Copper Ion Recovery from Mine Water by Ion Flotation

Solutions containing copper ions are produced at copper mines due to its dissolution from ores and dumps. It is important to recover these ions to prevent this toxic element from entering the environment and because it could be economical. We investigated the use of ion flotation for extracting Cu ions from diluted mine water from the Veshnaveh Mine in Qom, Iran. Experiments were conducted using floatation cells at pH 6, 9, and 12 with diluted solutions containing 10 mg L-1 of Cu. Sodium dodecyl sulfate and hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (HTAB) were used as collectors and methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) and ethanol were used as frothers. The best result was achieved by maximizing Cu ion recovery and minimizing water recovery at pH 12, using 100 mg L-1 of HTAB and 0.1 % (v/v) of MIBC. Copper and water recovery were 79 and 24 %, respectively.