Minerals Engineering 42 (2013) 6267

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Minerals Engineering
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Eucalyptus oils as green collectors in gold otation

C. Williams a, Y. Peng a,, R. Dunne b
a
School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
b
Newmont Mining Corporation, 10101 East Dry Creek Road, Englewood, CO 80112, USA

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: In this study, the potential of Eucalyptus oils as green collectors in gold otation was examined. Flotation
Received 10 September 2012 tests were conducted on a sample of Boddingtons coppergold sulde ores. Eucalyptus oil compositions
Accepted 5 December 2012 were determined by gas chromatographymass spectrometry. Gold association of otation products was
Available online 11 January 2013
investigated by Mineral Liberation Analyzer. It was found that Eucalyptus oils have the potential to
replace potassium amyl xanthate as a collector in free gold otation. The collecting power of Eucalyptus
Keywords: oils is correlated to the percentage of non-polar and weakly polar constituents, and in particular 1,8-
Eucalyptus oils
cineole, phellendrene and pipertone. Eucalyptus oils possess strong selectivity for free gold rather than
Free gold
Green collectors
gold carriers, and therefore achieve high gold grades at the head of the otation circuit.
Flotation 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Xanthates (dithiocarbonates) have been widely used in the o-
tation of base metal and precious minerals as collectors and consis-
tently provided robust performance due to their unique capability
to selectively adsorb on the surface of these minerals and render
them hydrophobic. Xanthates however also introduce many occu-
pational health and environment risks which are often overlooked.
Xanthates are highly ammable and can decompose to toxic
carbon disulde gas (CS2) in manufacture, transport and use (Ellis,
2011; Singh et al., 2011). The adverse effects of carbon disulde on
many organs has been documented (Takebayashi et al., 1998;
Singh et al., 2011; Donoghue, 1998). Xanthate-related res have
also been reported, such as one at Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia
in 1994 and one at OConnor, Western Australia in 1994 (Singh
et al., 2011).
Recently, regulatory bodies in Ontario, Canada, reduced the
carbon disulde Time Weighted Average (TWA) to 1 ppm, one tenth
of the previous limit. Vales Clarabelle Mill workplace environmen-
tal monitoring program has shown that CS2 concentrations exceed
the new TWA limit. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was added to the
xanthate solution to prevent the formation of CS2 gas, but it was lar-
gely unsuccessful (Dong and Xu, 2011). Tightening regulations may
eventually lead to a ban on the use of xanthates. This presents a
serious challenge for the gold industry, as approximately 80% of
the worlds gold is concentrated using otation, and xanthates are
the primary collectors used in all cases (Fuerstenauu et al., 2007;
Dunne, 1991). It also stimulates the current research to identify
Corresponding author. Tel.: +61 7 3365 7156; fax: +61 7 3365 3888.
E-mail address: yongjun.peng@uq.edu.au (Y. Peng).
green gold collectors that reduce or eliminate the generation of haz-
ardous substances in design, manufacture and application.
1.1. Principles of green chemistry
Anastas and Warner (1998) developed The twelve principles of
green chemistry which are widely used as valuable benchmark
guidelines for practicing chemists and engineers in developing
and assessing how green a synthesis, compound, process, or tech-
nology is. The 12 principles of green chemistry are:
1. Prevention: It is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean
up waste after it has been created.
2. Atom Economy: Synthetic methods should be designed to
maximize incorporation of all materials used in the process
into the nal product.
3. Less Hazardous Chemical Syntheses: Wherever practicable,
synthetic methods should be designed to use and generate
substances that possess little or no toxicity to human health
and the environment.
4. Designing Safer Chemicals: Chemical products should be
designed to affect their desired function while minimizing
their toxicity.
5. Safer Solvents and Auxiliaries: Use of auxiliary substances
(solvents, separation agents, etc.) should be made unneces-
sary wherever possible and innocuous when used.
6. Design for Energy Efciency: Energy requirements of chemical
processes should be recognized for their environmental and
economic impacts and should be minimized. If possible, syn-
thetic methods should be conducted at ambient tempera-
ture and pressure.

