UNDERSTANDING THE ROLES OF POLYETHYLENE OXIDE AND XANTHATE IN REDUCING QUARTZ GANGUE ENTRAINMENT IN SULPHIDE ORE FLOTATION

摘要

Photometric dispersion analysis (PDA), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and zeta potential measurements were used to study the roles of polyethylene oxide (PEO) and xanthate in sulfide flotation. When a high molecular weight PEO was added to a sulfide flotation pulp, it flocculated both sulfide and non-sulfide minerals to form large hetero-aggregates. However, with subsequent addition of xanthate, the sulfide mineral particles broke away from the aggregates. This led to the disintegration of the large hetero-aggregates and the formation of smaller and separate homo-aggregates of sulfide and non-sulfide minerals. This process can be utilized to lower the hydraulic entrainment of ultrafine gangue minerals in sulfide ore flotation.