA<sub>4</sub>-<i>co</i>-XEA<sub>14</sub>), the latter is a polymer of similar molecular weight and hydrophobicity\ncontaining the xanthate functionality, demonstrated that poly(CA<sub>4</sub>-<i>co</i>-ACOEA<sub>14</sub>) exhibits superior\nperformance. This enhanced efficacy could be attributed to the polymer’s\ncapacity to selectively adhere to the chalcopyrite surface, rendering\nit hydrophobic, while a comparable effect is not observed on pyrite\ndue to weak adsorption. Furthermore, the flocculation performance\nof poly(CA<sub>4</sub>-<i>co</i>-ACOEA<sub>14</sub>) showcases\nits dual functionality as both a collector and a flocculant.