0892-6875/$ - see front matter 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2012.12.003
 C. Williams et al. / Minerals Engineering 42 (2013) 6267
7. Use of Renewable Feedstocks: A raw material or feedstock
should be renewable rather than depleting whenever techni-
cally and economically practicable.
8. Reduce Derivatives: Unnecessary derivatization (use of block-
ing groups, protection/deprotection, and temporary modi-
cation of physical/chemical processes) should be
minimized or avoided if possible, because such steps require
additional reagents and can generate waste.
9. Catalysis: Catalytic reagents (as selective as possible) are
superior to stoichiometric reagents.
10. Design for Degradation: Chemical products should be
designed so that at the end of their function they break
down into innocuous degradation products and do not per-
sist in the environment.
11. Real-Time Analysis for Pollution Prevention: Analytical
methodologies need to be further developed to allow for
real-time, in-process monitoring and control prior to the
formation of hazardous substances.
12. Inherently Safer Chemistry for Accident Prevention: Substances
and the form of a substance used in a chemical process
should be chosen to minimize the potential for chemical
accidents, including releases, explosions, and res.
1.2. Eucalyptus oils as green otation collectors
Based on the 12 principles of green chemistry (Anastas and
Warner, 1998), Eucalyptus oils can be considered as green otation
collectors.
Eucalyptus species are widespread across the world and well
known for essential oil production (Weiss, 1997). In Australia, they
constitute over 75% of the entire tree population, and range from
the dwarfed and stunted forms called mallees to the tall trees
which grow in coastal and mountainous regions (Boland et al.,
1991). This is in line with Principle 7.
Eucalyptus oils are extracted from natural Eucalyptus leaves.
The extraction process uses simple distillation techniques to re-
move the oil from the fresh, mature leaves and does not generate
any substance that possesses toxicity to human health or the envi-
ronment (Pearson, 1993). This meets Principles 1, 3, 5, 8 and 10.
Eucalyptus oils are widely used in medicinal, perfumery and a-
vor products (Small, 1981). Studies have shown that 1,8-cineole, a
major component in Eucalyptus oils holds back leukaemia growth
in cells, possesses non-reactive and non-toxic behavior, is antiin-
ammatory, antimicrobial and nematicidal making it a benign bio-
agent (Vincenzi et al., 2002; Levison et al., 1994). As a result,
Eucalyptus oils meet Principle 4.
The only labeling required is for a few Eucalyptus oils with a
ash point lower than 55 C. Many other Eucalyptus oils including
Citriodora and Patchouli have a higher ash point and do not even
require a ammability warning (Coppen, 2002), and therefore
meet Principle 12.
1.2.1. Chemistry of Eucalyptus oils
Eucalyptus oils are complex mixtures of organic compounds
containing up to 200 different constituents. The main constituents
of Eucalyptus oils are a-pinene, b-pinene, a-phellandrene, 1,8-
cineole, limonene, terpinen-4-ol, aromadendrene, epiglobulol,
piperitone and globulol (Boland et al., 1991). Eucalyptus oil compo-
sitions depend primarily on species, however, several chemical
forms are also possible. Eucalyptus dives for example has two
forms, pipertone (C10H16O) and 1,8-cineole (C10H18O). Composi-
tional variation within a single chemical form can result from the
varying type, the age of leaves, environment and techniques of
extraction (Boland et al., 1991). Today, this variation is typically
insignicant due to the standardization of oil extraction
procedures.
63
1.2.2. Prior use of Eucalyptus oils as frothers and collectors
Eucalyptus oils were recorded in early literature as both collec-
tors and frothers in the otation of copper, lead and nickel sulde
ores (Lyster, 1914; Shellshear, 1916; Taylor and Bull, 1929; Bull
and Ellefson, 1934; Nevett, 1936; Taggart, 1945; Wark and
Sutherland, 1955; Gaudin, 1957). However, literature only notes
one commercial operation that successfully recovered gold with
Eucalyptus oils.
In 1915, a chalcopyrite-gold-pyrite-quarzite ore was treated for
copper and gold recovery with approximately 450 g/t of Eucalyp-
tus oils at Mount Morgan Mine, Queensland, Australia. A concen-
trate assayed at 10.7% Cu and 40 g Au/t was obtained from a feed
assayed at 2% Cu and 9.3 g Au/t. Recoveries of copper and gold
were 80% and 68%, respectively (Shellshear, 1916). Shellshear
