Inhibition of pyrite oxidation by a phospholipid in the presence of silicate.

The influence of sodium silicate on the ability of a diacetylene-containing phospholipid (23:2 diyne PC) to inhibit the oxidation of pyrite at pH 2 and pH 6 was investigated. The phospholipid used has previously been reported to show up to 80% suppression of pyrite oxidation and to show excellent stability down to at least pH 2. Pyrite was leached with a solution containing Fe3+ but no coating agent and three different solutions or treatments: a lipid treatment, a silicate treatment, and a lipid + silicate treatment. Pyrite oxidation was based on iron (Fe3+, Fe2+) leached out of a continuous-flow porous-bed reactor system. The results show that at pH 6 the silicate and lipid both bind strongly to the pyrite surfaces, providing a barrier that inhibits the production and subsequent release of oxidation products. The lipid is superior to the silicate in suppressing pyrite oxidation at both pH 2 and pH 6. Also, the presence of silicates decreased the ability for the lipid to suppress pyrite oxidation, both at pH 2 and pH 6. The reaction mechanism for pyrite oxidation at pH 2 is first order for pyrite leached by solutions containing only ferric, ferric together with silicate, and ferric combined with silicate and lipid. The only treatment that effectively prevented pyrite oxidation at pH 2 was the lipid treatment. The Fe speciation results are supported by both SEM images and EDS calculations.