Effect of iron content in sphalerite on flotation

The effect of iron, substituted in the mineral lattice, on the froth flotation of sphalerite has been investigated at alkaline pH. It has been found that a critical copper sulphate concentration exists where sphalerite recovery is maximized, above which the recovery of sphalerite then decreases. The...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inMinerals engineering Vol. 18; no. 11; pp. 1120 - 1122
Main Authors Boulton, A., Fornasiero, D., Ralston, J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2005
Subjects
Flotation activators
Flotation kinetics
Froth flotation
Particle size
Particle size
Flotation kinetics
Flotation activators
Froth flotation
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Summary:The effect of iron, substituted in the mineral lattice, on the froth flotation of sphalerite has been investigated at alkaline pH. It has been found that a critical copper sulphate concentration exists where sphalerite recovery is maximized, above which the recovery of sphalerite then decreases. The presence of iron in sphalerite is detrimental to the rate of sphalerite flotation and hence its recovery, with the coarser particles being more affected that the fines. The presence of iron reduces the activation of sphalerite by copper, which in turn results in a reduction in collector adsorption.
ISSN:0892-6875
1872-9444
DOI:10.1016/j.mineng.2005.03.008