(1916) also noted that E. dives and amygdalina gave better results
probably because they contained phellandrene. Eucalyptus
citriodora was also tested, but did not give comparable results to
phellandrene-containing oils. Recent work by Botman et al.
(2010) shows that E. citriodora contains a relatively high concentra-
tion of alcohols resulting in a dynamic frothability index compara-
ble to methyl-iso-butyl-carbinal (MIBC), and therefore functions
like a frother.
The collecting or frothing property of Eucalyptus oils may be
correlated to the polarity of the constituents, and the relative
amounts in which they are present. Eucalyptus oils with a high
content of non-polar or weakly polar molecules may function as
collectors, while Eucalyptus oils having a high content of polar
molecules may function as frothers (Wark and Sutherland, 1955;
Crozier, 1992; Wills et al., 2006). In early literature, 1,8-cineole
was recognized as a medium collector and a fair frother, pipertol
and terpinol as good frothers, and phellandrene as a collector with
little frothing power (Nevett, 1936; Wark and Sutherland, 1955).
1.2.3. Eucalyptus oils as gold otation collectors
Gold to some degree is naturally oatable in industrial systems.
Some non-polar liquids such as dixanthogen and thionocarbamate
form an oily surface coating on the gold surface enhancing the sur-
face hydrophobicity, and therefore gold otation (Dunne, 2005).
Vegetable and diesel oils have also been used to agglomerate gold
particles to enhance gold otation due to their high natural oleo-
philicity (Sen et al., 2005). It stands to reason that Eucalyptus oils
can oat gold due to their non-polar molecule contents. This study
tests this hypothesis by examining the otation performance of
Eucalyptus oils in gold otation at the fundamental level.
2. Experimental
2.1. Characterization of Eucalyptus oils
Six Eucalyptus oils supplied by Felton Grimwade and Bosistos
Pty. Ltd. (FGB) and G.R. Davis Pty. Ltd. (GRD) were evaluated in this
study. Four of the six oils were natural species: E. dives, smithii,
citriodora and polybraceta, whereas the other two were distilled
to contain a minimum amount of 1,8-cineole: E. FGB 60/65 and
GRD 80/85. The composition of these oils was determined by using
gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GCMS).
Gas chromatographymass spectrometry was performed using
an integrated GCMS Shimadzu QP5050A model. A GC-17A model
chromatograph with a DB-5 ms capillary column measuring 28 m
length, 0.32 mm diameter and 0.25 lm thickness was interfaced
directly with a quadruple electron mass spectrometer of mass
range 10900 in the standard electron ionization mode. Helium
of purity greater than 99.995% at a supply pressure of 700
800 kPa was used as the carrier gas. Column inlet pressure was
28.5 kPa and column ow 1.8 L/min with a linear velocity of
64
49.1 cm/s. The splitting ratio was approximately 1:16. Injection
temperature was set at 100 C. One microlitres of each oil was di-
luted in 1 mL of ethyl acetate for the analysis. Components were
identied by comparing spectrums to the NIST 27 and NIST 147
spectral libraries.
2.2. Ore sample preparation and characterization
A 50 kg sample of ball mill feed received from Newmonts
Boddington Operation was crushed to 100% passing 3.35 mm using
jaw and roll crushers for primary and secondary crushing, respec-
tively. The ore sample was homogenized and then split into 1.0 kg
samples.
The Boddington sample is characterized as a coppergold sul-
de ore where the primary and secondary copper minerals are
chalcopyrite and bornite, respectively. Pyrite and pyrrhotite are
the primary iron suldes. Non-sulde gangue includes major con-
centrations of plagioclase feldspar (44%) and quartz (37%), a minor
concentration of biotite (14%), and trace amounts of chlorite (4%)
and epidote (2%). Chemical analyses show that the copper, iron
and sulfur contents are 1224 ppm, 3.4% and 0.3%, respectively.
Gold head grade is 1.0 g Au/t as determined by re assay. Gold
and electrum are typically associated with chalcopyrite, and to a
lesser degree with pyrite. Diagnostic leaching shows that free gold
represents approximately half of the total gold, equivalent to 0.6 g
Au/t.
2.3. Grinding and otation procedure
A 1 kg crushed sample was ground in a laboratory stainless steel
rod mill at 34% solids for 25 min to obtain a product having 80%
passing 75 lm. The size distribution determined by a combination
of wet and dry sieving is shown in Fig. 1. The mill discharge was
then transferred to a 2.5 L open top JK batch otation cell. Reagents
