Voltammetric study of the interaction between PGMs and Sodium Ethyl Xanthate

摘要

In practice the flotation of PGMs is treated as being similar to that of base metal sulphides. A fundamental study has been conducted to provide insight into the interaction between synthetic PGMs moncheite (PtTe2) and cooperite (PtS) and sodium ethyl xanthate. Cyclic voltammetry has been used as a tool to investigate this interaction in a solution buffered to pH 9.2, in the absence and presence of sodium ethyl xanthate as collector. Reduction potentials of the collector have been measured and compared to published data. Reduction potentials of the minerals have also been predicted from thermodynamic calculations and used to correlate with the observed behaviour of the minerals in solution. Results have shown differences in the oxidation behaviour of the minerals as well as in the collector interaction with the mineral surfaces.