Synthesis of sodium 1,3-propanebis(dithiocarbamate) and study of its flotation properties

Abstract

Development and selection of a suitable reagent for efficient flotation is of great importance for ore beneficiation processes. Dithiocarbamates represent a class of organic compounds that are widely used as reagent-collectors in ore flotation. In this work, we conducted an analytical review of the methods currently used for obtaining this class of compounds and established the main method for obtaining dithiocarbamate salts to be the interaction of primary or secondary amines with carbon disulfide (CS2) in the presence of potassium or sodium hydroxide. The aim of the reviewed work was to synthesize sodium 1,3-propanebis(dithiocarbamate), as well as to study its flotation properties in the beneficiation of gold-bearing sulfide ores. A simple and effective method for sodium 1,3-propanebis(dithiocarbamate) synthesizing was proposed. Its structure was confirmed using physicochemical methods (infrared spectroscopy, 1H, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy). A set of studies found that the combined use of potassium butyl xanthate and sodium dialkyl dithiophosphate (BTF-1552) with sodium 1,3-propanebis(dithiocarbamate) led an increase in the efficiency of extraction of the target component of up to 81.63%, as well as an increase in its content in the concentrate of up to 7 g/t. In addition, the combination of sodium 1,3-propanebis(dithiocarbamate) with potassium butyl xanthate was shown to enable an extraction efficiency of 80.51%, as well as a valuable component content in the concentrate of up to 6.5 g/t with a low gold content in flotation tailings of 0.07 g/t. The proposed synthesis method and the results of flotation tests of gold-bearing ores are of interest for further research in the field of organic synthesis and practical application.