were added to the cell in 1% solutions and conditioned for approx-
imately 1 min. Eucalyptus oils were emulsied with water by a
blender for 30 s. The air ow rate was increased until a stable froth
of 46 cm depth was achieved. Agitation was maintained at
approximately 700 rpm.
The potential of the Eucalyptus oils as collectors was rst eval-
uated by a simple scoping study where 13 g/t potassium amyl xan-
thate (PAX) or Eucalyptus oils, and two drops of Interfroth 56
(IF56) frother were used to oat a single concentrate for 10 min.
Following this, a kinetic otation study was carried out using
PAX and selected Eucalyptus oils as collectors. Four concentrates
were collected after cumulative times of 1, 4, 7 and 11 min. 5 g/t
100
Cumulative Size Distribution (%)
90
80
70
60
50
40
30 60 90
Passing Size (m)
Fig. 1. Size distribution of the otation feed determined by a combination of wet
and dry sieving.
C. Williams et al. / Minerals Engineering 42 (2013) 6267
collector and two drops of frother (IF56) were added to the cell
at each otation stage. The grinding and otation pH was main-
tained at about 9.3 with the addition of lime. In both studies, ota-
tion using PAX as the collector was considered to be the baseline.
2.4. Mineral liberation analysis of otation products
Concentrate and tailing samples from a repeat kinetic batch o-
tation test using E. GRD 80/85 as the collector, were sent to the
Newmont Laboratory in Denver, Colorado for the mineral libera-
tion analysis by Mineral Liberation Analyzer (MLA). MLA integrates
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray
Spectrometry (EDS) technologies to identify minerals, and quantify
mineral abundance, grain sizes and liberation (Vizcarra et al.,
2011). In this study, the MLA used a Quanta 600 W tungsten
source, and two EDAX SDD (Solid State Drive) EDS detectors, EDAX
Apollo XP 10 mm2. The sparse phase liberation XBSE routine was
used to take measurements over 12 h. The magnication used
was based on particle size data obtained from a Malvern Mastersiz-
er. The total number of MLA frames measured after 12 h for con-
centrate one, two, three and the tailing sample were 2913, 2507,
2831 and 2992 respectively. Free surface liberation was calculated
using the MLA data view software. The tailing sample was also run
on another gold search instrument, ASPEX.
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Characterization of Eucalyptus oils
The major constituents (>1%) of the Eucalyptus oils analyzed by
GCMS are given in Table 1. Each Eucalyptus oil contains approxi-
mately 150 different constituents although the majorities are pres-
ent in trace amounts. Eucalyptus FGB 60/65, GRD 80/85 and smithii
have almost identical compositions, all containing relatively high
percentages of 1,8-cineole (approximately 90%) and phellandrene
(23%). E. polybraceta also contains 1,8-cineole (46%), but 21%
terpinol as well. E. dives contains relatively low percentages of
1,8-cineole (15%), however, contains the highest percentages of
phellandrene (15%) and pipertone (30%). E. citriodora contains very
low percentages of cineole (3%), no phellandrene, but a high per-
centage of citronellol. These compositions are in good agreement
with those determined by Boland et al. (1991).
The compositions of E. smithii, dives, GRD 80/85 and FGB 60/65
suggest that these Eucalyptus oils will function as collectors, due to
their high contents of non-polar phellandrene, and weakly
polar 1,8-cineole and pipertone. In contrast, it is anticipated that
E. citriodora and polybraceta will function as frothers due to their
high contents of the polar alcohols, terpinol and citronellol.
3.2. Flotation scoping study
In the scoping study, differences in collector strength and selec-
tivity were clearly observed between PAX and Eucalyptus oils, and
also between the varying species of Eucalyptus oils. Table 2 pro-
vides a comparison of grades and recoveries obtained with each
collector.
Flotation with PAX achieved a gold grade and recovery of 20.6 g
Au/t and 57.8%, respectively. E. citriodora achieved a similar gold
grade as PAX, whereas E. smithii, dives and GRD 80/85 produced a
slightly lower gold grade, approximately 3 g Au/t less than PAX.
E. polybraceta and FGB 60/65 produced the lowest gold grade,
120 150
approximately 5 g Au/t less than PAX.
When considering the gold recovery, Eucalyptus oils may be
grouped into two classes. E. smithii, dives, GRD 80/85 and polybraceta
produced a higher gold recovery, only 510% less than PAX, while E.
 C. Williams et al. / Minerals Engineering 42 (2013) 6267 65

