Enhanced flotation of hemimorphite: Adjusting mineral surface potential with sodium thiocyanate as activator

Abstract

In this paper, sodium thiocyanate (NaSCN) has been used for the first time as an activator of heteromorphite. In the flotation of heteromorphite, 93% recovery was obtained at the concentration of collector ODA 0.4 × 10–4 mol/L in the presence of NaSCN, while the concentration of collector should be 2.5 × 10–4 mol/L and 0.6 × 10–4 mol/L for the non-activator or Na2S treatment, respectively. The Micro-flotation results showed that heteromorphite can be effectively activated by NaSCN. Nay, the activation effect was better than sodium sulfide, and was slightly affected by activation time. FTIR analysis, Zeta-potential measurements and XPS analysis were conducted to determine the activation mechanism of sodium thiocyanate on heteromorphite. The result of FTIR analysis showed that after NaSCN treatment, the collector ODA can be chemisorbed on the heteromorphite surface via forming zinc-ammonium complex, and physically adsorbed simultaneously by electrostatic attraction. Note that the physisorption effect is more significant. Zeta-potential measurements and XPS analysis showed that the ambidentate ligand SCN− can chemisorbed on the heteromorphite surface via forming zinc-thiocyanate complex anions by S or N elements. What's more, the value of zeta potential of minerals was more negative, which enhanced the physisorption of collector on the mineral surface. Ultimately, the surface hydrophobicity of the heteromorphite was enhanced, and better flotation recovery effect was obtained. The results of this paper can provide a new idea for the activation of minerals.