Global Locations

Molycop has offices in key locations all over the globe.

Executive Team

Our executive team has many years of combined experience.

History

Molycop's history spans 100 years of operation.

Molycop Worldwide

Molycop's network of manufacturing facilities, distribution centres and regional sales offices service over 400 mines across 40 countries.

Applications – Copper/Molybdenum

Making pure moly concentrate grades necessitates removal of essentially all gangue and pyrite during recovery. Molycop chemicals enable the efficient separation of molybdenum from gangue minerals, leading to high recovery rates of moly concentrate.

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Features

Molybdenite (MoS2) is the predominant economic molybdenum mineral
Addition of a hydrocarbon oil extender enhances its recovery
While there is primary molybdenum mine production, a significant amount of moly is recovered as copper mine by-product

Overview

Molybdenite (MoS2) is the predominant economic molybdenum mineral. While naturally very hydrophobic and able to be effectively floated with just frother, addition of a hydrocarbon oil extender enhances its recovery.

Making very pure moly concentrate grades is necessary for lubricant and oil additive applications, so the challenge is primarily to effectively remove essentially all the gangue and pyrite. This is a challenge since moly mineral ore concentrations are very low.

The moly rougher concentrate is cleaned and recleaned with regrinding between stages to ensure maximum liberation. Flotation is conducted at high pH levels, often greater than 11 using lime to ensure good depression of sulfide minerals, particularly iron sulfides and copper. Other depressants used include cyanide and Nokes reagent (thiophosphorous or thioarsenic compounds).

Moly as a copper by-product

While there is primary molybdenum mine production, a significant amount of moly is recovered as copper mine by-product. The standard flow sheet consists of bulk sulfide flotation of copper and molybdenite while depressing gangue and iron minerals in the rougher and cleaner circuits.

Recovery of copper is by standard flotation reagents identified in the copper ore flotation description.

Optimum moly flotation

Molybdenum will float naturally with the copper but can be crowded in the froth by the copper mineralisation and use of a moly collector (such as diesel oil, kerosene, refined oils, pine oil or xanthate ester) enhances its floatability. Further, because optimum moly flotation pH is at 7–8 while optimum copper selectivity is typically in the 9–11 pH range, use of a moly collector in bulk flotation can improve floatability. Some mines find that the moly collectors can have a negative impact on copper flotation so testing and evaluation must be conducted to find the optimum moly collector hydrocarbon and frother products.

Separation and upgrading the molybdenite from the bulk copper-molybdenite concentrate is generally accomplished by selective molybdenite flotation following copper and iron sulfide depression. Standard depressant schemes include high pH via lime addition, sodium hydrosulfide, Nokes reagent, etc.

During the molybdenum upgrading process, the cleaner concentrate is often roasted to drive residual reagents off all the minerals in the Cu-Mo bulk concentrate to make a selective separation easier.

Typical Uses

Pure molybdenum concentrate grades are primarily used in the production of molybdenum metal and its alloys. Molybdenum is essential in manufacturing high-strength, heat-resistant steels, commonly used in the aerospace, automotive and construction industries, as well as in lubricant and oil additive applications.

Benefits

High recovery rates: Molycop chemicals allow for the efficient separation of molybdenum from gangue minerals, leading to high recovery rates.
Selective concentration: Chemicals selectively concentrate molybdenite, ensuring the production of a high-quality concentrate.
Flexibility: Can be used in various ore types, including complex polymetallic ores containing molybdenum and other metals like copper.

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