Table 1
Major constituents (>1%) in Eucalyptus oils as determined by gas chromatographymass spectrometry.

Oil species Cineole C10H18O Mycrene C10H16 Phellandrene C10H16 Terpinol C10H18O Pinene C10H16 Pipertone C10H16O Citronellol C10H20O
E. Smithii 91.5 2.4 2.4
E. GRD 80/85 90.3 2.5 2.5
E. Dives 15.5 3.0 14.1 1.3 28.7
E. Citriodora 2.7 2.2 52.9
E. Polybraceta 45.8 3.3 21.4 3.2
E. FGB 60/65 89.9 2.3 3.3

Table 2 70
Comparison of gold grades and recoveries obtained in the scoping study.
E.Dives
60

Cumulative Grade (g/t Au)

Reagent Grade (g/t Au) Recovery (%) E.GRD 80/85
PAX 20.6 57.8 50 E.Smithii
E. Smithii 17.1 48.3
E. Dives 18.3 45.7 PAX Baseline
40
E. GRD (80/85) 17.0 52.4
E. Polybraceta 15.8 46.9 30
E. Citriodora 19.8 34.2
E. FGB (60/65) 15.1 31.8 20

10
citriodora and FGB 60/65 produced a lower gold recovery, approxi-
0
mately 20% less than PAX. 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Using gold grade and recovery as the measure, E. dives, smithii and Cumulative Recovery (% Au)
GRD 80/85 are better gold otation collectors than E. polybraceta,
citriodora and FGB 60/65. In general, the otation results in Table 2 Fig. 2. Cumulative gold grade as a function of cumulative gold recovery for PAX, E.
smithii, dives and GRD 80/85.
are consistent with the major constitutes of Eucalyptus oils indi-
cated in Table 1. Eucalyptus Dives and GRD (80/85) have very similar
components, about 90% weakly polar cineole and 56% non-polar
suggests that E. GRD 80/85 and smithii have a greater selectivity
mycrene and phellandrene. Based on the polarity of these compo-
for free gold than E. dives. This may be attributed to the polar ter-
nents, E. Dives and GRD (80/85) may function as collectors which
pinol content (1.3%) of E. dives.
oat a reasonable amount of gold. Similarly, E. Dives is mainly com-
Fig. 3 shows the kinetic gold otation recovery as a function of
posed of weakly polar (cineole and pipertone) and non-polar com-
otation time for PAX, E. smithii, dives, and GRD 80/85. Eucalyptus
ponents (mycrene and phellandrene) and therefore may function
oils recover most of the gold, approximately 65%, after 4 min of o-
as a collector as well. In contrast, E. Citriodora and Polybraceta
tation. Gold recoveries achieved by Eucalyptus oils only increase by
contain a great amount of fairly polar components, citronellol and
3% with an additional 7 min of otation. This indicates that Euca-
terpinol, and therefore may have more frother properties resulting
lyptus oils are selective for free gold as free gold is fast oating.
in less gold otation.
In contrast, the gold recovery obtained with PAX increases from
Interestingly, E. FGB 60/65 has very similar components to E.
65% at 4 min, to 76% at 11 min. This suggests that PAX recovers
dives and GRD 80/85, but produces the worst gold grade and recov-
both free gold, and gold associated with suldes.
ery among the Eucalyptus oils examined. It seems that the trace
To assess Eucalyptus oils selectivity for chalcopyrite and pyrite
components in E. FGB 60/65 may counteract its collecting
gold carriers, copper, iron and mass recoveries achieved by PAX, E.
properties.
smithii, dives and GRD 80/85 were examined. Results are shown in
Fig. 4. Similar low iron recoveries, approximately 8%, were ob-
3.3. Kinetic otation study tained at the completion of otation with all collectors. Copper

The collecting potential of E. dives, GRD 80/85 and smithii was

80
further evaluated in a kinetic otation study. Cumulative grade
recovery curves for the Eucalyptus oils are compared to PAX and
Cumulative Recovery (%)

