Probing the Effect of Water Recycling on Flotation through Anion Spiking Using a Low-Grade Cu–Ni–PGM Ore: The Effect of NO3−, SO42− and S2O32−

Water scarcity necessitates the recycling of process water within mineral processing practices. This may however come with its disadvantages for unit operations such as froth flotation this is intensive and sensitive to chemistry. It therefore important monitor chemistry recycle stream any other source flotation. Monitoring concentrations anions in recycled consider these are speculated impact performance. Batch tests were conducted using synthetically prepared plant (3 SPW) a TDS 3069 mg/L baseline experiment. 3 SPW contained 528 mg/LNO3− 720 SO42−, cations, no S2O32−. Upon spiking selected anions, viz, NO3−, SO42− S2O32−, it was noted that NO3− exhibited threshold while S2O32− did not show concentration both copper nickel grade. Spiking 352 more total 880 resulted highest grade compared increasing from 60 78 increased 1200 deemed boundaries which lies above performance declines respect metal grades, outside range considered study. Anion distribution between pulp seem recovery or nickel. Notably, correlation concentrate grades anion seemed be ion dependent.