Abstract
The addition of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) to the flotation water of complex sulfide ores is a strategy implemented to mitigate the adverse effect of calcium and magnesium present in the process water of complex sulfide flotation. These contaminating agents are due to the use of lime as pH regulator and to the presence in the ore of magnesium species. Na2CO3 is added with the aim of precipitating Ca2+ and Mg2+ as carbonates. In the case of calcium, it precipitates CaCO3, which has been identified by XRD as calcite and vaterite. In the case of magnesium, the precipitating solid is of amorphous nature. In order to identify the chemical nature of magnesium precipitates, thermogravimetric analysis was carried out. Additionally, the solids were analyzed by SEM–EDS to support the observations. The results suggest that the amorphous solid may consist of a hydrated basic magnesium carbonate, precursor of hydromagnesite (Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2·4H2O).Graphical abstract
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