shown in Fig. 2.
70
In all cases, otation using Eucalyptus oils as collectors im-
proves the gold grade-recovery curve from the PAX baseline. The
gold grade achieved by PAX after 1 min of otation is 35 g Au/t,
60
whereas the gold grades achieved by the Eucalyptus oils are 20
30 g Au/t higher at approximately 5565 g Au/t. However, gold E.Dives
grades achieved with Eucalyptus oils are only signicantly higher
50 E.GRD 80/85
at the start of otation. This suggests that Eucalyptus oils may be
E.Smithii
selective for free gold, as this is when most of the free gold is
present. PAX Baseline
The gold grade-recovery curves of E. GRD 80/85 and smithii are 40
0 3 6 9 12
almost identical. Flotation with E. dives yields a lower gold grade
Cumulative Time (Min)
by approximately 10 g Au/t in the rst concentrate, but at the com-
pletion of otation, gold grades and recoveries of all Eucalyptus oils Fig. 3. Cumulative gold recovery as a function of otation time for PAX, E. smithii,
are similar at approximately 20 g Au/t and 70%, respectively. This dives and GRD 80/85.
66
90
75
Cumulative Recovery (%)
60
45
E.Dives, Cu
30 E.Smithii, Cu
E.Dives, Fe
15 E.Smithii, Fe
0 may be reduced while gold recovery is increased.
0 1 2 3
Mass Recovery (%)
Fig. 4. Cumulative copper and iron recovery as a function of mass recovery with
PAX, Eucalyptus smithii, dives and GRD 80/85.
Table 3
Percentage of gold association in otation products obtained using Eucalyptus GRD
80/85 as a collector determined by MLA.
Suldes Silicates Oxides
Concentrate 1 16.04 13.69 0.69
Concentrate 2 19.67 26.62 0.16
Concentrate 3 7.36 69.97 7.74
recoveries however, are signicantly different. After 1 min of ota-
tion, the copper recovery obtained with PAX is 58%, but less than
45% with all Eucalyptus oils. At the completion of otation, the
copper recovery obtained with PAX is 80%, and ranges from 45%
to 65% with Eucalyptus oils. It is clear that PAX is superior to any
of the Eucalyptus oils in oating copper minerals. This is consistent
with the higher mass pull produced by PAX throughout the ota-
tion circuit. In comparison to E. smithii, dives and GRD 80/85, PAX
appears to be less selective for free gold, but more selective for
the gold carrier, chalcopyrite. In consequence, PAX yields a lower
gold grade and recovery at the start of otation, but a higher gold
recovery at the completion of otation as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.
3.4. MLA analysis of otation products
To conrm that Eucalyptus oils are selective for free gold, MLA
analyses were carried out on a repeat kinetic otation test using E.
GRD 80/85. MLA results, as shown in Table 3, concluded that the
majority of gold collected by E. GRD 80/85 is indeed free. In the
rst concentrate, approximately 64% of the gold collected is free
surface gold. Other gold containing particles were associated with
suldes, in particular chalcopyrite, galena, pyrrhotite and pyrite. In
the second concentrate, approximately 43% of the gold collected is
free surface gold. The mineral association analysis shows that
approximately 20% of gold was associated with suldes, and
approximately 27% with silicates, in particular chalcopyrite, galena
and plagioclase. The high association with silicates is attributed to
