The Pyrrhotite Problem

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Canada is one of the most important mining nations in the world, producing more than 60 minerals and metals. Mining and mineral processing has long been one of the country's key wealth generators. In 2014 the sector employed approximately 375,000 people and contributed $57 billion to Canada's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and accounted for 18.2% of the value of Canadian goods exports. With flotation being the main separation technique employed in the mining sector, the results of this research will be vital to improved operations. In 2017, Canadian mines accounted for 2 % of the total global zinc production; for nickel, this was 10 % of global production. ***Minerals are a non-renewable resource, so the processes used to recover them must be as economical and environmentally friendly as possible. One of the major issues in Canadian mineral deposits is the mineral pyrrhotite. Pyrrhotite is the second most common iron sulphide mineral in nature after pyrite, and presents a two-fold problem: *** It commonly reports to the concentrate as an unwanted diluent, reducing the grade and value of the product stream*** Due to its chemical nature, it has a strong tendency to undergo an exothermic reaction due in part to galvanic interactions undergoing a process that is termed self-heating'. ***Both of these issues cause significant problems in the processing of ore bodies that contain a high concentration of pyrrhotite. This research program will:*** Enhance our understanding of the surface properties of pyrrhotite to be able to better reject this mineral in processes such as flotation using environmentally friendly reagents*** Evaluate why pyrrhotite undergoes self-heating and provide methods of mitigation which do not harm the environment or are detrimental to downstream processing**