Smithsonite flotation using potassium amyl xanthate and hexylmercaptan

Abstract

The influence of potassium amyl xanthate (KAX) and hexylmercaptan (HM) adsorption on smithsonite surface at various concentrations were investigated through using zeta potential, contact angle, microflotation and diffuse reflectance FTIR studies at different pH. The zeta potential measurements of KAX showed that the adsorption of ionic charge (more negative charge after KAX treatment) takes place on the surface of pure crystalline smithsonite. The charges vary between −38 and −45 mV at pH 10·5. Flotation results using potassium amyl xanthate reveal that the maximum recovery of 81·3% and the maximum contact angle of 98·7° occurs at pH 10·5 at KAX concentration of 2·96 × 10⁻³M in sodium sulphide (2·6 × 10⁻²M) and copper sulphate (9·4 × 10⁻³M) solutions. The highest recovery and contact angle for flotation by means of HM occurs at pH 9 at values of 78·6% and 92·3° respectively with HM concentration 1·1 × 10⁻²M. The FTIR spectra studies of smithsonite conditioned by KAX confirmed the adsorption of KAX and the presence of CS₂ on smithsonite surface. The FTIR spectra in HM studies showed the adsorption of RS⁻ on the oxidised zinc surface and the S–H bond in the mercaptan is destroyed on adsorption. The comparison between the results using anionic collectors showed that the presence of different amounts of reagents on smithsonite surface in two cases confer different degree of hydrophobicity on the smithsonite surface.

Keywords

SMITHSONITE ANIONIC COLLECTOR THIOLS KAX HEXYLMERCAPTAN ZETA POTENTIAL FTIR CONTACT ANGLE FLOTATION

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