the decreased sulde mineral liberation and the free surface of sul-
de particles dropping to 13%. In the third concentrate, none of the
gold particles collected were free. Approximately 70% gold is asso-
ciated with silicates, and 7% with suldes, in particular chalcopy-
rite, epidote, quartz, pyrrhotite and plagioclase. Both MLA and
ASPEX analyses determined that the tailing sample contained no
gold. Therefore, it can be concluded that E. GRD 80/85 selectively
collects free gold, and that free gold is fast oating.
This study has a number of implications in gold otation. Firstly,
some of the Eucalyptus oils examined may be used to improve the
otation of free gold, particularly in ash otation. The loss of free
C. Williams et al. / Minerals Engineering 42 (2013) 6267
gold has been observed in many otation plants. This is partially
attributed to the gold surface being readily tarnished or contami-
nated with otation time (Chryssoulis and McMullen, 2005). Euca-
lyptus oils are highly selective to free gold and able to oat it at the
start of otation. Secondly, Eucalyptus oils are greener gold collec-
tors than xanthates. Due to the lower selectivity on gold carriers,
e.g., copper minerals, it is unlikely to completely replace xanthates
E.GRD 80/85, Cu
by Eucalyptus oils in gold otation currently. However, Eucalyptus
PAX Baseline, Cu oils can be used to replace part of xanthates. For example, Eucalyp-
E.GRD 80/85, Fe tus oils may be added in the rougher otation to oat free gold and
PAX Baseline, Fe xanthates in the scavenger otation to oat gold with its carriers.
In this way, the impact of xanthates on the health and environment
4 5
4. Conclusion
Eucalyptus oils are greener collectors than xanthates and have
great potential to reduce the impact of xanthates on health and
environment in gold otation.
The collecting power of Eucalyptus oils is associated with the
amount of non-polar and weakly polar constituents, and in partic-
ular the presence of 1,8-cineole, phellandrene and pipertone. Euca-
Free surface gold lyptus species containing relatively high percentages of these
constituents, E. dives, smithii and GRD 80/85, possess strong col-
63.83
42.53 lecting power in gold otation, and therefore achieve signicantly
0.00 higher grades than PAX at the head of the otation circuit.
Eucalyptus oils alone however, cannot replace xanthate collec-
tors due to their poor selectivity for the gold-carrying copper sul-
de minerals, chalcopyrite and bornite. It will be necessary to
add another green collector to oat gold carriers to completely
eliminate the use of xanthates in gold otation.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the approval of publication
of this paper by Newmont Mining Corporation. The rst author also
thanks the scholarship provided by Newmont Mining Corporation
during the research work. In addition, the authors extend many
thanks to Sante Di Pasquale and Patrick Helmgens at the University
of Queensland, Denise Dooer at the Newmont Mining Corporation,
and Elaine Whigtman at the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research
Centre for their technical contributions to the experimental section
of this paper.
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