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[Display omitted] • TA, a biodegradable plant polyphenol, was introduced as a depressant in the flotation separation of chalcopyrite and talc. • TA could be selectively adsorbed on the surface of talc to separate talc and chalcopyrite. • The interaction of TA with talc was physical rather than chemical. • The layered structure of talc and the phenolic hydroxyl structure of TA cause TA to selectively adsorb on talc surface. In this paper, the effect of Tannic acid (TA), a green, biodegradable plant polyphenol, as a talc depressant on the separation behavior of talc and chalcopyrite was investigated. The results of micro-flotation studies revealed that at a TA dosage of 20 mg/L at pH 7, talc recovery was barely 10 % whereas chalcopyrite recovery remained above 90 %, indicating that TA can selectively depress talc flotation. The results of the artificial mixed minerals test further confirmed the depressive effect of TA. The adsorption results showed that the adsorption density of TA on talc was greater than that on chalcopyrite surface. Similar conclusions were observed in zeta potential tests. It is noteworthy that the zeta potential of the chalcopyrite treated with TA and butyl xanthate sodium continued to shift negatively in comparison to the zeta potential of chalcopyrite treated with TA alone, suggesting that butyl xanthate sodium can continue to adsorb on the surface of chalcopyrite following TA treatment. Besides, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy tests concluded that TA adsorbs on talc surface by physical (hydrophobic) interaction. Differences in the crystal structures of chalcopyrite and talc, as well as the large number of phenolic hydroxyl structures contained in TA, are the main driving forces for the selective adsorption of TA on the talc surface. This work provides an insight to the selection of inhibitors for the separation of chalcopyrite and talc, particularly from the perspective of the hydrophobic effect of the talc layered structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]