Investigations on the depressant effect of sodium alginate on galena flotation in different sulfide ore collector systems

Abstract

The depressant effect of sodium alginate on galena flotation in different collector systems was investigated, mainly through micro-flotation tests, zeta potential measurements and molecular dynamics simulations. The micro-flotation results showed that the depressant effect of sodium alginate depended largely on collector type. Galena flotation was effectively and totally depressed by sodium alginate when ammonium dibutyl dithiophosphate acted as collector. When diethyldithiocarbamic acid cyanoethyl ester acted as collector, sodium alginate could only partly inhibit the galena flotation. However, when butyl xanthate acted as collector, sodium alginate could not exhibit any depressant effect on galena flotation. The zeta potential measurement results indicated that these reagents could adsorb on galena surface at different degree of strength and could further result in subsequent different flotation behaviors. The molecular dynamics simulation results demonstrated that the adsorption ability between galena surface and reagents could rank as butyl xanthate > sodium alginate > diethyldithiocarbamic acid cyanoethyl ester > ammonium dibutyl dithiophosphate, which further determined the depressant effect differences. The results could be potentially used for selecting suitable collector type in some sulfide ore flotation plants when sodium alginate acted as galena depressant.