| abstract |
A method for separating arsenic mineral from a copper material having a high arsenic content, which comprises pulverizing the copper material containing arsenic, adding water thereto to form a slurry and then adding to the slurry a flotation agent, which comprises an inhibitor, a frothing agent and a collector, and bubbling air thereto to conduct flotation dressing, wherein a chelating agent such as a polyethyleneamine is used as the inhibitor. In the case of using triethylenetetramine as the chelating agent, in particular, it is preferred to add 1 to 10 equivalents of triethylenetetramine relative to the amount of soluble copper formed by the oxidation of the copper material. In this case, it is further preferred to adjust the slurry, before the flotation dressing, to pH 7 to 8 inclusive. Thus, arsenic mineral can be efficiently separated from a copper material containing arsenic, such as a copper ore or a refined copper ore, and a refined copper ore having a low arsenic content can be obtained. |