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The difference in the solubility of amylxanthate copper complexes is the main factor of the flotation process for the recovery of dissolved copper ions, aspects in which it hasn't been researched enough. For this reason, it is presented the results of a research in this paper about the behavior of copper complexes as a function of aqueous average pH, evaluating the results from the specific contribution of both: the recovery and the kinetic of the flotation process, which is developed in a laboratory column flotation with potassium amylxanthate as a collector. The main operational variables of the column: liquid and gas superficial rate were constant as well as the initial foaming concentration. The transformation effects that take place in the system amylxanthate-copper-water are evaluated in the pH range from 4 to 13. The result shows an enhancement or increasing in the recovery of copper ions with the increment in the pH value to 11. It demonstrates the strong dependence between the copper recovery with the chemical characteristic of the system, an increment in the concentration of crystalline copper(I) amylxanthate has an increment in the floated copper, associated with this, it shows an increment in the retained gas fraction and in the bubble surface flow, which has direct effect in the kinetic of the flotation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we report a study about the behaviour of the copper amylxanthate complex by means of UV-Visible spectrophotometric technique in the pH range of 2-13 as well as a kinetic study of its formation showing the type of this process. A higher concentration of cupric amylxanthate was found in the range of pH 7 to 10. The Formation of carbon disulphide, in the pH values lower than 7 and higher than 10, shows decompositions of the amylxanthate ion diminishing the complex concentration. Kinetic study of the copper amylxanthate formation in the temperature range of 298-333 K shows that this process is controlled by a chemical reaction. It was also obtained the mathematical model for the kinetic process during the formation of cupric amylxanthate. Models reflect the behaviour of the studied parameters and their statistical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]