Effective sulfide flotation of cerussite by using trithiocyanuric acid as a novel sulfurizing reagent

Abstract

The sulfide flotation of cerussite by adding traditional sulfurizing reagents, such as sodium sulfide, easily loses its effectiveness when inadequate or excessive reagents are added. In this study, cerussite flotation using trithiocyanuric acid (TTCA) as a novel sulfurizing reagent was investigated. Microflotation results indicated that cerussite could be effectively collected at pH 8.0 using trace amounts of TTCA as the sulfurizing reagent. The overdose TTCA had little effect on the effective flotation of cerussite. The sulfidization mechanism of cerussite by TTCA was investigated by zeta potential measurements, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that TTCA was mainly adsorbed on the cerussite surface in the form of a tautomer. TTCA-Pb complexes were produced by the chemical reactions of (H2C3N3S3)- monoanions with Pb atoms, which is beneficial for the adsorption of sodium butyl xanthate on the surface. The slow-release property of TTCA was confirmed by adsorption measurements. This property prevents the addition of excess sulfurizing reagents and maintains a continuous sulfurization atmosphere to significantly improve the flotation of cerussite.